International platform for the entire tree nursery industry; The second day of GrootGroenPlus mainly showed its strong international profile. Growers and suppliers received many international visitors from (among others) Poland, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Denmark, and Romania.

And of course, there were also many Belgian visitors, which is fitting given the location of the trade fair: at the Dutch/Belgian border. This shows: GrootGroenPlus has evolved from a regional trade fair to a proven international platform for the entire tree nursery industry - including garden plants. 

Visitor-focused

Chairman David Bömer emphasises that the focus of the trade fair is always on the participants. “The most important thing is that growers and suppliers can say that they have met interesting people and that they have done valuable business,” he states. “The international trade fair visitor will make that stronger than ever. Where there used to be a local character, the trade fair has evolved into a professional meeting place for the industry.”

According to Bömer, GrootGroenPlus’ strength is that the trade fair has now grown into a one-stop-shop. “With three hundred participants, there is a wide offer: from forest and hedge plants to standard trees and container cultivation. That diverse character makes it interesting for international visitors, to get a full overview of what’s on offer.”

Wider perspective

Corianne Oudijk, member of the board since 2017, points at the widening of the board and the participant field. “Originally, GGP was mainly regarded as an initiative from Zundert. It has now grown into a trade fair that is carried by the entire industry. Members of the board come from different regions, and the participants represent a wide range of cultivars. That gives the trade fair a national and international scope.”

She also sees a clear new dynamic: “What I’ve noticed is the presence of young entrepreneurs. A new generation takes the stage here, which shows faith in the future. GrootGroenPlus offers them an accessible, approachable, yet professional environment to present themselves at an international level.”

A mature stage

With the international stream of visitors and the wide representation of product groups - from forest and hedge plants to garden plants - GrootGroenPlus presents itself increasingly more as a mature stage for the entire tree nursery industry. According to Oudijk and Bömer, the distinction with other trade fairs is very clear: this trade fair is clear, accessible, and high-quality. 

Day two showed that GrootGroenPlus is not just a showroom for the Zundert region, but an internationally recognized platform, where the Dutch tree nursery industry can show all it has to offer. 

External press tour

As usual, the press and buyers were on an external press tour on Thursday of the trade fair. They visited De Weimer (B123), CAM Poppelaars (R046), Laurens van Haperen (B101), TTS (R130), Dictus-Havermans (B077) and had a joint dinner at the trade fair floor. The children of the Jozefschool in Wernhout also visited De Weimer and participated in the tree game and a guided tour, after which they had lunch with the international press.  

On Friday, there will be an event on how future-proof the industry is. Speakers are Elise Wieringa - Sustainability Manager, Intratuin, Marco Lassini - Climate Solution Lead EU Continental, Stantec (Italy), and Ian van Oekel & Joris de Vos - Tierra Outdoor. Besides that sustainability will take a more physical shape at the Square of Tomorrow, where you can get inspiration on product presentations that meet the growing demand for sustainable solutions in the entire chain. 

Besides that, the Alliance partner day of Coöperatieve Vereniging Treeport Zundert will take place at the trade floor. The groups will have lunch together, and visit both the blue and the red routes.