I have always liked visiting Glee, getting to see how old friends are getting on, etc., so it was a bit of a shock to find the show reduced and, on the last day, very quiet. Some exhibitors were quite pleased with whom they had seen – it was easier to get to them in a smaller show! There was a feeling that the trinket (TAT) side of the business was very over represented.
Talking to some press acquaintances there, confirmed what many observers are picking up on – the migration of exhibitors & visitors to far more focused shows/events.
In no sector was this more pronounced than in landscaping. The biggest exhibits were the ones focused on the DIY end of the business, and bagged aggregates, etc., for the Garden Centre trade – the core business of GLEE. Though a remnant of other hard landscape products were represented, the inevitable drift to focused shows seemed irresistible – roll on the HLS!.
I certainly don’t want to criticise Glee for the sake of it; its own refocusing on what it is about should strengthen it from the huge analogous mass it has become.