As the last petals fade from the recent IFTF floral exhibition in Amsterdam I take this opportunity to bring you as close as possible without leaving your computer.
This was the first international show that I was willing and able to attend since the pandemic disrupted our lives. Despite many days of indecision, I booked a flight and started to remember how to travel.
Covid has made travel even more complex than it was before, especially international travel. As long as you are willing to deal with all sorts of confusing regulations and having your butt in a seat for too many hours, then it is worth the effort.
Each year in Amsterdam there are two large floral exhibitions going on simultaneously. The FloraHolland Auction expo and the IFTF expo.
The FloraHolland event is larger, and the exhibitors are members of the Auction whereas as IFTF Expo is a private event organized by HHP exhibitions.
This year the IFTF expo was smaller than in years past for some obvious reasons. With many uncertainties about who would attend either of the events, breeders who normally exhibit at both events were cautious and, with Ball as the exception, only exhibited at FloraHolland.
With that said, the IFTF show was a success in my opinion. First, that HPP took the chance to hold the event at all and because with less competitors on the show floor the many vendors that were there had more time to spend with their customers and potential customers.
Despite very few Americans in attendance there was lots of traffic and it was really good to see people in the flesh once more.
The general buzz around the show, from just about everyone, was upbeat due to the strong demand for flowers. No one knows how long this will last but for sure it is not over yet.
My guess is that the market will ebb and flow for the next 12 months. Already we see inventories and availability improving but Logistics will likely dictate the shape of the market.
Some feel that with rising prices and tight supply consumers eventually will turn to other items and reduce their floral consumption. Let’s hope that is not true but there is no doubt that there is a limit to what consumers will pay.
From a floral perspective the Peony’s, Dalia’s and Ranunculus I saw would make any rose blush. The breeders are doing a fine job creating flowers.
I did my best to capture the sprit of the events and I invite you to watch my short video review and hopefully you will be able to share the good time that I had.
Thank you for your time.
Williee Armellini
Editor: flowerandcents.com
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