Galabau 2008 Sets New Standards

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GaLaBau 2008 in the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg from 17-20 September made history with exactly 61,929 trade visitors*. More visitors than ever before came to Europe's biggest exhibition for landscaping. The number of visitors increased again by some 17 per cent compared with the last GaLaBau (2006: 53, 179) two years ago. "The around 9,000 more visitors represent the biggest growth in attendance since the start of GaLaBau, " sums up Roland Kast, Exhibition Director at NürnbergMesse. "Once again a sign that GaLaBau is the right exhibition now and in the future: a powerful exhibition with information about new products and a get-together for exchanging views and training for decision-makers and staff in the green sector, " continues Kast.

It is the major event for the construction of green and open spaces in Europe and this year's event was even bigger: with appreciably more exhibitors, more space and a rise in the number of visitors that makes history. GaLaBau 2008 started with a new record number of 983 exhibitors* (2006: 904). The green exhibition also grew in terms of space and occupied eleven exhibition halls for the first time, which were filled by 61,929 trade visitors on the four days of the event.

Not only the record figures for visitors and exhibitors left a good impression on the four days of the exhibition. GaLaBau also set standards in quality terms: The exhibitors, programme and organization were all up to the highest standards, as shown by the initial detailed analysis of the survey.

The honorary sponsor, the Bundesverband Garten-, Landschafts- und Sportplatzbau e. V. of Bad Honnef, headed by its President Hanns-Jürgen Redeker, was pleased about the exceptionally good response from exhibitors and trade visitors to the industry's leading exhibition. "Our green dreams were even surpassed. The GaLaBau family has become even larger in 2008 with the PLAYGROUND segment and the first German Golf Course Conference. This is very encouraging and a proud achievement, " said the BGL president, emphasizing the "joint message sent by the Nürnberg event: The money-spinning theme of private gardens must now be followed by the local authorities. Green creates sustainability. It promotes the climate and environment. It is important for people's well-being, quality of life and health."

The organizer can also look back in a thoroughly positive way. "For NürnbergMesse, GaLaBau 2008 was the highlight in the history of the green industry event until now, " sums up Walter Hufnagel, Member of the Management Board of NürnbergMesse. "We did not expect such a distinct increase in the number of visitors, and we are obviously very pleased about it. After all, a great deal was done to ensure the success of the exhibition before the event. The convincingly successful integration of the newly created German Golf Course Conference and PLAYGROUND segment into GaLaBau has also contributed to this new performance."

Positive result for visitors as well
The German trade visitors came mainly from Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse. Many experts from the neighbouring countries were also inspired by the good mood in Germany. The altogether eight per cent international visitors travelled to Nürnberg from countries such as Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Belgium or Spain, with especially strong contingents from landscape contractors, municipal and county authorities and landscape architects. Some 90 per cent of the visitors are involved in procurement decisions according to the results of the survey conducted by an independent institute. The range of products and services on display was exactly right for more than 95 per cent of the GaLaBau visitors. The reasons for visiting are headed by obtaining information about new products, followed by training, market orientation, exchanging views and information, cultivating existing business contacts and paving the way for new ones, or preparing for investment decisions.

The product groups at the exhibition that interested the visitors most are still construction machinery and equipment (48 per cent), construction materials (44 per cent), plants (40 per cent) and maintenance machinery and equipment (33 per cent). The urban design and PLAYGROUND segments in hall 1 and the German Golf Course Conference in hall 4A were also very well attended. Every fourth visitor was interested – according to his own information – in the product segment "playgrounds, leisure grounds and sports grounds" and every fifth visitor in urban design products (e.g. benches, tables, street lights).

Exhibitors praise "their" visitors
The exhibitors were especially pleased about the good quality of the trade visitors: 98 per cent of the exhibitors said they had reached their most important target groups at GaLaBau. Mr Martin Ehrentraut, Marketing Manager, sums up for Kronimus AG Betonsteinwerke: "This year's GaLaBau was outstanding for us – super number and quality of visitors. We are simply thoroughly satisfied."

