The 26^th Hortiflorexpo IPM Beijing

Post-Show Report

The 26^th Hortiflorexpo IPM Beijing (Hortiflorexpo) was held at the China International Exhibition Center (Shunyi Hall) from May 23 to 25, 2024. Organized by the China Flower Association (CFA) and supported by the Beijing Flower Association, the exhibition was co-organized by China Great Wall International Exhibition Co., LTD and Intex Shanghai Co., Ltd. with Messe Essen GmbH as an international partner.

This exhibition is one of the largest and most well-known flower and horticulture trade exhibitions in Asia. It showcased new varieties, new technologies, and new concepts in the flower industry, with significant improvements in exhibition scale, number of exhibitors and visitors, and publicity effect. With an exhibition scale of nearly 50,000 square meters, it attracted more than 700 exhibitors from over 20 countries and regions, including China, the Netherlands, Germany, South Korea, India, Italy, Sri Lanka, Spain, Poland, the United States, Israel, Belarus, Japan and so on.

The exhibition drew more than 80,000 visitors and reflected the need for enterprises to innovate in response to market competition while seeking new breakthroughs in industrial transformation and brand upgrading.

Three highlights: new variety display, multi-channel linkage, and participation of international top florists.

Unlike previous exhibitions, the Hortiflorexpo focused on promoting and guiding industry development, actively embracing new media trends, and enhancing its influence by having renowned flower master Gregor join the event. The show is seeking changes from multiple dimensions to reach new heights in variety publicity, channel linkage, and floristry activities.

1.       New varieties, industrial development as a "catalyst".

The exhibition featured over 1,000 new varieties of flowers, with a special area showcasing nearly 400 new types of flowers, potted plants, and garden flora. The focused display was designed to attract manufacturers, retailers, e-commerce platforms, and flower enthusiasts to explore the latest floral trends.

It successfully attracted flower wholesalers and florists through a captivating presentation of around 200 flower varieties, including roses, carnations, southern woody flowers, and cut grass flowers.

Furthermore, it showcased high-quality new varieties of phalaenopsis, anthurium, bromeliad, and various potted flowers suitable for indoor balconies and outdoor gardens. The display also featured new colors of garden begonias, petunias, dragon's faces, foliage begonias, as well as outdoor roses, caryophylla, and lilies. Moreover, it included internet celebrity varieties such as dense langur monkey earrings, fairy trees, and wax seal red top.

 Additionally, seed traders and manufacturers introduced a wide range of new products, reflecting the latest industry trends and innovations. Notable mentions included Labeau, Europe's second-largest phalaenopsis seedling manufacturer, and Druse making their Chinese market debut, featuring new phalaenopsis varieties tailored for the Asian market. Colorful Horticulture showcased self-cultivated roses, carnations, hydrangeas, and longevity flowers, all of which received industry acclaim for their color, resistance, and planting performance. The exhibition also highlighted internet celebrity products like turtle back brocade, insectivorous plants, vine green velvet, and taro. It showcased the entire process, from tissue culture seedlings to finished gift box products, and from single pot displays to practical application layouts.

2.       New channels, embracing new ways of playing online.

Online sales have been crucial since the rise of the home gardening market. The exhibition took part in an e-commerce sharing meeting with platforms such as Taobao, Tmall, JD, Tiktok, and Meituan. This deep involvement with platforms like Little Red Book truly unlocked the 'traffic password' of the exhibition.

Throughout the exhibition, Little Red Book partnered with nearly 200 plant and home online influencers to promote the show. They also featured popular online shops such as Ding's Trend Plant Shop and Seasonal Formula, and launched activities and topics related to the exhibition and "home of one square meter" initiatives. Additionally, they facilitated interaction for exhibitors who had Little Red Book accounts, thereby driving online traffic from the exhibition to the exhibitors.

During the exhibition, the Little Red Book shared a total of 241 exhibition-related topics and engaged with 1,883 accounts through related notes, including 705 accounts with over 500 fans. There were a total of 3,347 exhibition-related notes, reaching a total exposure of 14.65 million.

Additionally, the exhibition had its own public number, service number, and Little Red Book account. In preparation for the exhibition, continuous publicity efforts were carried out to build customer resources. Through collaboration with public numbers, video platforms, portal websites, and knowledge-sharing forums, a strong and interactive publicity network was established, maintaining good relationships with exhibitors and customers.

