There's so much to do all over the world of flowers and plants. Too much to be able to take it all in, unless you travel around the globe for a year to see it all, meet everyone, and be part of this giant horticultural business.
To sum the best parts up, here are the world's best flower and plant exhibitions, fairs, festivals, contests, and events that are a dream to visit for every floral professional and lover alike. Yes, it is arbitrary what is 'the world's best', but if you have to start somewhere, start here. So, prep up for the next exhibition season with this month-by-month 'to-go-list'.
January
IPM (Essen, Germany)
The world's leading horticultural trade fair revolves around solutions and innovations in the green sector. The International Plant Fair has been held annually at Messe Essen since 1983. Here exhibitors increasingly present products that are sustainable and suitable for climate change. These include heat- and cold-tolerant plant and shrub varieties, environmentally friendly and resource-saving packaging solutions, organic fertilizers and substrates, air-cleaning, easy-to-care-for indoor plants, and pots made of sustainable and biodegradable materials.
Unique and highly sought-after combination of the four areas: Plants, Technology, Floristry, and Equipment. The focus is on the plants. No other trade fair offers so much plant diversity and so many new plants. Only IPM Essen will tell you what the next 12 months are all about. The entire industry celebrates its kick-off here.
Next edition: 23 - 26 January 2024.
Website IPM Essen.
Christmasworld (Frankfurt, Germany)
As the leading international trade fair for seasonal decorations and festive decorations, Christmasworld opens up effective design possibilities for its target groups to surprise customers time and again with new assortment combinations and presentations. For new synergies that offer added value.
Every year in Frankfurt, Christmasworld presents the latest products and trends for Christmas and all other festive occasions. In addition, it provides innovative concept ideas for decorating large and outdoor areas for wholesalers and retailers, shopping centers, and city centers. Other product groups, such as festive ribbons and packaging, ideally complement the existing ranges and open up new perspectives and added value for exhibitors and visitors.
Next edition: 26 - 30 January 2024.
Website Christmasworld.
February
Plantarium | Groen-Direkt (Hazerswoude-Dorp, Netherlands)
Specifically for retail, Plantarium | Groen-Direkt brings together a complete range of plants from many European growers, including well-known concept growers. Visit this exhibition for a total green range, including POS concepts.
Plantarium | Groen-Direkt is the fair that traditionally introduces new plant species, and every year at least 100 novelties.
Next edition: 6 - 7 February 2024.
Website Plantarium | Groen-Direkt.
March
HortiFlora Expo (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)
The Ethiopian horticulture and floriculture industry has been developing enormously over the past decades. towards a full-grown player. At this moment this country is clearly visible on the world map as one of the leading exporters of cut flowers.
HortiFlora Expo is an excellent location to promote Ethiopia’s floricultural and horticultural industries, enabling it to show the world what it offers. The Expo will not only serve as a platform for exhibiting national and international suppliers who want to meet Ethiopian growers but also for exhibiting Ethiopian growers who want to meet international buyers of flowers and fresh produce.
Next edition: 20 - 23 March 2024.
Website Hortiflora Expo.
April
Hortiflorexpo IPM China (Shanghai / Beijing, China)
Hortiflorexpo IPM China is a well-known horticultural trade expo in China and a leading platform for floriculture & horticulture in Asia. Hortiflorexpo has been a large and authoritative international trade show in the industry of floriculture, horticulture, and gardening in China. It is a great event held every year in Shanghai and Beijing in turn.
It's all there: floristry, plants, garden features, and technology. Strengthen your business, enhance cooperation, and promote your development in Asia.
Next edition: Date not determined yet.
Hortiflorexpo IPM China.
May
RHS Chelsea Flower Show (London, UK)
This could well be the world’s greatest flower show with stunning garden designs, gorgeous floral displays, and endless shopping. Experience world-class design and expert growers.
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. This organization aims to enrich everyone’s life through plants and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.
Next edition: 21 - 25 May 2024.
Website RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
June
IFTEX (Nairobi, Kenya)
IFTEX takes place at the state-of-the-art building the Shree Visa Oshwal Community Center in Parklands Nairobi, Kenya. Together with the expected internationalization, this event is becoming a regional flower trade fair for not only Kenyan flower growers, but also for growers from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, Ethiopia, and other African flower-producing countries.
The show is organized by the Kenyan Flower Council (KFC), the Ministry of Agriculture through the Horticulture Crops Directorate, the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (Kephis), and the International Floriculture Trade Expo (IFTEX).
Next edition: 4 - 6 June 2024.
Website IFTEX.
Floriexpo (Fort Lauderdale FL, USA)
Floriexpo is North America's only business-to-business event exclusively for the floral industry. Recharged and reimagined, Floriexpo is a customized experience designed to address the unique needs of floral professionals in all facets of the industry.
Exhibiting at Floriexpo puts you face-to-face with serious, qualified decision-makers from the mass market, wholesale, and retail florist sectors. Hear what they need in real time, make genuine connections, and showcase your latest products and services.
