The yearly held flower trade exhibition IFTEX is again going to open its doors in about 3 weeks. The first week of June has in the meanwhile become the week of the Kenyan flower industry. Most Kenyan growers, but as well more and more growers from other African countries, are participating with a stand in this exhibition. And the few that have no stand will be visiting the show, looking for buyers.
This year both US and Chinese buyers of flowers are the focus point of the international visitor promotion efforts. Although you would expect that the American flower buyer would show more interest to attend IFTEX to source Kenyan flowers, with the recent news of starting direct flights between Kenya and the USA, it is the Chinese buyer who is showing more interest, when looking at the number of pre-registered visitors so far for this year’s IFTEX.
The halls of the exhibition are full as usual with many Kenyan growers and again with new big and important flower producing farms, who will be exhibiting for the first time this year. “And that is important for the success of the trade fair, as it is always our prime goal to bring flower growers and flower buyers together”, says Jasper van Dijk, Marketing Manager of HPP.
Except for the trade fair itself, many sector related side activities, such as conferences, meetings and seminars will also take place before, during and even after the show. This all together has made IFTEX having become a structural part of Kenya’s flower industry.
The fair is running from Wednesday June 7 to Friday June 9 and open daily from 10:00 hrs. to 18:00 hrs. at the Oshwal Center in Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya.