The team behind the Hortiflorexpo has developed long-term, in-depth, and close collaborations with leading media outlets in the industry. These include "China Flower and Horticulture" magazine, "China Green Times", "China Flower News", "Modern Garden", "Agricultural Engineering Technology", and so forth. This collaboration aims to enhance the professionalism of the exhibition within the industry and expand its reach to professional audiences.

The flower show invited a large number of media outlets to cover the event. Among them were Xinhua News Agency, People's Daily, CCTV network, Guangming Network, Beijing Daily Client, Beijing Radio and Television Station, National Forestry and Grassland Administration official website, China Economic Net English, International Online, Global Network, China Foreign Trade magazine, Guangxi Radio and Television Station, The Paper, Baidu APP, and other networks, newspapers, and TV stations. This publicity greatly improved the influence and visibility of the exhibition.

3.       Prominent guests and flower masters.

Led by the "father of the floral architecture" Gregor, the exhibition flower performance team lineup is gorgeous. 14 well-known florists from China, Germany and South Korea brought a collision exchange between Chinese and western florists. Western architecture flower, Chinese non-heritage Shanghai flower arrangement, popular flower bouquet display, two and a half days, the flower performance area was full of seats, sharing a flower feast.

The prominent florists featured in this performance were as follows:

Gregor Lersch: A renowned German florist, often referred to as the "father of floral architecture," and the author of "Principles of Floral Design." He has garnered numerous awards in major competitions worldwide, with over 50 years of experience, having visited 60 countries. His students have achieved top positions in various global competitions, earning him the title of "the world's most influential flower master."

Elly Lin: Winner of the Asian Cup Floriculture Competition, invited to showcase her floristry skills in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and other regions. She has also conducted teaching activities for the American Academy of Floriculture and Design.

Myeon Oh: Champion of the Korea Flower Design Skills Competition (also known as the Korea Cup) and recipient of the Grand Prize in the Daegu IHK Cup Flower Design Competition. Oh represented South Korea in the 2019 World Cup Flower Competition.

Ding Wenlin: A pioneer in non-genetic inheritance of floral arrangement in Shanghai, recognized as the first Chinese flower arrangement master. She serves as the executive director of the China Flower Arrangement Association and the Shanghai Huangpu District Flower Arrangement Vocational and Technical Training School.

Shang Gao: A space flower designer with a portfolio of million-level projects, honored with the title of "Excellent Partner" in the TOP20 selection of "The World's Most Beautiful Wedding." Noble is a professor of flower art at the AFA American Academy of Flower Design and a space flower display designer at the FDF German Academy of Flower. Additionally, she holds the EFDA qualification as an international florist.

Song Hui Song: A space flower designer and installation artist, recognized as a member of the Forbes Under 30 elite list in 2019. She also achieved third place in the 2018 World Cup Flower Competition China Division and holds the certification of a professor from the AFA American Academy of Flower.

Exhibition Overview: International exhibitors have returned, and the scale of the exhibition has increased.

The exhibition scale of this exhibition is nearly 50,000 square meters, with more than 700 exhibitors participating, and the exhibition scale and number of exhibitors have increased significantly compared with the previous session.

Exhibitors from China are mainly based in Beijing, Shandong, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Hebei, and other areas. These regions are home to the major domestic flower production sites, greenhouse facility manufacturers, and material suppliers. It's worth noting that there's been an increase in the number of exhibitors from Yunnan at this exhibition, primarily focusing on flower seedlings, potted flowers, fresh cut flowers, dried and everlasting flowers, as well as plant pharmaceuticals.

Overseas exhibitors from over 20 countries, including the Netherlands, Germany, South Korea, India, Italy, Sri Lanka, Spain, Poland, the United States, Israel, Belarus, and Japan participated in the exhibition. The number of overseas exhibitors and participating countries has significantly increased.

The Netherlands Pavilion occupied a record high exhibition area of 1,026 square meters with 38 companies, and IPM Pavilion brought together 17 companies in a total of 342 square meters.

The Chinese market is increasingly appealing to international businesses due to its large consumer base and rapid industrial development. Many international companies have set up branches or joint ventures in China to tap into this growing market. For instance, companies like Orange Dormo, Druse, Israel Chemical, Bioda, and Qingshan Garden Art have successfully integrated into the local market and are not in the international exhibitor area.

