Special, business-focused features will also provide an unrivalled chance for buyers to network, find best buys, source inspirational ideas and tap into emerging trends.
Since the doors closed on the 2012 show, Glee has undergone significant changes, making this year’s exhibition an even more exciting prospect. A return to the show’s Sunday to Tuesday format will enable even more garden retailers and decision makers to attend, all determined to find new products, to business and network with the wider industry.
A new event manager also takes the helm at this year’s Glee. Matthew Mein, a senior member of the Glee sales team for the last seven years, will now lead the show into its next chapter, bringing with him a wealth of experience and passion for the industry.
WHAT’S IN STORE AT GLEE 2013?
Now in its 38th year, Glee is the UK’s most valued annual garden trade show featuring a huge range of both leading brands and smaller enterprises from the UK and abroad. As well as sourcing new products and suppliers, retailers will also be able to take advantage of a range of useful visitor features designed to help them add value to their bottom line by understanding the latest market trends, discovering fresh merchandising inspiration and seeing the experts’ top product picks.
i2i’s Glee event manager Matthew Mein says the show is specifically designed to enable both retailers and suppliers to optimise every possible business-building opportunity. “From their first pre-planning visit to our website to their last on-stand meeting, every Glee visitor will leave having gained new ideas, new contacts and helpful business guidance for the year ahead,” he confirms. “Retailers who spend time visiting Glee will achieve far more than they could from weeks on the phone, out on the road – or staying on the shop floor. Glee really is time well spent.”
Matthew confirmed there are also big plans for the future of Glee. He said: “Glee 2013 is very much the start of a new chapter for the show. Over the last year we have listened intently to the wants and needs of the industry, and feel that this year’s event will more than ever reflect the changes and opportunities that the industry desires. Our planning goes further than just this September’s show however. Everything we do and all the changes we are making are in line with our long term vision for the show. We’ll have some exciting announcements to make during Glee 2013 about these future plans, and we hope that the industry will join with us on this exciting journey.”
SECTOR-BY-SECTOR PREVIEW
Whether you are looking to source the latest innovations or core best sellers for the year ahead, Glee will offer it all. Encompassing seven dedicated product sectors, Glee is the leading annual showcase for the whole of the garden industry and an essential diary date for any garden retailer.
Glee Garden Care (Hall 5) features everything from growing media, compost, fertilisers, and GYO products to garden machinery, garden tools and accessories. One of the most bustling sections of the show, expect to see big name brands side by side with niche manufacturers, together bringing the widest selection of new product launches and innovation. Key exhibitors for Glee Garden Care include Agralan, BeeMat, Briers, Burgon & Ball, Cadix, Crown Garden Products, DLF Trifolium, Draper Tools, Elho, Fallen Fruits, Gardman, Garland, Haws Watering Cans, Kaemingk, Maingate, Mr Fothergills Seeds, Scheurich, Scotts Miracle-Gro, Smart Solar, Spear & Jackson, Taylor Bulbs, Town & Country, Vitax and Westland Unwins.
Glee Landscaping & Garden Design (Hall 4) provides an unrivalled showcase of influential brands and leaders in garden and landscaping design. Featuring stunning displays, Glee Landscaping & Garden Design is a must-see section of the show, featuring many best-practice examples of how to cross-sell products in situ. From hard landscaping and aggregates to fencing, garden buildings and structures, soft landscaping, statuary, water features and timber supplies, Glee Landscaping & Garden Design has everything to help retailers maximise those products that create the framework of every garden. Exhibitors confirmed include Albany Sheds, Abitquackers, Apta, Deco-Pak, Eden Greenhouses, Global Stone, Grange Fencing, Haddonstone, Kelkay, M&M Timber, Meadow View Stone, Strata Stones, Vivid Arts, Woodlodge and VegTrug.
Glee Garden Leisure (Hall 5) is the place to source products that really enable people to enjoy the outdoor lifestyle. Glee’s dedicated outdoor living area showcases the best from the industry’s leading companies, making it the ideal opportunity for buyers looking to source next year’s ranges and tap into growing leisure demand. Showing everything from garden furniture, barbeques and parasols to chimeneas, conservatory and indoor furniture, play equipment and camping essentials will be Adobe, La Hacienda, Napoleon Grill, Norfolk Leisure Lifestyle, Premier Decorations and SunTime. New companies to the show include Chilling Out, Coleman UK, La-Z-Boy Outdoor UK and Romsley Leisure.
Glee Nursery & Planteria (Hall 4) is where buyers can shop for the best in nursery stock, bedding plants, house plants, cut flowers, trees and shrubs, herbs and florist sundries from both UK and international growers; as well as seeing the latest plant trends and merchandising techniques. Key exhibitors confirmed for Glee Nursery & Planteria include Cadeby Tree Trust, Floramedia, Golden Grove Nursery, H.S.Hommers & Son, Javado, SP Trading, The Christmas Cabin, Vannucci Piante and Willy De Norf bvba.
