The move is designed to enable Glee to further evolve to meet the needs of modern garden retailers. With a rich, 38 year history, the show has changed beyond recognition since its humble origins in 1975. In the last five years alone Glee has welcomed over 66,000 visitors from more than 60 countries, bringing them together with thousands of businesses across Glee’s core sectors.

Building on this successful format, Glee’s new location within the NEC’s Halls 17 – 20, will enable every aspect of the show to benefit from a fresh start. Exhibitors will be able to relocate, whilst visitors will be walking a new show; discovering new products and companies at every turn. The overall effect will be a refreshed, revitalised event, as i2i’s Matthew Mein, Glee event manager explains. He said: “All good retailers know that the best way to keep your store interesting for customers is to constantly revise the layout. We have applied the same approach to Glee. Whilst the show has undergone several enhancements in recent years, we still felt that the overall effect has been, to a point, predictable. In fact Glee is far from predictable. It is full of hundreds upon hundreds of companies, revealing thousands of new product launches every year. Now this revised layout and location within the NEC will enable visitors to discover more than ever before.”

As part of the new layout, Glee will benefit from a greater exhibitor ‘frontage’ with more visitor access points. Matthew Mein confirmed: “Halls 17 – 20 will give Glee exhibitors much more flexibility on their stand location. With multiple entrances, there will be more opportunity to capture visitor’s attention as they approach the show. A new location will also mean that exhibitors can effectively start their own ‘Glee next chapter’. This may mean completely redesigning their stand, or simply revising how they plan and promote their presence at the show. The possibilities are endless.”

Matthew continued: “The move to new halls also allows the overall layout and content of the show to be refreshed, as well as providing an unrivalled opportunity to add additional new content to Glee’s already strong portfolio of features and educational content. 

“The other particular noteworthy benefit of Glee’s new-for-2014 location will be the Atrium and outdoor areas that are in close proximity. These two areas offer the potential for overall expansion of the show’s floorplan through additional display and exhibiting opportunities. We already have some great ideas regarding how these areas could be used, and we are excited to discuss them with the industry” added Matthew.