With more participants, more visitors and an increase in foreign buyer delegations and more exhibition space, the organisers of MyPlant&Garden 2024 look back with satisfaction on a successful trade fair for ornamental horticulture. The fair was held from 21-23 February at the RHO exhibition complex in Milan

MyPlant attracted 762 exhibitors this year, 15% more than in 2023, with, 204 delegations from international buyers, a 27% higher percentage rreached, the number of visitors, at 25,000, was 8% higher than last year (150 in 2023, +27%).

Satisfied

"We are very satisfied - says Valeria Randazzo, Exhibition Manager of the International Green Expo. We gathered a lot of positive feedback, both from exhibitors and visitors. The quality of the exhibited offerings, the high level of buyers, the content and the beauty of the whole the abundance of opportunities for relations and contacts and the blinkered concreteness of the business outlook are the key features of this edition."

The participants 

Lombardy, Veneto, Tuscany and the Netherlands topped the ranking of exhibitor origins, which increased by more than 100 units compared to the previous edition and were all well represented in the fair's 9 macro sectors (pots, nurseries, technology, services, machinery, flowers, decoration, sports & landscape, garden furniture). From Europe, Germany, France, Romania, Poland, Lithuania, Spain and Switzerland are further most represented) and Asia (with Japan excelling, with 12 delegations, Armenia and China) are the main buyer delegations, while the number of delegates from the Middle East continues to grow.

Buyers' Programme

With financial support from various (government) agencies, a 'buyers' programme' was again set up this year, for which interesting, potential 'buyers' from all over the world were selected and invited.  Among the selected 'buyers' were companies active in landscaping, parks, nurseries, pots, machinery, maintenance, seeds and nutrients, cut flowers, as well as decision-makers of the large purchasing chains (Garden Centres, GD, DIY, Home & Garden, e-commerce) especially from France, the Netherlands, Germany and Spain, government institutions, representatives of cities and European capitals (also from Paris, Madrid, Vienna, Split, Sofia, Principality of Monaco), catering establishments, project developers and planners. Also i realised an oen increase of The presence of representatives and owners of holiday resorts, events and ceremonies, historical houses, archaeological, national, regional and local parks, agricultural and wine companies, research institutes, universities, botanical gardens, thermal complexes, retail outlets, large gardens, museums, castles, palaces and amusement parks. 

Sustainability

The theme of sustainability in all its facets - economic, ecological, social, ecosystemic - was addressed at the meetings of the three-day event in Milan, including the conference organised by Green Planner. Here, the focus was on non-land cultivation, between regulations, effectiveness, environmental impact and new induced professional opportunities.

Conferences were also organised on the protection of biodiversity and tree habitats, the future of floriculture and young people.Urban green spaces were addressed with the XXIVth edition of the 'City for Green' Award, organised by the publisher Il Verde Editoriale: the only national prize awarded to municipal authorities, public bodies, private structures for public purposes and voluntary associations that have distinguished themselves in work to create, improve, maintain and redevelop green areas.