News

Organisers of major international horticultural expos presented their latest plans and progress reports at the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) Expo Conference on Monday 9^th September in Beijing.

Pushing expos to new heights, the Coordinating Bureau for the AIPH approved AI category Expo 2019 Beijing, which opened on 29^th April 2019, reported on its many successes. International competitions, cultural performances and a calendar of national and provincial days have helped to attract supporters, visitors and the media. The Expo’s ‘Live green, live better’ theme has proved significant both for the horticulture industry and the whole of China, with President Xi Jinping’s speech at the opening ceremony emphasising the importance of ecological civilisation and need for green development.  Creative plans for the expo’s closing ceremony in October are already complete. Mr Zhou Jianping, Deputy General of the Expo Coordinating Bureau, told delegates: ‘Guided by AIPH, we will continue to do an excellent job of organising and managing a successful event”.  The Expo runs until 7^th October.

Latest plans were presented for three future AIPH approved A1 category World Horticultural Expos. Under the theme ‘Green desert, better environment’, the Al Bidda Park of Expo 2021 Doha (Qatar) will consist of three core sections – ‘international’, ‘family’ and ‘cultural’ areas. Floriade 2022 Amsterdam-Almere (the Netherlands) will be based on a three-tiered theme – ‘World horticultural exhibition’, to showcase the innovative power of Dutch horticulture; ‘The city of the future’ and ‘180 days of festival in the city’. On 18^th June a special event of the Floriade Dialogues was held at Expo 2019 Beijing which focused on water and ‘the sponge city’. The committee for Expo Horticultural Łódź 2024 (Poland) updated delegates on plans to expand the expo, themed ‘Nature of the City’, to over 85 hectares and detailed seven key segments of the expo’s feasibility study.

Updates were also presented for four AIPH approved B category events – International Horticultural Exhibition, Yangzhou, China 2021; Expo 2021 Hatay, Turkey; Australis 2022-23, Sydney, Australia and Expo 2023, Kahramanmaraş Turkey. A final report from 2018 Taichung World Flora Expo, an event that welcomed over seven million visitors, summarised key themes, contents and activities and presented the expo’s short-term and long-term legacy.

With a mandate for approving major international horticultural exhibitions, Mr Tim Briercliffe,  Secretary General of AIPH said: “Cities are increasingly recognising the value of expos for enhancing the quality of cities and implementing the AIPH Green City principles.  AIPH is pleased to see so many cities in the world seeking this opportunity with many more cities coming forward for the future”.

The next AIPH Expo Conference will take place in Miami, USA on 2^nd March 2020.