Glee has unveiled details of several new visitor attractions at this year's show, which takes place at the NEC Birmingham on September 20-22.
New to Glee this year is Dragon's Den-inspired showcase, the Garden Angels, which sees six business thinkers pitching their product and business case to a panel of industry leaders. The two one-hour sessions will take place on Monday and Tuesday, and will be led by Gardenforum.co.uk's George Bullivant.
Another new attraction is the 'Off the Shelf' feature, where the Glee team will build a series of creative displays for products that are notoriously difficult to merchandise. Their creations will run alongside examples of standard displays for each product, illustrating how fresh thinking can make a real difference.
Launching on gleebirmingham.com in the lead up to the show, the new Wonderwall at Glee will be a place for retailers, buyers and sales reps to upload their photos of merchandising best practice. The Wonderwall, located in the Hothouse (Hall 5), will then feature those examples of how best to maximise retail displays.
As well as these new attractions, exhibitors and visitors can make the most of the Innovators Zone, the Hothouse seminar theatre and the New Products area, all of which are back for 2010.
The Hothouse will also be hosting the Garden Retail Top 100 Garden Centre event, which debuted at the show last year, focusing on those garden centres that have excelled during 2009/2010.
Glee event manager Sam Mitcham said: "The features outlined for Glee 2010 are sure to add value for exhibitors and visitors alike. Whether looking for in-depth, industry-facing information or simply wanting to rethink your merchandising techniques, there will be something for everyone. I'm really looking forward to seeing everything in situ at the show and hope people enjoy them as much as we have planning them!"
Glee show director Daniel Thurlow announced his departure last week, as he joins show organisers Emap Connect as sponsorship director.