CLOSING REPORT
October 2012
62,000 visitors at GaLaBau
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Green is booming: full order books in the landscape sector
Turnover expected to rise by five per cent in 2012
Large demand for investment at the exhibition
Every fifth exhibitor from abroad
Exactly 61,860* visitors (2010: 60,127) poured into the Exhibition
Centre Nuremberg from 12–15 September 2012 to source information
on products and trends in green design, construction and
maintenance at the GaLaBau exhibition. The two Deutsche
Golfplatztage and PLAYGROUND segments at the exhibition were
also well attended. Rolf Keller, Member of the Management Board of
NürnbergMesse, summed up at the close of the exhibition: “The
20th GaLaBau was a resounding success! The mood in the exhibition
halls was excellent. The stands were full. Many innovations were
presented and direct sales were made. Combining the two
demonstration areas for earth-moving and area maintenance in the
Dutzendteich Park was accepted very well by exhibitors and visitors.
The exhibitors in hall 3, which was used for the first time for GaLaBau,
were also very satisfied with their position.” Altogether
1,155* companies, including 22 per cent from abroad, exhibited in the
twelve exhibition halls.
The honorary sponsor, the Bundesverband Garten-, Landschafts- und
Sportplatzbau e. V. (BGL – Federal Landscape Contractors Association) of
Bad Honnef, headed by President August Forster, is pleased about the
particularly enthusiastic verdict of the exhibitors and the exceptionally good
response from the trade visitors at the leading green exhibition. “Green is a
real success factor! The 20th edition of GaLaBau has impressively
confirmed the international trend exhibition’s top position as a lively
marketplace for our sector. Nürnberg is the only exhibition where landscape
contractors receive such varied, concentrated and valuable impulses for
successful development of their market activities,” says BGL President
Forster. He explains: “In view of full order books and a still growing demand
* The figures for exhibitors and visitors are certified by the Society for Voluntary Control of
Fair and Exhibition Statistics (FKM), Berlin.
for green construction services, many firms have already invested in new
machinery and equipment at the exhibition. We are very confident that our
sector will top its record turnover of more than 5.5 billion euros in 2011 by a
good five per cent again this year.”
Visitor survey: higher quality of professional audience
The exhibitors not only praised the number of visitors, but also the quality of
the professional audience. The results of the visitor survey conducted by an
independent market and opinion research institute during the exhibition
confirm this impression. 54 per cent of the visitors hold management posts
in their company, which is 13 per cent more management staff than at the
last GaLaBau. And the group of decision-makers is larger still. 79 per cent
of the visitors are involved in procurement decisions in their companies.
The visitors – 11 per cent of them international – came mainly from
contractors for green and open spaces and other building contractors. The
exhibition was also visited by representatives from specialist authorities and
public institutions, consultant architects and planners, machinery dealers,
private industry clients, golf course managers and operators of leisure
parks.
Exhibitor survey: focus on new contacts
The 1,155 exhibitors travelled to Nürnberg from 32 countries, headed by
Italy (50), the Netherlands (45), Austria (39), Belgium (18), the Czech
Republic (15), Switzerland (12), France (9) and Great Britain (8). 94 per
cent of the exhibitors made new business contacts at GaLaBau and 87 per
cent expect follow-up business. 84 per cent of the companies welcomed
international visitors to their stand. 90 per cent of the exhibitors have
already firmly decided to exhibit again at GaLaBau 2014.
“Silver Landscape” for Dr. Klaus-Henning von Krosigk, preserver of
historic gardens
At the opening ceremony of GaLaBau, BGL President August Forster paid
tribute to Dr. Klaus-Henning von Krosigk’s outstanding services to the
preservation of national and international historic gardens and presented
him with the “Silver Landscape”. Forster announced that the BGL’s highest
award will shortly be handed over to the winner in Berlin, as he was
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Closing report – October 2012
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unfortunately unable to accept the “Silver Landscape” at the start of the
exhibition in Nürnberg.
“GaLaBau Innovation Medal 2012” awarded to new products
BGL awarded the “GaLaBau Innovation Medal 2012” to altogether eleven
important technical innovations from ten companies (from 110 entries). This
award is presented in recognition of successful developments and
progressive solutions to problems with products or processes for the
construction and maintenance of landscaped areas.
ELCA International Award for Ecological Construction & Landscaping
goes to a Finnish project
The European Landscape Contractors Association (ELCA) presented its
International Award for Ecological Construction & Landscaping again this
year. The award was presented for the conversion of contaminated urban
industrial wasteland to a public green space. The Katariina Seaside Park in
the Finnish city of Kotka is a local recreation area that could serve as a
model for others. The following were honoured for their successful
cooperation in the project: Vesa Salminen, Chairman of the Council of
Kotka as client, Heikki Laaksonen, the landscape architect of Kotka, and
the landscape gardener Tomi Uusitalo as contractor (Pihat Oy Uusitalo,
Siltakylä).
Conferences well attended
The BGL’s varied supporting programme at GaLaBau received an excellent
response from the many participants. The main focus was on the
conferences, including events on “Integrated Pest Management for
Grassed Areas” and “From Building to Open Space – Practical Knowledge:
Professional Facade Connection”. The conference on “Living Walls:
Vertical Gardens – The Green Future!” attracted attention to the promising
prospects in an increasingly popular field of landscaping activity. The
conference on “Healthy Urban Development Needs Real Green”
highlighted the importance of green for the sustainable development of
urban spaces. The programme was rounded off by useful information at the
conference on “Benefit from Change – Practical Steps!”.
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Landscape Gardener Cup 2012: Winners won their
ticket to WorldSkills championship
The winners of the “Landscape Gardener Cup 2012” received their award
in hall 2 at the exhibition. The “German Champion Team” of Reinhold
Irßlinger (training firm: Matthias Widenhorn GmbH, “Gärten am See”,
Sipplingen) and Manuel Kappler (training firm: Fahr GmbH Garten- und
Landschaftsbau, Dornstetten) from the Verband Garten-, Landschafts- und
Sportplatzbau Baden-Württemberg e. V., qualified as winning team for the
“WorldSkills 2013” championship in Leipzig.
Save the date!
The next GaLaBau takes place in Nürnberg from 17–20 September 2014.
Captions:
Photo entrance: “61,860 visitors came to GaLaBau in Nürnberg”
Photo Forster: “August Forster, President of the Bundesverband Garten-,
Landschafts- und Sportplatzbau e. V., Bad Honnef”
Photo Miss GaLaBau:
“In sparkling mood: GaLaBau organizers and partners drink to the 20th
anniversary of the exhibition with Miss GaLaBau.
From l to r: Stefan Dittrich (NürnbergMesse), Rolf Keller (NürnbergMesse),
August Forster (BGL), Miss GaLaBau (Beate Sierl, NürnbergMesse),
Antoine Berger (ELCA), Dr. Hermann J. Kurth (BGL), Walter Hufnagel
(NürnbergMesse)”
Press and media contact at NürnbergMesse:
Katja Feeß, Ruth Cuya
Tel +49 (0) 9 11. 86 06-83 29
Fax +49 (0) 9 11. 86 06-12 83 29
[email protected]
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Press and media contact at the Bundesverband
Garten-, Landschafts- und Sportplatzbau e. V.:
Andreas Stump
Tel: +49 (0) 22 24. 77 07-17
Fax: +49 (0) 22 24. 77 07-78
[email protected]
All press articles, more detailed information and photos are available at:
www.galabau.info-web.de/press
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