"All of us are so much Looking Forward to Meet up again in Person"
The past period of the pandemic was above all a time when personal contacts were very limited. How was this experienced in international horticulture? Ann Jennen, responsible for marketing and communications at Fleuroselect, has a good overview of this.
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Dear Ann, what has changed at international breeder level because of the pandemic?
Ann Jennen: The pandemic has been a catalyst for many trends that were already on the rise in the industry. Digitalisation for example, was already up and coming in certain areas but has now fully found its place in every company department. Online meetings were already part of the company culture for many multinationals but due to the lockdowns and travel bans, new technologies such as augmented reality have been implemented in corporate communications. Another example is working from home. Home office used to be an exception granted to those who were living too far from the office to commute – like myself – or was accepted as an exception in case of a sick child but has now definitely conquered its place in working life and is here to stay. These movements were already present in the industry but Corona has accelerated their evolution.
In addition, the pandemic has also created new challenges. Breeders are facing rising costs due to the scarcity of certain resources and ongoing logistical issues. To what extent can breeders carry these costs themselves and at which point will they need to be shared with the customer, knowing that many of these have little financial margin themselves? Also personnel management has become increasingly difficult. Due to staff shortages caused by infections and quarantines, it is becoming a true challenge at all levels to simply get the job done.
At the same time, the ornamental industry as a whole is booming and gardening has never been so popular. Breeders are ready to seize the opportunities and are optimistic towards the future.
Has Corona changed the communications amongst Fleuroselect members?
Ann Jennen: Communications in existing supplier-customer relations have remained intact, however new encounters and spontaneous chats which often lead to additional business opportunities have been considerably reduced due to the fact that our networking events could not take place. Both our Annual Member Convention and our industry-open events, such as the Home Garden Conference and Breeders & Distributors Conference, are characterised by informal encounters between the participants that encourage new ideas and collaborations. The pause button has been pushed for that. We have set up numerous online events which were successful, however the networking aspect could not be replaced.
Now that measures are being reduced, all of us are so much looking forward to meet up again in person and Fleuroselect foresees plenty of opportunities to do so. Our Annual Members Convention is scheduled to take place from 5-7 July in Amsterdam (NL); our Home Garden Conference will be held in Munich (DE) on 31st August – 1st September and we have advanced our Breeders & Distributors Conference in Hoorn (NL) to 4 - 5 October.
How do breeders deal with the fact that so many events have been cancelled, such as the IPM in Essen?
Ann Jennen: Breeders tend to be very resilient and generally have a positive mindset. Instead of looking at the downsides, they have quickly shifted their focus on what can still be done. Depending on the measures in place, the promotion schemes have been continuously adapted. Many of our members have held open days with a pre-booked appointment system to show the latest developments to their clients. All of us have embraced digital technology to show the latest innovations to the industry: videos, livestreams, digital showrooms, etc. Many of these new technologies have made their entrance during the pandemic and are here to stay.
Now that live seems to return gradually to the pre-corona stage, it will be interesting to see in which direction promotion will evolve when all options are open again. Trade fairs will be ever so busy because one is eager to meet up in person again but at the same time the advantages of digital promotion can not be neglected. We will enter a new era of hybrid promotion and it will be fascinating to see how that will evolve.
Christoph Killgus spoke with Ann Jennen
More about Fleuroselect can be found HERE.
