Trade fair theme GrootGroenPlus, ‘Dynamic & Digital’ is current in the industry
 
The theme of the latest edition of trade fair GrootGroenPlus is ‘Dynamic & Digital’. According to member of the board Erik Bastiaensen, this theme is very current in the industry. “At many companies and throughout the industry, things are developing faster than ever. The social developments also ask for that, and it is great to see how the industry plays into that.”
 
Author: Hanneke Tax
 
In daily life, Bastiaensen is the director of CLTV Zundert. As supplier in the industry, member of the board of GrootGroenPlus, and ‘host’ of trade fair GrootGroenPlus in the past few years, he is literally in the centre of the industries present at the trade fair. “When the theme was picked, it felt self-evident,” he said. ‘The current dynamics in the industry come with digitalisation, but also in other areas, including water management, mechanisation, and conscious crop protection, at lot is going on. This theme really suits us. Even though our industry used to be known as a little conservative just a few years ago.”
 
“People have some things to say about where the industry is at, but the growth of the trade fair shows a positive dynamic”
 
Conscious choices
Striving for successful business operations and great sales have become more obvious last season than before, notices Bastiaensen. “That results in entrepreneurs taking more conscious decisions. With less staff than you want, doing the same or more work, playing into the sales opportunities; everyone in the industry is striving for a good future for the industry, and it is good to look at smart and effective solutions together.”
 
Overview
“Weed control and crop protection are themes that drive innovation,” says Bastiaensen. “Since the use of crop protection means is under pressure, we are looking for ways to lessen this, or to approach crop protection in a more sustainable way. This leads to development of other, for example organic means and plant strengtheners, but also to a lot of new products when it comes to mechanic weed control. Combine that with robotisation or GPS for more automation and precision, and you can imagine that it is hard to oversee what is possible. Fortunately, there are many initiatives to involve growers in this, for example innovation or technical days, but also GrootGroenPlus
as a place where you can find new opportunities that suit your situation. “Automation, with opportunities for digital applications, are not just to be found in the field, but also in many other places in the tree nursery,” continues Bastiaensen. “Examples are potting, cutting, or monitoring plagues. Tracking hours or measuring sustainability factors related to certification are also developing.”
 
Positive dynamic
“Both entrepreneurs and the trade fair are dynamic.” As host of the trade fair since 2013, Bastiaensen knows all that is involved with housing the trade fair. “This year, the GrootGroenPlus will take place at the Business Centre Treeport (BCT) terrain for the first time. We are very proud
to have served as a host to the trade fair for this long, but for us it is also a good moment to use the available space at the company for new plans. And I have great expectations of the new location for the trade fair. An advantage is that we can welcome more participants, since there is a lot of interest this year. People have some things to say about where the industry is at, but the growth of the trade fair shows a positive dynamic.”
 
“The trade fair will continue to connect people, through all dynamics, as she has done for years”
 
Additional visibility
Bastiaensen also expects that the theme ‘Dynamic & Digital” contributes to additional visibility for all current developments, for both participants as visitors. “We will keep last year’s theme in mind; the theme ‘Grounded’ showed us that the industry has a very strong basis. Especially in the Netherlands, the tree nursery industry is very rooted in a number of cultivation regions. In Zundert, we see a number of Belgian growers from the border area join us, but the middle of Brabant is also represented. By staying close to each other, both in organisation and location, as an industry we can innovate by working together and learning from each other. That strong industry has proven to be attractive for the international contacts, which makes GrootGroenPlus a window to Europe and the rest of the world. That appeal only seems to get stronger and stronger.”
 
Handling challenges together
“The period we are in now is not necessarily the easiest one,” says Bastiaensen. “There are many challenges that make the job of a grower harder. The trade fair shows us how we jointly handle that in the industry, with modern means and possibilities. When it comes to knowledge and education, there are also quite some developments that make the trade even more attractive to the younger generation. I assume that the trade fair will continue to connect people, through all dynamics, as she has done for years.”