Increase in visitor numbers at IPM

The latest edition of the IPM international trade fair for plants in Essen attracted more visitors, while exhibitor numbers remained steady. 57 200 visitors passed through the gates on the four days of the show at the end of January, an increase of 1.2 per cent compared with the previous year. The number of exhibitors fell by just under one per cent compared with 2015 to 1 588. 40 per cent of visitors and 64 per cent of the exhibitors came from abroad, with exhibitors representing 49 countries in all.
"IPM Essen has once more proven that it is indisputably the most important fair for international horticulture. The innovations are introduced here and the orders for the coming season are placed here. This year, it was again possible to raise the number and quality of the visitors and the sales transactions. We are more than satisfied," was the summary given by Oliver P. Kuhrt, CEO of Messe Essen.
20 nations exhibited on official joint stands for the first time. Guatemala debuted at the show, while China, France, Great Britain, India and Taiwan all had larger stands. Other countries represented by pavilions were Belgium, Costa Rica, Denmark, the Netherlands, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Poland, Spain, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Turkey, Hungary and the USA. A 100-strong delegation also travelled from Turkey to Essen to find out about the latest horticultural products.