“This year’s Spoga+Gafa was the best ever”

Spoga+Gafa 2017 saw record numbers of exhibitors and exhibition space this year while maintaining its number of visitors at the same time. 2 131 exhibitors from 59 countries (foreign portion 84 per cent) presented their innovations at the global trade fair for the garden industry in Cologne (Germany). Around 39 000 visitors attended from 113 countries; a year ago there were 39 275. The foreign portion of visitors lay at around 60 per cent in 2017. For Koelnmesse, the organisers, this is an indication that the trade fair has now come away from the biannual interval of the Gafa trade fair, in which less visitors in the uneven years had been seen for some time. Around 226 000 m² exhibition space was occupied.
In particular the DIY store trade showed a very positive reaction. John W. Herbert, General Secretary of the international industry association Edra/Ghin: "We have drawn a very positive balance: This year's Spoga+Gafa was the best ever. We were able to welcome over 200 buyers from all over the world here at the Cologne fair grounds. That was more than ever before. Both numerous first-time visitors, including a delegation from Japan as well as one from the most important DIY store groups worldwide including no less than 27 buyers were among the top buyers, to mention just two examples. The great response and the positive feedback of the buyers from all over the globe is a clear sign for us that Spoga+Gafa is gaining further significance and is accepted as the leading international garden trade fair and platform for new products."
Based on the mainly very positive reactions, the strategy of the trade fair organisers has proven successful. "More in-depth approach to themes and significantly more added value" are the words Katharina C. Hamma, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse, used to describe the approach which was taken. This was implemented over the special exhibition areas Smart Gardening World and the IVG Power Place Battery as well as in the five POS Green Solution Islands, all of which received much attention. Here, the organisers presented ideas for the concrete design of retail space for garden centres and DIY stores.