The exhibition features a wide variety of products including fresh cut flowers, potted flowers, seeds, seedlings, garden plants, biotechnology, engineering design and construction, flower materials, home gardening materials, garden equipment, production materials, greenhouse environmental control and logistics systems, chemicals, and other industry-related products. The number of exhibitors in the flower and plant category has increased. Large-scale production enterprises are focusing on expanding product sales and promoting their brand, while small farms are using the exhibition as a platform to promote their specialty varieties and seek cooperation with e-commerce and specialty plant stores.

Conventions: Focusing on industry hotspots and deconstructing topics from multiple perspectives

The 2024 Hortiflorexpo IPM Beijing focused on industry trends, technology advancements, cross-border marketing, and other relevant topics to provide practitioners with new ideas, trends, and products for production and marketing.

During the event, the "2023 International Flower Statistics and Analysis Report", organized and compiled by China Flower Association, was released. This report showcased the latest trends in both domestic and international flower industries based on the collected data.

The convention content was designed to cater to both online and offline needs in the industry. With the rise of e-commerce, live streaming, and short videos as new sales channels, an e-commerce sharing session was hosted in the exhibition. Flower gardening operation leaders from Tiktok, Taobao, Tmall, Little Red Book, JD, and Meituan shared platform operations, including data, streaming algorithms, and strategies for attracting and converting, thereby unlocking the "operation secrets" for merchants. Additionally, Kunming Yunxuan Supply Chain Technology Co., LTD, Zhangyu, Flower Shop Idea King, Brother Wang, discussed flower logistics and store marketing, exploring how to reconstruct the circulation chain of floral and gardening products.

Traditional flower markets were attempting to break through and develop under the impact of the online market. Tan Shengcheng, General Manager of Sichuan SPRING GARDEN WONDERLAND Commercial Management Co., LTD, shared market transformation and development. Chu De, President of Jilin Delaier Flower Co., Ltd., discussed the transition from traditional flower markets to modern urban wholesalers from a traditional wholesale perspective.

As a smaller business unit, offline flower shops were closer to the consumer market. The exhibition hosted a Flower Shop & Garden Center Operation Salon, and offline store owners, celebrity florists, and crossover trend plant managers were invited to together explore new survival strategies from aspects of operation categories, services, artistic value, and emotional value.

The internet provided multiple channels for IP monetization. Influencers in the floral e-commerce sector, such as Siqin and A mao, the owner of Special Climate Brand, Lv Tian Wei, and the founder of the Shanyoupin brand, Brother Kong, were invited as well. They shared experiences and thoughts on social media operations and viral marketing.

With regard to industry technology, the Sino-Dutch Greenhouse Horticulture Seminar, and Greenhouse Upgrading and Optimization Seminar gathered experts to address environmental control, precision production, and quality enhancement from perspectives of facilities, technology, and products. Professors from Wageningen University & Research and HAS Green Academy, along with representatives from greenhouse design and construction companies, engaged in the discussion. The Priva China 18th Anniversary Celebration & Knowledge Sharing Seminar also took place in the meantime. Additionally, KRONEN Group and Israeli Chemicals organized relevant technology and product exchange meetings.

In the field of activity exhibition area, the theme of garden living continued this time. There was a Taobao & Tmall Group Horticulture Industry & the 26^th Hortiflorexpo IPM Beijing - Leisurely Life Garden Display Area, made up of low maintenance garden, balcony kitchen garden, flower garden, study garden. There was also a Floricultural Landscaping Area with the theme of Stepping into a World of Vibrant Flowers and Plants, Experience the Joys of Gardening, Booming Multiple Life, Flowing Light and Color, and Carbon Follows Flower. Attendees were offered a close-up experience of a blooming lifestyle and can intimate interaction with nature.

Exhibitor & Visitor Feedback

The 26^th Hortiflorexpo IPM Beijing attracted over 700 domestic and international exhibitors, covering the entire industry chain in the floral sector. The three-day exhibition became an important platform for exhibitors to meet new and old customers, explore new market opportunities, and engage in-depth industry exchanges. It provided a vital opportunity for exhibitors to communicate face-to-face with customers and consumers and receive feedback.

Zhou Shi Ming, President of Guangdong Shengyin Flower and Gardenin Co., LTD

The event was excellent this year. I primarily focused on the seed industry and variety selection. This had been the most popular exhibition ever, with a vibrant atmosphere and many flower enthusiasts from various provinces gathering here.

