For those that flocked to the Gold Coast for the annual NGIQ Spring Expo, they were treated for the first time to a dual bonus, as the Landscape Australia Expo Queensland was held alongside the Nursery and Garden Industry Association of Queensland’s annual Spring Green Expo. Both events were designed to cater for the professional nursery and landscaping industries, expanding the range of products and services available in the one location to create a one-stop shop for professionals who are looking for products and services to use in their business and future projects.
I am always impressed by how far people travel to attend these trade events and the effort that goes into the displays. I find these expos very valuable events to attend. Not only do they provide the latest innovations in products and services but you also get to personally meet suppliers and discuss with them their own range and have questions answered relevant to you and your company’s needs.
I think Expos bring the industry together as a community, are a useful gauge as to the level on interest and unite an industry like landscaping where a project takes such collaborative effort between a number of different producers and suppliers. Expos can also be hugely beneficial to the suppliers themselves, as it gets them directly in touch with the face of the buyer that is often just a voice on the end of the phone.
The Landscape Australia Expo provide an educational and social aspect to the event helping all with the additional hosting of specific seminars on key industry topics like business management, the challenges all size businesses face and predicting future trends.
As for the plants, each year a number of new lines catch the eye or some old favourites that have become vogue. Couple to mention to name but a few; Tibouchina ‘Cool Baby’ was a delicate wee thing, almost ground cover with an unfolding story of changing colours from tight bug to open flower stage. With its low spreading habit, it provides a degree of far less nature browning-off through the centre.
If speed of growth is your tipple, the fastest grower on show probably has to be Syzygium ‘Cheetah superfast’, a lovely lush strain, although questions remain over their tolerance to psyllids. Let’s hope it grows so fast, the psyllids can never catch them!!
Display of the show was awarded to Norwood for their entertaining Dinosaur theme and as with all shows they were not alone in providing a chuckle or two to go with the inspiration that many a theme had created. And thrown into the deal was an excuse to have a trip to Queensland’s beautiful Gold Coast. A worthwhile day on all accounts.