Glee 2010

I went to Glee yesterday, had it been open Sunday that would have suited me better. Last year it took me thereabouts the whole day to get round it all, this year saw me round in about three and a half hours.I don't know if it was smaller this year or not but it seems to me it was.Apart from researching some products to add to my seriousgardener website, (small light, and easily posted) I had a nose round at the ironwork, apart from one british firm there, it was mostly of Chinese or of Indian origin. Haddonstone make their own ironwork which is good quality, though I think a little expensive but they didn't have anything there.A talked to a few stand holders, those I talked to had mixed views of their responses, there wasn't the look of desperation about any of them that I noticed on some stands at the autumn fair. A lot of the stands seemed smaller than last year, I understand it is an expensive show to exhibit at, though I haven't enquired, when you add other costs to the stand prices, unless you have very deep pockets you need to be very confident it will work for you.I was surprised that nobody offered me a catalogue on a CD or memory stick, with some of the catalogues larger than yellow pages, it would be pretty useful I think. Some very savvy visitors had equiped themselves with wheeled shopping baskets to collect literature.I found some bits and pieces there that may be useful for my daughter who teaches early years at a primary school, there are quite a few products at the show made from recycle plastics which has got to be a step forward.There show did seem to be fairly busy although Petindex was being held at the same time, I didn't look at that.I have had it suggested to me by some of my clients that it would be a good place for me to exhibit my garden products, looking at the competition there, our garden arches and other plant supports would do well in terms of quality. Pricing against far eastern products in terms of price without consideration of other factors, weight of materials, durability, quality and strength, would disadvantage us though the market we would find is probably different.I am hoping to exhibit at the LJN show next year and am confident that it should work well for us.

Hi Phil,
It's really difficult to weigh up ROI on a trade stand, we found last year that our stand at Glee, which featured a green roof on a garden building from Olympian Sheds, attracted a lot of visitors and we did stimulate quite a bit of interest in Enviromat and in green roofing. So, from the point of view of product awareness, then yes, the ROI was good. Naturally, not all interested parties have bought from us yet BUT we know from experience that the decision making process for this particular product is quite a lengthy one so although financially the ROI hasn't set the sales team up with Ferrari's and Range Rovers, we're confident enough to plan on exhibiting Enviromat at Glee in 2011.

We also grow large quantities of turf but historically, we've found that it's hard to create show-stoppingly inspirational stand design based around a real live lawn - that means that at a trade show such as Glee or Saltex, fewer people stop to chat and to admire the product, hence fewer sales leads and not enough prospective new business to justify the cost of the stand space. It's something we're willing to try and improve on though, so any ideas on how to make grass "sexy" would be gratefully recieved.....

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Phil Voice September 22, 2010 at 10:52am

Thanks for adding your Glee review Phil. I've put a link back to it from Claudia's Glee review so the two are linked together.
Angela Lambert September 22, 2010 at 12:44pm

I have to say I totally agree with Phil and Claudia. This year we chose not to exhibit at Glee and so I had the chance to look around the show. What amazed me the most was how poor this industry is at promoting itself compared with other sectors. Lisa and Jim on the Meadowmat stand were making a real effort to come forward to offer the hand of friendship (and product literature) to visitors, I didn't notice many other exhibitors doing the same - in fact on at least two of the stands I was virtually ignored. I hate to be hassled when I'm visiting shows, but yesterday really was at the opposite extreme.
At the Incentives and Promotional show on the other side of the NEC, the folks on the stands were bending over backwards to make conversation and tell us about their product ranges - but not in a pushy "hard sell" sort of way. Perhaps BALI or one of the trade associations could offer some sort of training for potential exhibitors so that we can all learn how to get maximum ROI on what can be a very expensive way to promote goods and services...
Fenlandphil September 22, 2010 at 1:32pm

Angela
Did you find exhibiting at Glee to be a good ROI?
Regarding your comments on exhibiting before exhibiting at a show I always reread a chapter on shows and exhibitions in a book I have called Simple and Effective Marketing. I will dig out the details later and post them on here it case anyone wants to get a copy or borrow it from the library.
Keith Barker September 22, 2010 at 1:50pm

Exhibiting at the NEC can be shockingly expensive. In my 'other' role (ie not Lush Landscape) I used to design and oversee installation of large exhibition stands at the NEC and other halls throughout the UK and western Europe. The last show I did at the NEC cost us £40k just for the floor space.

Pardon the blatant plug, but if anyone here is interested in designing a stand for a trade show and needs some assistance, then give me a shout.
Angela Lambert September 22, 2010 at 8:48pm

Hi Phil,
It's really difficult to weigh up ROI on a trade stand, we found last year that our stand at Glee, which featured a green roof on a garden building from Olympian Sheds, attracted a lot of visitors and we did stimulate quite a bit of interest in Enviromat and in green roofing. So, from the point of view of product awareness, then yes, the ROI was good. Naturally, not all interested parties have bought from us yet BUT we know from experience that the decision making process for this particular product is quite a lengthy one so although financially the ROI hasn't set the sales team up with Ferrari's and Range Rovers, we're confident enough to plan on exhibiting Enviromat at Glee in 2011.

We also grow large quantities of turf but historically, we've found that it's hard to create show-stoppingly inspirational stand design based around a real live lawn - that means that at a trade show such as Glee or Saltex, fewer people stop to chat and to admire the product, hence fewer sales leads and not enough prospective new business to justify the cost of the stand space. It's something we're willing to try and improve on though, so any ideas on how to make grass "sexy" would be gratefully recieved.....
Shadow Hall September 22, 2010 at 10:39pm

Angela, How about making a naked turf woman laying provocativly maybe that would be sexy enough :)
Fenlandphil September 23, 2010 at 6:17am

Angela, How about making a naked turf woman laying provocativly maybe that would be sexy enough :)

She might get turfed out for naughtiness :-)
T & S Plants September 23, 2010 at 7:02pm

Glee, is after all a Show directed at the Sheds and Garden Centres.

Whilst it is perhaps good to see a few new items, a whole hall of Pet stuff and another of Xmas crap is not really going to appeal as a Show to most Landscapers and Designers.
Angela Lambert September 24, 2010 at 6:44pm

Wow! she really is lovely and I bet she wouldn't be too difficult to reproduce. We could make her in grass, with an Enviromat bikini so she's not too cheeky. OR we could entice people on to the stand with bacon butties? mmmmmmmmm bacon. what'll it be .... bikinis or bacon.....
Fenlandphil September 24, 2010 at 6:59pm

You certainly could do something on the same lines Angela.
As for the bacon versus bikinis, as Harry hill would say "which is better, bacon or bikinis? only one way to find out"