Network with floral industry decision-makers, increase your brand reach and put your products in the hands of buyers.
Next edition: 5 - 7 June 2024.
Website Floriexpo.
FlowerTrials (Netherlands & Germany)
During FlowerTrials® over sixty pot and bedding plant breeders will proudly present their new innovations, creative concepts, and an incredibly wide range of crop assortments. From technical information to retail inspiration, from breeding breakthroughs to the latest trends, everyone who works with and loves plants and flowers has a reason to visit the FlowerTrials®.
- Who is exhibiting: Anyone who is anyone in breeding pot and bedding plants exhibits under the FlowerTrials® flag. Exhibitors come from Europe, Israel, Japan, and the U.S.A.
- Where: FlowerTrials® members hold an open house at 29 individual locations in three key geographical regions: Westland & Aalsmeer in the Netherlands, and Rheinland-Westfalen in Germany. Each location is home to a single exhibitor or a group of companies sharing joint facilities.
- What is on show: The very latest innovations in bedding plants, container plants, and indoor & outdoor pot plants together with crop information, retail concepts, and inspiration on trends. Visiting a trade show offers only a taste of what is available, whereas at the FlowerTrials® the breeders are on location with a comprehensive offering of complete product ranges.
- Who should visit: FlowerTrials® welcomes all ornamental horticulture and retail professionals from around the world. For growers, the event showcases the very latest novelties for the upcoming season with experts on hand to provide cultural support. For wholesalers and retailers, FlowerTrials® is the key event to meet the breeders, examine the top varieties and concepts for next season, and have the opportunity to influence trends. FlowerTrials® continues to dominate the Pot and Bedding plant scene.
Next edition: 11 - 14 June 2024.
Website FlowerTrials.
July
Cultivate '24 (Columbus OH, USA)
AmericanHort, the leading national association for the green industry, hosts Cultivate, the premier event for the entire green industry. Cultivate is known to attract thousands of industry professionals and visitors from all over the United States and the world.
Attend the green industry event that offers you countless opportunities to grow your business, build your network, and discover the latest industry trends.
Learn where our industry stands today and what the future holds. Experts will provide insights on how to plan and navigate the changing market climate driven by rising costs and supply chain bottlenecks while also managing business challenges like labor and product availability. The latest thoughts on the political climate and regulatory policy and opportunities will also be shared.
Next edition: 13 - 16 July 2024.
Website Cultivate.
August
Flower Expo Poland - Green Is Life (Warsaw, Poland)
The Flower Expo Poland will take place in Warsaw. It is the biggest cut flowers & pot plants trade show in Poland and the most trend-following one, too. In one place and time, one can see hundreds of smart species and varieties of cut flowers and pot plants, meet exhibitors from Poland and other European countries as well as thousands of visitors, and get lots of inspiration and strong business potential.
Poles love flowers, more than the average European nation. Their passion for flowers results from current trends and a matter firmly inscribed in their tradition. One can find them not only at exhibitors’ stands but also at showrooms, flower and product shows, and meetings for professionals. Apart from unexpected solutions regarding cut flower compositions, the fair will show air-purifying and fashionable pot plant arrangements in different interiors, styles, and accompanying accessories.
Next edition: 31 August - 2 September 2023.
Website Poland Flower Expo.
September
Interflora World Cup (Manchester, UK)
The Interflora World Cup is an international competition showcasing award-winning floral designers from all around the world.
This contest is arguably the biggest event in floristry, it’s the world’s greatest floral design competition. Every four years, since 1972, the best of the best amazing florists from around the world compete in a major international city to win the coveted title of Interflora World Champion.
Next edition: 7 - 9 September 2023.
Website Interflora World Cup.
Maison&Objet (Paris, France)
Maison&Objet is your never-ending source of inspiration, constantly serving up exciting new finds: in the flesh twice a year at a trade fair in Paris; in the streets of Paris during Paris Design Week with a fringe event, ‘Le Off’; and in the digital world via MOM, Maison&Objet Academy and through its social media presence.
Sparking business opportunities and creative interaction between the world’s decoration, design, and lifestyle community. With 6,000 brands & designers, 480,000 referenced buyers, and 2 million visitors doing business you’re guaranteed to always find more.
Next edition: 7 - 11 September 2023 & 18-22 January 2024.
Website Maison&Objet Paris.
FlowersExpo (Moscow, Russia)
The exhibition FlowersExpo annually brings together the largest Russian and foreign companies from many countries of the world, who highly value market demands and the role of the fair in business development.
Develop your business with the international exhibition FlowersExpo! It's the global meeting place for professionals, and participants of the Russian market of flowers and plants, floristry, and landscape design to meet face-to-face and online.
The exhibition focuses on innovations and trends in the production and sale of flowers and plants, technologies and materials for floriculture, flower business, floristry, and landscape design.
Next edition: 12 - 14 September 2023.
Website Flowers Expo Moscow.
