Dutch exhibitors test the Swedish market

A trade fair is a good venue for getting a feel for a new market and testing it out. Sometimes that process is easier when it’s shared. This approach was used by the Dutch company Greenn in its joint stand, where four different companies exhibited together for the first time.

Greenn helps other Dutch companies to find their way around the trade fair jungle. At Elmia Garden Greenn organised a joint stand where other companies in the garden industry could test the Swedish market and help each other with a market introduction.

Helping each other

The point of a joint stand is for the participating companies to support and help each other.

“It can be hard to know how to get into a new market or which trade fair to exhibit at. That’s what we help companies to do,” explains Maaike Koop of Greenn.

Exhibiting at a trade fair creates important contacts for a market introduction.

“The markets are a bit different depending on where you are in Europe and the trends are also different,” she explains. “The Swedish market is very stable and has a big demand for potted plants. Orchids, Bromelia and Anthurium are potted plants that do well here. The most important thing for our co-exhibitors to do as a first step is to get their names into the Swedish market. But now it’s up to them to decide if we’ll come back to next year’s fair.”

Stubbornness pays off

Other companies would rather try out a new market by themselves. Like Greenn, Orchids4all has seized on the fact that Swedes like orchids. The company grows and sells only orchids and came to Elmia Garden to get to know the Swedish market and seek out long-term relationships.

“My Danish and Swedish colleagues in the neighbouring stands explained that you have to be persistent with Swedes,” says Ewoud Meeuwissen, the owner of Orchids4all. “They’re not so easy to make contact with but if you’re just a bit stubborn they respond. I’m satisfied with my first year here and will definitely be back.”