Over 300 exhibitors occupied over 525 booths on the show floor, increasing by 25 per cent in floor space.
Buyers were out in force. Mass merchants including Canadian Tire and A & P were present as were several independents. The Atlantic provinces were well represented with buyers from Central Home Improvement, Kent and Co-op Atlantic. Garden centres and florists also had a strong presence.
“Best show we’ve been at in seven years,” said Garden Expo exhibitor Ron Willet of Seagro. Darren Russell, director of Sales and Marketing for John G. Hofland Ltd. was happy as a Florist Expo exhibitor saying, “We had good contact with our existing customer base. We’ll be back next year on a bigger scale.”
The recent partnership of Landscape Ontario (LO) and Flowers Canada (Ontario) Inc. to expand Garden Expo to include Florist Expo has successfully taken root, said John McNiven, president of Flowers Canada (Ontario) Inc.
“The show appealed to florists and floral buyers, as well as the more traditional Garden Expo market of mass retailers, garden centres and gift shops,” he continued.
Valleybrook Gardens (Ontario) Ltd. and John G. Hofland Ltd. won Best Booth Awards. The Pre-promotion Award went to Tradewinds International Sales Co Inc.
The new Recent Varieties Area was an instant hit, featuring live plants, shrubs and floral material and a lively slide show highlighting other recent introductions. Interest centred around such entries as a zig-zag mulberry, a New Zealand flax and roses that had individual messages printed on the petals.
Garden Expo/Florist Expo was also host to the LO Garden Centre and Growers’ Awards of Excellence luncheon. The Consumers’ Choice Award for Garden Centres went to Canadale Nurseries Ltd. in St. Thomas, Ontario. More than 30 other awards showcased the talents of LO garden centres and growers.
After trade show hours, floral designers and florists were treated to the style and expertise of internationally renowned floral designer Joel-Marc Frappier of La Maison de Fleurs SV in Gatineau who was part of the Flowers Canada Christmas Design Show.
Garden Expo/Florist Expo will return to the Toronto Congress Centre on October 20 and 21, 2004 – under the “Fresh Ideas” theme.
For Further Information, contact: Paul Day, Pat Hillmer or Brenda Speck, Landscape Ontario, Tel: 905-875-1805, ext. 339, 308 or 353, E-mail: phillmer@landscapeontaio.com, pday@landscapeontario.com, or bspeck@landscapeontario.com, Web: www.gardenexpo.ca
