Another Harrogate has come and gone – are you ready for Cologne?

Published: 01 May, 2007

Trade shows are the mainstay of any industry and nursery is no exception. They are a lot of hard work and Harrogate was no exception. So the end of March saw thousands of us travelling up to Harrogate and despite the weather suggesting we should be out in the garden, we had an excellent time in the exhibition halls. But whether it was the fact that Spring was in the air (not that I saw much of the sunshine) I found this show was actually great fun.

There was lots of optimism about the industry. A lot of positive thoughts about the future. There were a significant number of new exhibitors; many of them I felt had their heads screwed on and I’m sure will make a success of their new ventures. There were also some significant product developments. If you didn’t bother coming then you really missed out.

We will be reviewing the show on page 12 and giving you the chance to remind yourselves of some of the great products you saw. Getting an exhibition like the Harrogate Nursery Fair together is a massive labour of love. Finding new exhibitors, making sure they know what they need to do, holding their hand… accommodating the demands of the larger exhibitors, dealing with their problems, it’s all hard work and amazingly, Robert does it with a smile – well most of the time! I want to reiterate a comment that I heard on several lips and one that I thoroughly endorse – thank you Robert for producing such a good show.

For our last issue, Robert Anslow told us a little about his background and personal life in Spotlight, but despite pleas from your editor, he failed to find a single photo of himself! I therefore took it upon myself to take a snap at Harrogate when he wasn’t expecting it. So for those of you who don’t know the man – his picture is on page 6.

Our main Product Focus this month is on car seats. Again we have the invaluable results of the Wilkinet survey and again these show some interesting thoughts. The internet is very much a force to be reckoned with these days. It is often the first to know about the forthcoming arrival as new Mums search on line for information. Yet the Wilkinet survey showed last month on pushchairs and again this month on car seats that the retailer has considerable influence on a mum’s choice.

Which brings us neatly to the news that after much consultation and discussion, BPA Retail has finally been launched. Retailers – this is your chance to influence many aspects of the industry as well as gain vital inside knowledge and access to great deals on essentials like legal advice, insurance and web design. Let’s see if we can’t get the vast majority of retailers to work together. For more information, contact the BPA on 0845 4569570.

Until next month…

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