Following an extensive period of consultation with suppliers, retailers and supporting trade associations, the organisers of Glee, i2i Events, have confirmed that the 2015 show will change to a new weekday opening pattern, starting on Monday 14th September and closing on Wednesday 16th September.

i2i say they been working tirelessly to gather research and feedback from the garden retail industry. Now collated, they say the evidence clearly points to a widely supported view that Sunday is no longer an essential day for those attending the show, and that a weekday-only format offers greater flexibility and a stronger platform for business to be done for both exhibitors and visitors.

Glee’s event manager, Matthew Mein said: “Glee’s opening days have been a part of an ongoing discussion regarding the best possible format for the event for many years. In 2014 we tackled a number of vital aspects, and believe that the changes that were made have kick-started a period of regeneration for the show, whilst also creating a vibrant and revitalised platform for business.

“The change to a weekday show provides the opportunity to deliver a number of additional benefits, most notably the potential for an increase in visitor numbers, and additional flexibility for those that visit - including when they attend, how many team members they can bring with them, and how long they stay at the show. This latter benefit was certainly a trend which emerged in 2014, in that more people were staying at the show for longer. Over 400 more people revisted the show on the Tuesday compared to 2013 figures, whilst attendance on the Monday was also up year-on-year. I’ve no doubt that an additional weekday will enable this trend to continue to grow in the year ahead, helping retailers and manufacturers to grow profits and develop even more valuable working relationships.”