Top reasons why the Glee Green Heart is a must for growers & plant buyers

The horticultural hub of Glee, Green Heart is THE place to be seen amongst a range of leading growers. An integral part of the show each year, the central atrium location makes Glee Green Heart a high-profile hub to draw some of the best attendance in the show. This year the area is about to experience even higher prominence as an exciting new show feature – the Glee Talent Store – will be located alongside Green Heart. The new show highlight, coupled with Green Heart, will place indoor and outdoor plants front and centre, whilst demonstrating the power of visual merchandising. Here we find out more about why Green Heart should be on everyone’s to-do list this Glee (27th – 29th June, NEC Birmingham).

• Linked sales and crossmerchandising inspiration – Exhibitors within Green Heart always passionately use the area to demonstrate how to link sales and create successful crossmerchandising opportunities that can be quickly and easily implemented instore. This theme will be elevated within the all-new Talent Store, where exciting new talent from across the sector will be constructing live retail sets, each demonstrating how collaboration and fresh ideas can create a new way of merchandising indoor and outdoor plants within the retail environment. Meanwhile, Fire, Grill & Chill, Glee’s dedicated outdoor entertaining demonstration area, will be relocated to the front of the NEC near the Hall 6-8 and Hall 20 entrances, directly adjacent to Green Heart. This means even more traffic will pass by Green Heart, bringing with it new buyers and helping to forge new retail relationships.

• Learn more about the plants of the future – Join Glee’s new ambassador, Michael Perry as he showcases the plants of the future, drawing from the latest varieties launching at Green Heart ahead of the 23/24 season. Whether you’re looking to gather inspiration or want to launch new varieties, this will be a must-see for future-facing brands and retailers.

• See, smell & touch –

Exhibiting within Green Heart provides growers with the opportunity to inspire plant buyers and retailers alike by allowing them the chance to get up close and personal with the plants themselves. From new varieties and bestselling blooms to exciting merchandising ideas, this thriving part of Glee is a must for growers, whilst for garden retailers it’s the perfect place to come if they want to step up their game when it comes to plant retailing. Additionally, Green Heart’s location within the NEC Atrium provides a unique ‘greenhouse’ setting, flooded with natural light to present plants at their best, plus with a choice of benches, growers can select the best option to suit their ranges.

• Optimise profit potential of seasonal plants nowWith seasonal plants being more topical than ever, Green Heart represents an opportunity to not just showcase these high-impact lines but also enables retailers to place orders ahead of peak sales periods, safe in the knowledge that they’ll be prepped to meet consumer demand.

• Secure autumn sales

– Glee’s late June timing provides the perfect platform for growers to showcase autumn varieties. Buyers will be looking out for ‘show only’ deals, to gain extra margin and impulse sales potential for autumn and beyond.

• New networking opportunities – This year, in a new move, Glee’s Green Heart exhibitors will benefit from a Key Buyers Day. A special networking reception will bring growers and plant buyers together, with growers able to provide a wish list of buyers they’d like to meet.

• View complementary products – Glee’s 400+ exhibitors and thousands of new product launches makes it the perfect place for growers to source new supply partners for collaborations and linked sales opportunities. For retailers, the opportunity to ‘shop’ all products needed to create the most comprehensive plant area is right there for the taking at Glee 2023, with everything from pots and planters, compost, fertilisers and tools all represented.

Green Heart – key benefits for growers

Whether a grower or nursery, Glee’s Green Heart has been set up to offer a uniquely cost-effective and highly beneficial exhibiting package to ensure that plants remain at the very heart of the show. In addition to the benefits already mentioned, Green Heart exhibitors can also enjoy:

• Free access to the Glee Exhibitors Toolkit including Glee Show Preview and Show Guide entry, customer invites and online profile

• Entry into Glee New Product Awards

• Inclusion in our feature display of new plants and recent launches and introductions to your range

• Limitless ‘pop up’ opportunities to promote your plants through podium displays

• Main stage presentations on plant retailing and trends

Still not sure? Let Will Blake from St Peter’s Garden Centre offer some more wise words. He said of Green Heart: “With plants being at the very core of the garden centre industry, it is incredibly important that they are showcased and centre at our biggest horticultural trade event of the year!”

Find out more

Glee is the UK’s leading garden retail show, focusing on building year-round profits for buyers and suppliers within the core gardening and outdoor leisure product categories. To keep up to date on the latest Glee news visit www.gleebirmingham. com. To enquire about exhibiting at Glee 2023, including within the Green Heart, please call +44 (0)203 3545 9752.