88 per cent of the exhibitors expect noticeable follow-up business. Three out of four exhibitors had already decided by the last day of the exhibition to be there again at the next GaLaBau in two years. Sven Hunnius, Sales Manager, Kompan GmbH: "We will naturally be back again in two year's time. GaLaBau went exceptionally well for us. We had many visitors of very good quality on our stand in the PLAYGROUND segment. We were also pleased about the visitors' positive response to the use of computers in playgrounds – we see this as an important future aspect."

The organization and service at the exhibition were also praised. Harald Kalinke, Managing Director, Kalinke Areal- und Agrar-Pflegemaschinen Vertriebs GmbH: "We and our customers give good marks to the service at the exhibition – from ticket desk to exhibition team. GaLaBau was in general very successful. Particularly the response and quality of the visitors was very good. One small fly in the ointment is our impression that the maintenance demonstration area did not attract quite such a good response this year, but ultimately we are still very satisfied."

NürnbergMesse donates 10,000 euros for the BGL Foundation Chair
At the official opening ceremony, Bernd A. Diederichs, Managing Director of NürnbergMesse, handed over a cheque for 10,000 euros to BGL President Hanns-Jürgen Redeker. The donation is for the Foundation Chair of Landscape and Vegetation initiated by BGL at the University of Kassel. "It is an honour for me to support such a project and I hope this donation will help you create the basis for an interdisciplinary research project for landscape architecture and landscape construction, " said Diederichs at the presentation of the cheque.

"Silver Landscape" for the "Lebendige Stadt" Foundation
The opening ceremony also provided the setting for the presentation of the "Silver Landscape", which was awarded to the "Lebendige Stadt" Foundation for its outstanding services to the green environment. Gerhard Fuchs, Member of the Board of the "Lebendige Stadt" Foundation, accepted the BGL's highest award, which he regarded as impressive confirmation of the work of the foundation and promised "that the foundation would continue to promote green projects."

"GaLaBau Innovation Medal 2008" awarded to new products
BGL presented the "GaLaBau Innovation Medal 2008" to altogether 13 important technical innovations (from 98 entries). This award is presented as recognition of successful developments and progressive solutions to problems with products or processes for the construction and maintenance of landscaped areas.

ELCA International Award goes to two French projects
The European Landscape Contractors Association (ELCA) has awarded two International Awards for Ecological Construction & Landscaping this year. The developers, landscape architects and landscape gardeners of two equally valuable French projects have been honoured for their successful cooperation:
The Wissous authorities and Agence Foncière et Technique de la Région Parisienne as client and consultant landscape architects Outside Architectes paysagistes Agentur of Orsay and landscape contractor Pettre Espaces Verts of Le Tremblay sur Mauldre have received the award for the landscaping of an industrial park (mainly water management) in the town of Wissous, near Paris.
The company SARL Belmonte as client and consultant landscape architect and landscape contractor Angle Vert of Montpellier have received the award for their successful cooperation in the innovative design of the green outdoor areas at the SARL Belmonte headquarters in the town of Baillargues.

Conferences and GaLaBau excursion well attended
The BGL’s varied supporting programme at GaLaBau received an excellent response from the many participants. The programme focused mainly on the conferences, including an event on “Shrubs in Public Areas” and another event with useful information on the popular natural swimming ponds. In view of the demographic development, attention was also focused on a conference on “Gardens for the Elderly”. Last but not least, the “Fit Outdoors – Swimming and Golfing” excursion directed the participants’ interest to innovative green projects in Nürnberg and the surrounding area.

Landscape Gardener Cup: Winners won their ticket to the landscape gardening Olympics
The winners of the “Landscape Gardener Cup 2008” received their prize during the “GaLaBau Nach(t)tisch”, a social get-together. The “German masters team”, the trainee landscape gardeners Tobias Bohnert (OTL Ortenauer Tief- und Landschaftsbau GmbH of Oberkirch) and Andreas Waldvogel (Team Grün Furtner GmbH Garten- und Landschaftsbau of Buchenbach) from the Verband Garten-, La

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