GaLaBau 2022: Cheerful reunion at the green industry meeting

The theme of the trade fair was “Working together for a climate-friendly future”: The GREEN-BLUE PATH at the venue gave everyone the chance to experience various approaches and ideas relating to climate protection. The trade forums and the open-air presentation areas once again proved magnets for the visitors. Stefan Dittrich, Director GaLaBau at NürnbergMesse, looks back: “The mood among the participants was simply terrific on all four days of the trade fair. Everyone was saying, ‘GaLaBau is finally back!’ Trade fair visitors want to compare and try out machines and equipment and see them live in action – after all, GaLaBau has always been a trade fair with an active character that you can only experience in-person and on the spot. Exhibitors stressed the quality of the conversations, the high level of decision-making skills and the specific purchasing intentions of the visitors. Following many months of preparation, we are very pleased with this thoroughly successful reunion with the industry!”

A trade fair characterized by innovation, where urgent questions relating to the future are discussed – that was how Nuremberg’s Lord Mayor Marcus König described GaLaBau and its key theme at the opening ceremony. Keynote speaker and meteorologist Sven Plöger credited horticulture and agriculture in this connection with having a key position in the fight against climate change, which needs good political support.

The Federal Association of Horticulture, Landscaping and Sports Facilities (Bundesverband Garten-, Landschafts- und Sportplatzbau, BGL), honorary sponsor of GaLaBau, summed it up positively: “Who would have thought that GaLaBau 2022 would be such a huge success?” observed BGL President Lutze von Wurmb. “I am speaking not only for BGL as honorary sponsor, but surely also for many of our colleagues when I say that this GaLaBau has set new standards with its captivating atmosphere, the impressive new BGL stand ‘The future of green living spaces’ and its many sustainable products and trends! Finally, we have been able to reunite with old friends and forge new business relationships in person – and have finally been able to experience once again just how valuable and irreplaceable GaLaBau is as a motor and a driver for our industry. These four days have spread the sense of a watershed moment and optimism from our sector to the wider world. Many thanks to NürnbergMesse and the entire Haus der Landschaft team for putting on this perfect event!”

How the exhibitors rated GaLaBau 2022

In 14 exhibition halls, 1,093 exhibitors from 33 countries presented their new developments for green design, construction and maintenance. Most (834) came from Germany, followed by the Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Poland and France. Summing up, about 93 percent rated the outcome of their participation in the exhibition as positive, and were able to reach their key target groups. Almost all established new business contacts, and about 90 percent expect lively post-show business. The numbers intending to exhibit again at GaLaBau in 2024 are comparably high, at more than 90 percent.

High quality of industry professionals

About 62,000 visitors from 76 countries took part in GaLaBau 2022, including decision-makers and employees from horticultural and agricultural businesses, representatives of municipal authorities, landscape architects and dealers in powered equipment. Almost 60 percent of the visitors have a management position in their company. The proportion represented by decision-makers was around 80 percent. And more than 90 percent said they were happy with the range of products and services on offer and with their visit to GaLaBau 2022 in general; the numbers intending to visit again in 2024 are high accordingly.

Programme highlights: Special shows and trade forums

GaLaBau 2022 once again provided plenty of opportunity for professional development at a personal level and interaction with experts. The wide range of thematic highlights included the new forum “Digitalisation@GaLaBau”, where more than 30 presentations and four expert panels showed the positive impacts of digitalization on a company’s efficiency and productivity. The special show “Playgrounds are of systemic importance!” in Hall 1, the Landscape Talks lecture forum in Hall 2, and the “Innovation Made in Germany” pavilion were among the major drawcards for the public. Although the days of the trade fair were characterized by rain, the outdoor presentation areas proved highly popular, the new electromobility area in particular. The place to go for landscape architects was once again Hall 3A, where a top-quality programme awaited them at the stand run by the German Landscape Architects’ Association (Bund Deutscher Landschaftsarchitekten, bdla). The day before the trade fair officially opened, some 70 dealers in powered equipment took part in the lecture and networking format “Motorised equipment specialists in conversation”.

ELCA Trend Award goes to Sweden

The European Landscape Contractors Association (ELCA) presented the high-profile ELCA Trend Award 2022 to the Harplinge Retirement Home, a retirement facility with excellent outdoor facilities. The jury praised the project for taking account of all facets of health and wellbeing, especially the social aspect, by drawing on the special value of living green. In presenting the award, ELCA emphasised the importance of green spaces designed with senior citizens in mind as a key factor for locations offering a high quality of life.

New developments recognized by the GaLaBau Innovation Medal 2022

During the trade fair, BGL awarded the GaLaBau Innovation Medal 2022 a total of 20 times, recognizing the development of new and progressive solutions for products and processes associated with the construction and maintenance of landscape gardening facilities. “GaLaBau continues to display its power of innovation, especially in the areas of digitalization and technology,” said Pia Präger, Vice-President of BGL, during the award ceremony at the GaLaBau Expert Forum. “The jury and I were very impressed once again this time by the innovations relating to sustainable products that advance environmental, climate and wildlife protection, and to electromobility and alternative drive systems. It gives us a strong sense of optimism, since it shows that the green sector is also an important driver in this area.”

Landscape Gardener Cup goes to Saxony once again

Again this year, a highlight of the programme at GaLaBau 2022 was the Landscape Gardener Cup in the Exhibition Centre Park. Twelve two-member teams from throughout Germany worked hard for two days to design a sophisticated, sustainable and insect-friendly 4m x 4m front garden in accordance with strict requirements. This was the second time that Saxony provided the winning team: Johannes Freigang and Marc-Kevin Richter from Dresden are Germany’s landscape gardening champions. Second place went to the team from Bavaria, and third place to Hesse-Thuringia.

Save the date:
The next GaLaBau will take place in its normal sequence from 11 to 14 September 2024 in the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg.