Trade Fair Marathon 2020 - an interim report

We had barely started the new year when we were already on our way to the first trade fair. So much for recovering from New Year's Eve ;-) Because we had big plans for 2020. First stop on January 4th: Trendset in Munich. There we had to mobilize our strength and unpack the van, carry several fruit crates to the stand, set up the exhibition stand, position the products nicely, happily inspect the stand, drink a beer, take a quick breather and then - the next morning - greet the first visitors. Then everything happened very quickly... the three days of the trade fair practically flew by. So many people, so many impressions, so many conversations. Did we expect a lot of people? We hoped so. Did we expect SO BIG people? Not in our wildest dreams. On the evening of January 7th, we loaded up our van again and drove back to Nordhorn, completely exhausted and at the same time totally happy about this first successful trade fair.

What made this first trade fair so exciting? Of course! It was the first one this year. That's reason enough. But the fact that we were bringing new products with us, which we would now be presenting to an audience for the first time at the trade fairs, admittedly made us nervous. In addition to our well-known range of green gift items like seed bombs and seeds , we've come up with something new for 2020: For example, small, colorful seed bombs called " Flower Marbles ," which we developed especially for children. Starting in 2020, our seed bombs will also be available as a charity product called "Bee Welfare" in jute bags of three . Also new: the animal feeders called " Open-Air Buffet " and "The Little Meal" for birds, hedgehogs, and squirrels. Check out our pet food products here . To our delight, the new products were very well received, generated a lot of conversation, and received a lot of praise. (Thanks, Peter, you graphic genius!)

Parallel to Trendset, we also set up our booth at PSI in Düsseldorf on January 6th. Don't get me wrong: Unfortunately, we don't have superpowers, so we can't be in two places at once ("not yet," Torge would say.) But thank goodness we're urban gardeners enough now that we can take turns during the trade fair marathon and not have to tear each other apart. The last time we were at PSI was (...think about it for a moment) about five years ago. There, too, it was all about arriving, unloading, setting up. Then again, drinking a beer, going to bed as early as possible, and welcoming the first guests at the booth the next morning. Sleep is such a thing at trade fairs... In summary, it's generally overrated ;-)

Then, on January 10th, we headed straight to the beautiful north. For me, Nordstil in Hamburg is a home game, and I'm always delighted to be here. Arriving at Nordstil , it's the same routine again: unload the van, set up the booth, arrange the products attractively, exchange a few toasts, and then, early the next morning, at 9:00 a.m., greet the first visitors at the stand. Wonderful! We're now fully caught up in the trade fair fever. We give every visitor who passes our booth a flower meadow to go. Those who like it can take a guided tour of our product range. We answer questions, take orders, advise, chat, and gossip. The people of Hamburg are – quite contrary to their reputation – talkative and – just like their reputation – relaxed and easygoing. Thanks to the great encounters (with both other exhibitors and numerous visitors), we left Nordstil with a really good feeling. Three fantastic trade fairs in less than 10 days! We admit it: We're exhausted and: SO HAPPY! The gardening season is apparently starting again and we too are full of anticipation for everything that may come in 2020!