The trade fair gardiente – Home of Outdoor Living will not take place between 8 and 9 September this year at the Messecenter Hofheim Rhein-Main as originally planned. The decision was taken with the broad agreement of the industry and reflects the challenges facing the garden furniture sector at present.
'Since its launch in 2014, gardiente has established itself as a central meeting point for the Outdoor Living sector and has been valued ever since for its small but perfectly formed character. Although the current situation with regard to bookings again promises an interesting portfolio of brands, with much regret we have to acknowledge that in terms of the jointly agreed objectives it is not enough to proceed with the fair,' explains Jens Frey, Managing Director of the organiser MUVEO GmbH.
Verena Westphal, Project Manager for gardiente, adds: 'We have always stressed that our actions are constantly guided by the interests of the sector and we are remaining true to this philosophy now. After several rounds of talks involving intensive discussions with the sector, we have jointly decided not to go ahead with gardiente as a trade fair this year.'
The organisers do not, however, want to postpone gardiente without offering any alternative. For producers who are interested, a showroom event on a smaller scale could still take place on 8–9 September 2024, the dates originally planned, to which trade visitors and exhibitors would be invited for the purposes of ordering, dialogue and networking. 'And in addition we shall, of course, remain in a close dialogue of partnership with the sector as usual, so that we can continue to operate gardiente in the future with a fresh and innovative approach. A shift of dates, for example, or a two-yearly cycle might be exciting ways of optimising the concept for the fair,' suggests Verena Westphal.
More information:
gardiente – Home of Outdoor Living
www.gardiente.de