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Horti Fair 2007

For decades, the international horticultural year would start in the beginning of November, at the time of the 'Bloemenvaktentoonstelling' at the Aalsmeer flower auction. Every important national or international player in the flower and plant business would come to this world's biggest building in surface of which a large section would then be reserved for this exhibition where the latest of the latest in terms of varieties or technical developments could be found for four days, ending each night at around 1 am in a huge traffic jam on the parking roof.

The new year for vegetables and techniques would start a few months later, in Bleiswijk, some 30 kilometres further to the west. It would take generations of committees to join the two shows in one location, the RAI exhibition center in Amsterdam. No better for traffic.

This year no promotion of new varieties for me, but a tour of rose breeders to explain my new mission and see how they would react. Not a single breeder really understood what my course implied. Of course they all had the perfect varieties for consumer brands, but their minds were all set on hectares of plants, traditional royalty. With one exception: David Austin Roses, present for the first time with a stand. They have a successful history in garden roses, set up the 'English Rose' as a brand. Better marketeers than breeders. When I was with De Ruiter's we set up a collaboration in which we gave them varieties and advice to set up a cutrose breeding program and, in return, we would market their varieties. Apparently, they had discontinued the relationship, had set up a cultivation program with a Dutch grower and were now marketing the flowers on an exclusive basis. Perfect idea, but, as I learnt, the varieties were not perfect yet.

I was approached by the people of Florimex, big international wholesalers, ahead of the rest of the pack in looking for exclusive products, who had heard of my business and wanted to become the exclusive buyers of the product for Europe. Nice, but not fitting my strategy for the time being. Nevertheless, we agreed, we would get into touch once the production had started. They were looking at importing 40 and 50 cm, whereas my intention was to set up a brand for 60-70 cm. Good to know ...