Ready to put on a show

Summary
• Glee takes place at the NEC from September 19-21.
• More than 14,000 visitors are expected.
• More builders merchant visitors are anticipated this year.
• Exhibitor M&M Timber is holding a pre-Glee open day on September 1.

Spring fever may have cooled in the garden products sector, but with Glee 2011 just around the corner, manufacturers and distributors have plenty to keep themselves occupied, finalising stand designs and new product ranges for the 2012 season.

According to Glee’s organiser, Emap Connect, this year’s exhibition is full of promise, building on the success of last year’s event which saw an increase in exhibitor and visitor numbers.

That year there was a 20% increase in the number of merchants and DIY businesses visiting the show – B&Q alone sent 20 buyers – and more gains are expected when Glee opens its doors at the NEC from September 19-21.

Bigger show

“As sales of exhibition floor space have proven, this year’s show is set to be bigger than previous years,” said event director Nick Davison.

“Key sectors for builders merchants and garden retailers such as Glee Landscaping and Garden Design (Hall 4) and Glee Garden Care have witnessed a phenomenal response, with returning exhibitors taking even bigger stands and lapsed customers coming back,” he said.

“Overall the show is in great shape and is already larger than it was in 2010. Our pre-registration figures also show that we’re on course to increase our visitor numbers, with over 14,000 visitors expected, including a significant increase in builders merchant visitors.

“We’re also able to add real value to Glee’s content thanks to two new relationships with the Builders Merchants Federation and the Association of Professional Landscapers,’ added Mr Davison. “Their involvement will mean that, more than ever, we will get to the heart of the industry and make sure that our content and value meet the needs of merchants and landscapers.”

New features for the show include Glee Planteria (Hall 5), where exhibitors can choose one of five different display benches, demonstrating a number of ways to display plants in a retail environment. Staging companies such as Timber Displays Ltd, Stagecraft Displays Ltd, and C Jackson & Sons will be providing both their expertise and their timber merchandising units.

Big investment

Perennial exhibitor Forest Garden is taking a slightly larger stand this year and will once again occupy the space by the entrance to Hall 4 where it will showcase “new products, new packaging and new merchandising solutions”.

“It’s a big investment but it’s certainly paid off in the last few years,” said head of marketing Vicky Nuttall. “We’ve always made it a success and made it work for us.”

Forest’s extensive range of grow your own products, such as raised beds, vegetable troughs, cold frames and its mini-greenhouse have been outstanding performers this season and, along with storage solutions such as log and bike stores and compost bins, will be much in evidence at the show this year.

The company’s new range of log cabins was launched at Glee 2010 and has performed well and next season’s range will be “tweaked”, but not radically altered.

Another regular, Grange Fencing will also be exhibiting and is promising some new product launches. It also plans to make more of a show of the pre-coloured lines, which it launched last year. These products, said the company, are both aesthetically pleasing and also provide added protection against UVA. “They’ve been very well received and we’re expecting more growth,” said managing director Duncan Hill.

New products

Severn Valley Woodworks’ (SVH) Hutton brand of timber garden products will feature some new additions – its fencing range is being extended to include picket fence sections and picket gates produced from machined, rather than sawn product. And three new furniture items will give SVH “the largest range of British made garden furniture from one company”, according to director David Twigg.

SVH will also display ASDek, its new anti-slip decking product.

Exhibiting at the show for the fourth year running, Timber Garden Buildings (TGB) will retain last year’s stand and launch “a number of new products focusing on the maximisation and utilisation of space within the family garden”, according to managing director Graham Vernon. A new TGB website will also be launched.

Glee stalwart M&M Timber is taking a new belt and braces approach this year. It will maintain its presence at the show with a “hospitality-led” stand, rather than a product showcase but is also hosting its own mini-Glee event at its manufacturing and distribution facility at Clows Top in Worcestershire.

The invitation-only event on September 1 will include presentations, factory tours and product viewings followed by a five-course lunch complete with guest speaker Christine Hamilton.

“We’re expecting more than 150 guests from some of the UK’s top independent retail outlets, along with members of the specialist trade press,” said managing director Nigel Poyner. “We’ll treat them to a pre-Glee launch of our new garden products, promotional items and extended ranges for 2012.”