Optimism colours approach to fair season

Cologne is where the 2003 garden and leisure season opens at the beginning of September. There the opening act is provided by Gafa, the International Garden Trade Fair, in combination with Spoga, the International Trade Fair for Sports Goods, Camping Equipment and Garden Furniture, both taking place from 1 to 3 September.
“The successful dual concept underlying this international garden and leisure exhibition is once again confirmed after 30 years by extremely stable figures showing a high level of participation each year by exhibitors coming from Germany and most especially from abroad,” is how Bernd Aufderheide, managing director of Köln-Messe, explains the event’s development. This trend is continuing in 2002 as well, with approx. 1 200 suppliers from 49 countries (62 per cent from abroad) exhibiting their products and services, all of which revolve around the green market. The trend towards internationalisation is still continuing, with five more states coming to Cologne than last year.
The "Water in the garden" theme area is becoming increasingly significant.
Widely diversified range
Gafa is occupying Halls 9, 10.2, 13 and 14, which means it is again offering an exhibition space of approx. 131 000 m² like last year. It is hoped to achieve more transparency and clarity through a better concentration of certain product categories within the show halls. The emphasis of this year’s event is on hand and powered garden tools, as well as garden furniture and decoration, closely followed by sprinkler and irrigation technology. Nearly all the market leaders from these areas are represented in Cologne. Permanent features of the programme, furthermore, are structural elements for the garden, greenhouses, florists’ requisites, live plants, biochemical products, substrates and composts plus pet products. Suppliers of shop-fitting and warehousing products, merchandising and sales systems are more noticeably to the fore this year.
Increasingly international
Expected this year are 720 international suppliers from 49 countries including Italy (130), the Netherlands (65), France (60), Britain (57), the USA (36) and Poland as the main representative from central and eastern Europe with 13 suppliers. The Asian countries in particular have managed still further growth, with over 60 suppliers from the People’s Republic of China, 55 from Taiwan and 15 from Japan. Vietnam and, for the first time, the Philippines have a presence in Cologne of 9 and 2 manufacturers respectively…