See you at GLEE in 23?
In the 80s, when I first attended GLEE, the show stretched across several halls of the NEC and included pet, garden furniture and landscaping as well as core garden and gifts. It represented a key point in the buying calendar and a massive networking event, as well as the kick off for ‘pre-season’ trade. Not only were there plenty of buyers wandering the halls looking for new products and meeting with suppliers, many garden centres sent their staff teams to visit the show, learn more about our industry and expand their knowledge. It made for a very busy and exciting ‘not to be missed’ event every year.
Thirty-five years on, having been through several re-launches and ownership changes, GLEE has adapted beyond recognition to survive the shift in the way our industry works, not least the latest move to June. But it’s a shadow of its former self in terms of scope, size and attendance.
The garden trade is not alone. Research* shows that business exhibitions and events were worth £19.4billion in 2019, 80% of which evaporated when the pandemic hit. With moreimmediate challenges ahead, the sector is not forecast to rebound to 2019 levels until 2023 – a much slower recovery than predicted for the wider economy. When GLEE returned in 2021, there were signs that maybe the tide had already turned; the show was buzzing with visitors and exhibitors excited to be able to meet in person again.
It’s true that 2022 has not been a normal trading year by any measure and maybe that had an impact on who visited GLEE this year, and who didn’t. My overwhelming sense from timespent at the NEC in June was that the slow demise of the big annual trade show is, sadly, back on the cards.
There’s a significant list of brand owners conspicuous by their absence, struggling to justify the cost of exhibiting compared with the value of orders taken at the show. An alternative way to look at the return on investment might be the (admittedly, less tangible) value added to the brand and the current and future business relationships forged and fostered. For this strategy to prevail, however, retailers, their buying teams and their young staff must be in attendance and committed to seeing the whole show. On top of the 350+ brands exhibiting, there’s a wealth of valuable (free) content on offer to visitors. Retail leaders should surely be encouraging their young teams to take advantage of features like the New Product Showcase & Awards, The Innovator Zone, the GIMA Village and The Stage, all of which have enriched the show content and helped to make the show interesting, informative and educational.
GLEE is not just a trade show. It’s an unrivalled networking opportunity, a social event, a learning experience and a training ground.
If we don’t use it, we’ll lose it.
*Cities Restart. The Importance of International Conferences and Business Events to Restarting City Economies 2021