Salon du Végétal (Angers, France)
Salon du Végétal is one of the leading French trade fairs for the flowers and plants sectors. Each edition of the event attracts many exhibitors and approximately 10,000 professional visitors – decision-makers, buyers, suppliers, etc.
This internationally oriented exhibition will give the participants insight into the newest trends and innovative products and will set its mark on market performance. In the time frame of the event plant and landscaping, retail flower and plant merchandising, upstream industry, and materials and equipment will be showcased.
In addition, the trade show will keep all participants up to date with the latest innovations and developments in these dynamic industries through a grand variety of top-notch side-program events.
Next edition: 10 - 12 September 2024.
Website Salon du Vegetal.
October
Agriflor (Quito, Ecuador)
Agriflor is a three-day first-class trade fair, flower quality competitions, farm tours, open houses, business meetings, social get-togethers, and even cultural and touristic trips, are all part of what is happening in what has become known as 'The Week of Agriflor'.
While the biggest group of exhibitors consists of flower growers from Ecuador, various (international) floriculture suppliers are exhibiting as well. One of the important groups of suppliers is the flower breeders, who make sure that the industry of Ecuador is constantly supplied with the newest varieties of flowers available for production.
Next edition: 2 - 4 October 2023.
Website Agriflor.
Iberflora (Valencia, Spain)
Iberflora is a great professional event of the green sector in Europe and a benchmark among gardening fairs. The largest commercial and training offer within the business of the plant, flower, landscaping, gardening, technology, and DIY garden of the professional calendar of the sector and much more: technical conferences, exhibitions, congresses, demonstrations, awards, exhibitions...
At Iberflroa you will find comprehensive training and entertainment. The professional who visits Iberflora finds exhibitions, thematic areas, exhibitions, and special performances dedicated to the most diverse varieties of plants and flowers. In addition, the parallel celebration of Iberflora Innovation is a unique opportunity to be up-to-date in products, services, and trends in the green sector business.
Next edition: 3 - 5 October 2023.
Website Iberflora.
Proflora (Bogotá, Colombia)
Since 1991, Proflora has offered the best and finest quality flowers under one roof. Flower growers and breeders as well as service companies and other floral suppliers welcome you to the fair.
Interact with over 300 exhibitors - all key people in the industry - and meet the varieties that will be trending in the next years.
Next edition: 4 - 6 October 2023.
Website Proflora.
ExpoPlantas Colombia (Bogotá, Colombia)
ExpoPlantas is the professional commercial platform for Colombian nurseries where supply and demand for live and ornamental plants converge, and participants find the latest innovations in plant material, supplies, services, technological developments, and advances in logistics for the nursery chain.
This exhibition focuses on the needs of nurseries with the purpose of improving the productivity, logistics, and commercial capacity of producers and thus professionalizing nurseries in Colombia.
Next edition: 20 - 22 October 2023.
Website ExpoPlantas.
Expo Flor Ecuador (Quito, Ecuador)
Expo Flor Ecuador is one of the best International Flower Trade Shows in the cut flower industry. The fair was born with the mission of representing the Ecuadorian floriculture sector and meeting the needs of its partners, through fast and effective services that help them generate added value in business, framed in social and environmental standards.
Their exhibitors include breeders, flower growers, agriculture suppliers, freight forwarders, and airlines. The organization strives to facilitate your search - as a professional flower buyer - for all your business needs and the best quality product in the market.
Next edition: 9 - 11 October 2024.
Website Expo Flor Ecuador.
November
Trade Fair Aalsmeer (Aalsmeer, Netherlands)
Product launches, demos, sustainable developments, and all that surrounded by a range of colors and smells. Are you curious about the latest developments in the floriculture industry? Then visit the Aalsmeer Trade Fair!
For years, the Trade Fair Aalsmeer has been experienced as a networking and inspiration event in the field of floriculture that you must attend. The event offers great opportunities to make new contacts, catch up, and do business.
Next edition: 7 - 9 November 2023.
Website Trade Fair Aalsmeer.
International Floriculture Trade Fair - IFTF (Vijfhuizen, Netherlands)
International Floriculture Trade Fair (IFTF) is an industry-wide event serving all segments of the floriculture industry chain: from breeders, propagators, technical & service suppliers, and growers to the trade. It is all about buying and selling within the floriculture chain.
IFTF has found an excellent home base in Expo Haarlemmermeer, a former Floriade Hall designed and built as a state-of-the-art greenhouse. It is situated in the town of Vijfhuizen near Aalsmeer, where the Royal FloraHolland flower auction is located, which hosts a trade show for its members only around the same dates as the IFTF is being held.
Next edition: 8 - 10 November 2023.
Website International Floriculture Trade Fair.
December
In December there are no exhibitions that you cannot afford to miss. Time to prepare for the next year of events, fairs and festivals, fairs, and other floral events!
See You Around (the World)!
Plenty of floral opportunities, don't you think? So, start planning, take this trip, enjoy the show, and good luck networking and doing business!
