Emotion at the fair

Koelnmesse is expecting over 2 000 exhibitors from 59 countries for Spoga+Gafa 2017. 95 per cent of the exhibition area has already been booked: "In a year-to-year comparison this equates to an increase of five per cent," said chief operating officer Katharina C. Hamma at a press conference in advance of the trade show, which takes place in Cologne from 3 to 5 September.
Compared with last year, the exhibition surface around Hall 8 has been expanded by 226 000 m². This is because the garden BBQ show segment has been complemented by an Outdoor Kitchens feature and the Outdoor Kitchen World theme island.
Manufacturers of outdoor kitchens have the opportunity here to exhibit and present their products and installations 'for cooking in the open air'. The Outdoor Kitchen World is a combination of exhibition and practical areas with an event character. "Through the integration of Outdoor Kitchens we are reinforcing the existing BBQ competence of Spoga+Gafa and are further expanding it as a trend platform," explained Hamma.
Other new theme islands for this year are the Smart Gardening World and IVG Powerplace Battery. The exhibitor presences and product presentations, which show the new products and possibilities live and in action, will be enhanced by lectures by international experts on the Technology Stage. True to the motto "Automation is no longer stopping at the garden gate", the Smart Gardening World focuses on the latest technologies and trends for outdoor lighting, lawn care, safety, BBQs, shade systems, pools and garden irrigation. In the adjacent IVG Power Place Battery, manufacturers will be presenting their battery-operated products live.
As a further innovation designed to highlight the trend theme of plants, so-called POS added-value islands will visualise ideas for specific retail space design in garden centres and DIY stores. They are intended to serve as inspiration or concrete implementation examples for space in the stores.

In line with the new concept introduced by the fair organisation, the "Spoga+Gafa experience", the POS added-value islands can be visited alone or as part of a guided tour. Up to five such islands on the Boulevard of Ideas, on Passage 4/5 and in Hall 5.1 are intended to offer visitors inspiration on their way around…