There appears to dissatisfaction brewing in respect of last Septembers GLEE show. The Garden Forum has asked the question "What did you think of Glee this year?" and out of the eight replies, just one insists that it was a success.
Perhaps the writing was on the wall when Chelsea sponsor Marshalls pulled out saying "we did notice that the footfall seemed much lower than previous years. To try and clarify this we did ask the event organisers for visitor numbers and profiles but unfortunately they did not provide any"
Reading comments before and immediately post GLEE, it appears that many exhibitors are unhappy that the organisers have ignored their wishes. One of the gripes was that the three day show starts on a Sunday and only 'tyre kickers' would be present on the first day; the inference is a wasted day for busy garden retailers.
"I've been going to Glee for nigh on 16 years, and I think this has got to be the most disappointing so far, can Glee continue in its current format? is it a 3 day event, the noticeable lack of Suppliers and also innovation was extremely worrying."
Out of the eight comments left on the page, only Simon Goodwin of La Hacienda and Kingsford Barbecues, was satisfied with the show and saying: "As an exhibitor at GLEE for 10 years, we had our best ever show with many orders and many useful enquiries. I think any garden centre buyer that avoided GLEE will regret it next year because their competitors will be better placed.
"Yes the show was smaller but the visitor quality was high and those of us with new products and innovation had a fantastic show! More fool those exhibitors and buyers who missed out."
It was interesting to note that Simon was the only person who was willing to add his name and company to the debate.
One comment from Stuart "We are an internet retailer, so sometimes find it hard to find suppliers that will deal with us (their loss) I saw nothing new".
Traditional garden centre and nursery businesses feel that the Internet has damaged their retailing opportunities and many garden centre owners despise the Internet rather than feel that they have to embrace it. However, I am shocked by Stuarts comment.
It is much more cost effective to write a blog and link it to the retail site and then invite potential clients to come directly to you rather than attending shows. Think of it as a network on a personal basis. Your potential client is going to be much more receptive to you if they have your full and undivided attention.
Maybe the marketeers of the garden industry just do not get the whole Internet thing? I called the head of marketing of one big company last week after I launched my garden product and landscaping reviews service.
I had seen their product and thought this could really be big so I thought it would be a great product to write about. (I will not mention the name although the marketing head has not responded).
However, despite producing evidence that Landscape Juice could bring the product to the top of the Internet rankings, there is a deathly silence.
Here is the list off common terms: Clearing leaves, balance a lawn mower blade, Toby Buckland lawn advice, spiking your lawn, cutting grass for the first time, bulb planting tips - check them out, see where Landscape Juice comes in the results.
I could go on but I hope that it demonstrates the power of the Internet; the crazy thing is, all of the garden companies out there could be doing it for themselves for free.
What are your thoughts, is the traditional garden trade show finished and where does the future of garden retailing lay?
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