Glee Home, Gift & Clothing (Hall 5) is a key place to explore additional profit-making opportunities. As the garden retail gift market continues to grow, Glee Home, Gift & Clothing brings together a huge selection of product ideas to help your gift offering stand out. Added to this, the section also features additional, added value product lines such as clothing ranges, picnicware, seasonal decorations plus games, toys and books. Exhibitors confirmed for Glee Home, Gift & Clothing include Artisan Olive, BrownTrout Publishers Ltd, Design Toscano, Emma Bridgewater, Gifts of Imagination, Hazelmill, Java Art, Outside In Designs, Oxford Blue, Portwest, Protectoplast Ltd, Regatta, Rohni’s International and Woodstream Europe Ltd.
Glee Retail Support (Hall 5), is not to be missed by anyone wanting to maximise the profitability and efficiency of their own store. Packed full of the latest innovations, technologies and equipment for tomorrow’s retailers – including EPoS, shop fitting and display stands, structures, software solutions and garden centre design – Retail Support is an essential part of Glee. Exhibitors confirmed for Glee Retail Support include Brother, David-Richardson, Derco Horticulture, G7 Computer Services, Gilbert Evans, Malcolm Scott Consultants Ltd, MP Buildings, NP Structures, National Structures, Pleydell Smithyman, Quinton Edwards, Salepoint, Smiemens Projectan, Stagecraft and Timber Displays.
Manufacturers of pet products and accessories can also be found at Glee 2013. Pet exhibitors, who will be bringing with them a selection of essential toys, food and bedding ideas, include Pet Food UK, Pet Republic and Petface.
SPECIAL S
HOW FEATURES FOR 2013
Food & Catering Zone in partnership with Vision Commercial Kitchens
Focused on one of the fastest growing profit opportunities for garden retailers, the Glee Food & Catering Zone – now in its second year – is designed to give garden retailers an unrivalled opportunity to gather best practice examples, advice, contacts and products to help them initiate or improve their catering offering. As well as a wide range of exhibitors offering food and drink products, equipment and related services, retailers will find three dedicated areas of catering inspiration to explore. Spearheaded by Vision Commercial Kitchens these include a walk-through case study gallery, workshop area and new products display. Live cooking demonstrations will also add an exciting, and mouth-watering, element to proceedings.
Knowledge Hub, in association with The HTA
Business guidance is at the heart of the show’s dedicated education and learning centre, ‘The Knowledge Hub’. With a raft of seminars designed to help you improve and grow your business for the year ahead, this area is the perfect place to relax and learn during your time at Glee. Key themes for discussion and debate at this year’s show will include optimising social media, building a profitable catering offering and the importance of training.
Glee Innovators Zone
Launched in 2009, the Glee Innovators Zone has already helped more than 100 companies break into the garden retail market. This special area is designed to help nurture valuable grass-roots product development and one-off design ideas, whilst also bridging the gap between market-ready new product launches from established companies and pre-commercial product ideas.
REGISTER TODAY
Entry to Glee is free of charge to all pre-registered visitors. Simply register via the Glee website www.gleebirmingham.com/register. All pre-registered visitors will save £20 on the door, as well as receiving the Glee Buyers Guide before the show to help plan their visit.
Glee 2013 takes place at the NEC, Birmingham, from Sunday 15th to Tuesday 17thSeptember and opens between 9.00am and 6:00pm (4:00pm on the final day). To find out the latest news and to register for free entry, please visit www.gleebirmingham.com. For details on exhibiting at Glee, call 0207 728 4623.
New for 2013
Celebrating all things new, and nurturing innovation, lies at the heart of Glee. This year a wealth of companies will be making their debut at Glee. New names to look out for include A W Tools, AnimAlarm, BeeMat, Bravura Foods, Catering Design Group, CJ Wildbird Foods, DWA Architects, Garden Connect, Holiday Plant Savers, Ivyline, Kog Designs, La-Z-Boy Outdoors, Neudorff, Popadome, Prodeko, TankFedIrrigation, The Green Olive Firewood Company, Toltex, Verdo and Zee.
Getting there
Glee takes place at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, and is easily reached by car, rail and air. If you are arriving by car, follow regional signs to the NEC where visitor car parking is plentiful and free. All halls are within walking distance, but a free shuttle bus service is also available from car parks to the Halls. Rail travel is equally convenient with Birmingham International railway station located on the NEC site. For international visitors Birmingham International Airport (BHX) is linked to the NEC by the free SkyRail, departing every few minutes and taking just 90 seconds. National Express Coaches run a regular service to and from the NEC covering most UK locations.
