Could your city host an International Horticultural Expo?

During the first lockdown, many people took to making their own worlds beautiful by growing plants to help cope with the uncertainty. A vast body of scientific research shows us growing plants enhances lives, advances societies, and will sustain our planet, for this generation and the next.

The International Association of Horticultural Producers: AIPH is a non-profit organisation that has been pursuing key activities to support the global ornamental horticulture industry since 1948.

AIPH approves the most exceptional horticultural exhibitions

In addition to being the world’s champion for the power of plants, we have a mandate by international convention to be the international body responsible for approving the world’s most exceptional horticultural exhibitions.

AIPH approval has been the pre-requisite for a horticultural Expo to receive the recognition of the International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE) since 1960.

The most recent World Horticultural Expo was in Beijing, China, in 2019. It attracted over nine million visitors. Currently, we have approved seven expos between 2021 and 2027 in Europe and Asia.

Horticultural expos can vary from 25 to 500 hectares in size and last 5 to 6 months. Expos in Europe tend to attract 2 – 4 million visitors, whereas those in Asia tend to draw 5 – 10 million. The minimum number of international participants required is 10, but numbers at previous expos have been between 10 and over 100.

At our AIPH conferences, held twice a year internationally, cities seek AIPH approval to stage these spectacular events, often as part of a city development or regeneration programme. In September of this year, we hosted a virtual online conference, with delegates participating from every continent of the world made up of host cities, potential host cities, AIPH Members, horticultural industry representatives, major event service providers and the media.

AIPH Secretary General, Tim Briercliffe says: “The pandemic has created real challenges for organisers of major events like Expos but it has also highlighted the importance of green spaces and leisure experiences to improving quality of life. During 2020 Expo organisers have continued to prepare their events and new applications from cities around the world demonstrates the importance they attach to creating greener places to live and making better cities for the future.”

The following A1 World Horticultural Expos gave progress report presentations:

And the following cities preparing B category International Horticultural Exhibitions followed:

As part of their application process for AIPH approval, the conference also received presentations from Chengdu (China), Izmir (Turkey) and Quang Binh (Vietnam), all seeking to host B category International Horticultural Exhibitions in the coming years.

AIPH spreads awareness of the need for city greening

Green City is not just a faraway notion; there is a growing imperative to address climate change, air pollution, biodiversity, mental health, and social cohesion and the development of green cities will help balance these needs.

Horticultural Expos are significant events for the national and international promotion of a host city. These events boost tourism, culture, business development, sustainability and green credentials, as well as the local and national horticulture industry. They especially encourage creative green space development and the importance of plants in our society and for our well-being.

One of the pre-requisites for Horticultural Expo approval from AIPH stipulates the host city must demonstrate a genuine commitment to becoming an internationally recognised green city.

AIPH Technical Advisor, Dr Audrey Gerber, says: “AIPH Expos attract millions of people. When they visit an Expo people see how plants play an essential role in many aspects of life. Home gardens contribute significantly to urban greening with much of the land in cities being privately owned or managed. We need individuals and communities to contribute to urban greening to make sure that our cities are liveable and resilient.”

Horticultural Expos create a lasting and beneficial legacy for the host

In 2019, AIPH commissioned MI Associates, specialists in major events, to provide an event asset valuation of Category A1 and B Expos through a combination of research, economic modelling and strategic input.

MI employed a direct expenditure methodology to calculate the projected expo economic impact. The metrics used were from the following data to create these projections: Attendance; Visitors; Visitor spend; Visitor nights, and Valuation. Also, MI identified and performed an evaluation of the non-economic and legacy benefits provided by these expos.

In the concluding report, Blooming Economies, the following conclusions focused on the Institutional Capacity Legacy.

AIPH Expo Support Programme

The AIPH has a support programme to help stage a World International Horticultural Expo and to bring together experts from different industries, often from outside the host city, to build together and deliver benefits for all before, during and after the Expo. Our Organiser’s Expo Guide is packed full of information. You can find many details, including our regulations and applications on the Exhibitions page on our website.

AIPH would be delighted to discuss the opportunity to host an expo, so please do speak to our AIPH Senior International Relations Manager treve.evans@aiph.org

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