Zhou Qin, Business Manager of AGRIBIO CHINA CO., LTD (Dümmen Orange)

We observed a large number of attendees on-site, including many international visitors. This exhibition not only effectively facilitated industry exchanges but also brought us many new business opportunities. As a floral breeder, we were committed to bringing more new and better flower varieties to China’s market and consumers, providing growers with better-selling new varieties, increasing their income, and striving to create a better life. Correspondingly, we also saw an increasing recognition and willingness to pay for intellectual property rights among practitioners and the public, which motivated us to work harder. During the exhibition, we fully showcased our new varieties and products and engaged in in-depth exchanges with industry experts and potential customers from around the world. We were also honored to host the Agricultural Counselor from the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture at our booth, further consolidating our position and influence in the international market. This exhibition was undoubtedly very successful, and we were looking forward to participating again in the future.

Zeng Wei Da, Senior agronomist, seed manager of Guangzhou Flower Research Center

Hortiflorexpo IPM Beijing was very professional, and we participated in it every year. This year, we had face-to-face communication with many new and old customers at the Beijing exhibition site and achieved a lot. It had significantly helped us expand the northern market! We would continue to participate next time!

Gu Benjia, President and General Manager, Beijing Kingpeng International Hi-Tech Corporation

Hortiflorexpo IPM Beijing was a feast of facility horticulture that gathered cutting-edge technology and sparks of innovation. We were honored to participate and look forward to joining industry peers in witnessing the thriving development of the industry. Wish the international flower exhibition a prosperous future and greater success!

Jiang Pei, President of Stihl Beijing

The exhibition was very popular this year, with a higher-than-expected flow of attendees! It was difficult to gather so many professional visitors ordinarily, while the exhibition attracted many old customers and helped us to develop many new ones. The live demonstrations of mechanical products were also impressive. We were grateful to the organizers for providing such a great platform to display and communicate for us, and we would definitely participate again next time!

Yan Xiao Feng, General Manager of Chervon Group Vice President, Chervon (China) Tools Sales Co., LTD

This time, we brought a series of OPE garden outdoor power tools and equipment, provided comprehensive solutions for different lawns and garden maintenance. In addition, based on the EGO battery platform, we built a lifestyle series including lighting, fans, outdoor charging, and outdoor minibikes. These received great attention during the exhibition. Obviously, the demand for high-performance, new energy tools was increasing. In the future, we would pay more attention to developing garden machinery to provide better tools for the floral market. We were looking forward to partnering with the flower exhibition to showcase more powerful, innovative, and efficient tools. Wish the flower exhibition a promising future.

Based on the 415 exhibitor satisfaction questionnaires received at the exhibition site, the feedback on the exhibition effect was as follows:

For the expected effect of the exhibition, more than 95% of exhibitors agreed that they achieved two or more expected effects, and performed well in displaying corporate image, contacting customers, collecting market information, and achieved good results in reaching cooperation and sales intentions.

The 26^th Hortiflorexpo IPM Beijing attracted more than 80,000 visitors, of which more than 60% were professional visitors, and the number of professional visitors continued to increase. According to the statistical data of the audience information, the number of professional visitors in Beijing, Hebei, Tianjin, Shandong, Guangdong, Fujian and Henan was larger than others. They were more interested in new varieties, seedlings, greenhouse facilities, material tools. Due to the heavy flower performance guests joined, the florist floriculture related audience increased.

The large number of international visitors had become another highlight of this exhibition. Foreign visitors from Russia, India, the Netherlands, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Thailand, Kenya, Germany, France, Spain, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and nearly 60 other countries came to the exhibition to purchase. They were more interested in domestic production of flower plant products, greenhouse design and construction technology, flower production consumables and so on.

The 26^th Hortiflorexpo IPM Beijing concluded successfully thanks to the joint efforts of the main organizers and cooperative units. We are committed to serving the industry and our customers. With the growing popularity of home gardening and the emergence of new consumption patterns, we will focus on exploring industrial trends and addressing industry challenges to create compelling exhibition highlights. Our goal is to elevate the brand value of the The 26^th Hortiflorexpo IPM Beijing and enrich the exhibition's content. We will continue our efforts to support the transformation of the flower industry and the advancement of "new quality productivity".