Most people want a September garden exhibition, claims Glee show director Daniel Thurlow.
Daniel Thurlow, show director of Glee, has responded to the launch of rival show Garden Expo by saying: "If people want to be at the show where they're going to get the maximum return, then that show is Glee."

Garden Expo 2010 will take place from June 28-30 next year and will be supported by the Horticultural Trades Association and Gardenex, the Federation of Garden & Leisure Manufacturers as founder associations.

Garden Expo's organiser Clarion Events claims that the show has been launched in direct response to industry demand for a focused, cost-effective event at the right buying time for the industry.

Speaking to DIY Week, Mr Thurlow responded to criticisms that Glee was held too late in the year for sections of the garden industry, saying: "We base our decisions on facts and the fact is that we have done research and most of the people we spoke to prefer September. There may be small groups that have different needs, but Glee is a broad church and our decisions have to be based on what the majority want - and what they want is a show in September."

However, Mr Thurlow did not rule out a change to the timing of Glee in the future. "Obviously, we will keep an eye on that," he said.

The expense of exhibiting at Glee appears to have been another motivating factor behind the launch of Garden Expo. In response to this, Mr Thurlow said: "It's not just about costs per square metre. All our efforts are going into working with customers to ensure that every pound they spend is returning its value and more."

Asked whether he felt the garden industry was capable of sustaining three shows of the size of Glee, Garden Expo and Solex, Mr Thurlow said: "I can't answer that."

Mr Thurlow cleared up any questions relating to Gardenex's involvement in the 2009 Glee exhibition by saying: "Gardenex are committed to making Glee 2009 a great show and so are we."