From 8th to 10th September 2013, around 2000 suppliers are expected to exhibit at one of the world’s leading garden and leisure-time trade fairs – spoga+gafa – with over 50% of the exhibitors coming from abroad.
“The spoga+gafa is an international industry meeting point. Only Cologne offers this level of global participation in the garden and leisure-time industry,” explained Katharina C. Hamma, COO, Koelnmesse. Once again this year the trade visitors will be able to look forward to a unique worldwide offer in the segments garden living, garden care, garden creation, garden unique and garden basic.
“The spoga+gafa covers the entire spectrum of the garden and leisure-time market. It is an international marketplace. Furthermore, accompanied by an attractive supporting programme the garden trade fair fulfils its function as an interaction and communication platform, thus offering the trade visitors extra added value,” says Katharina. Featuring a Grill Park, a Plant Park and a Boulevard of Ideas, there will be plenty of tried and trusted elements as well as novelties to look forward to.
A new hall plan will be in place this year. The high-end zone for garden furniture and garden unique, is relocating to Hall 10.2, which means that the garden living segment will now occupy exhibition space in Halls 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 10.1, 11.1 and 11.2. Three months prior to the event, the ranks of exhibitors include many renowned players.
The manufacturers of premium garden furniture are located in Hall 10.2 this year. The new location of the garden unique segment is attributable to the overall high demand in the garden furniture sector. Centrally located – and thus also in the direct vicinity of the related segments of garden living - the visitors can not only look forward to short routes, but also to international top brands.
The trade visitors can find products that contribute towards garden maintenance in Hall 6. The area covers garden soil and fertilisers as well as garden tools and power tools.
In the garden creation segment located in Halls 6 and 9, the spoga+gafa will be showcasing everything that is needed for the creation and development of the garden. The offer ranges from plants to ponds and pools, garden sheds, lighting through to hand tools and wood for the garden.
Favourably-priced garden products can be found in the garden basic segment, which is located in Hall 11.3. In total the spoga+gafa 2013 covers 200,000 m² of floor space. In order to keep the routes as short as possible at one of the Koelnmesse’s biggest events, all of the areas are being positioned as closely together as possible with the result that Halls 7 and 8 are not being occupied this year.
A mixture between an exhibition and an event awaits the visitors on the Boulevard of Ideas. This year the focus lies on the trendy themes of the exhibitors, offering them the option for striking secondary trade show appearances. In addition to this, the spoga+gafa in 100 seconds format offers the exhibitors the possibility to present their innovations in 100 seconds. This grants the trade visitors a fast overview of the novelties and where they can be found. This event will be staged in the new, centrally located Gartencafé (Garden Café). In addition to the placement of more living green on the Boulevard of Ideas and ideas in the beach and water sport sector, the visitors will also have the chance to see and experience even more garden ambiance.
Things will be hot again on the outdoor area between Halls 5 and 6, with live barbecues, practical areas and discussion panels with industry experts promising to be the contents for an entertaining programme. The newly-created ambiance in an attractive garden setting will also have an inviting effect on the guests. The same also applies for the new BIAG Lounge. The BIAG e.V. will be supporting the Grill Park again this year and they will use the surface as a communication platform.
A flourishing communication centre is awaiting the visitors in the green area of the Plant Park, located in Hall 9. This year more than 20 horticulture companies will be actively co-designing the green lounge of the spoga+gafa. The spoga+gafa will once again kick-off the Garden Centre Day on the Sunday with a happy hour. As in previous years the VDG will be strongly represented in the Plant Park.
Great emphasis is being placed on the communicative exchange between the industry and trade of the green business at the spoga+gafa garden fair. Specialised seminars, special zones and presentations planned in a target-oriented manner will bring market players from all over the globe together. This also applies for the Young Designer competition, which has been renamed Unique Youngstar this year.
The contest will come to a climax on the Sunday of the trade fair, when the winners of the three jury awards and one prize elected by the public will be distinguished during the unique hour. For the first time ever in 2013, 15 young designs will have the opportunity to win the coveted awards – their outdoor-living ideas will be selected by a specialised jury and subsequently also exhibited. Further events are planned, including the 6pm party at the Tanzbrunnen (Rheinterasse) on the Sunday of the trade fair.
The spoga+gafa 2013 is exclusively open to trade visitors from 8th to 10th September, on Sunday and Monday from 9am-6pm and on Tuesday from 9am-5pm. Entrance tickets can be purchased via the online shop.
