The Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce (FCCC) and the Province of East-Flanders organized an information session on the opportunities of participating in the Belgian garden at the World Horticulture Expo in Beijing in 2019. The seminar was held on 23 April 2019 at PAC – Het Zuid, in Ghent.

The World Horticulture Expo, themed ‘Live Green, Live Better’, will be held from April 29 till October 7, 2019. The Expo covers an area of 503 hectares, of which the Belgian garden will cover 1,500 square meters to promote Belgian horticulture. The organizers expect to welcome 16 million visitors, 20% from outside China. Expo 2019 will be organized for the first time in the vicinity of the Great Wall.

The Expo will focus on green technology, the best available technology and innovative applications, including vertical cultivation, multilayer cultivation, and hydroponics.

Martine Verhoeve, Vice Governor Foreign Affairs and Economy, Province of East-Flanders, welcomed the participants. Gwenn Sonck, Executive Director, Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce, gave an introd uction, followed by a speech by Pieter Van Oost, Secretary, Belgian Nurserymen and Growers Federation (AVBS). Aldwin Dekkers, Belgian Commissioner General’s Office of International Expositions, FOD Economy, gave a speech on “The Belgian Garden at the World Horticulture Expo”. A testimonial was presented by Reginald Deroose, CEO, Deroose Plants & Exotic Plant in China. A Q&A and networking reception concluded the event.

Since late 2017 the Belgian federal government has recognized the importance of participating in the Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition in 2019. The Belgian Nurserymen and Growers Federation (AVBS) is calling on interested companies to participate in the exhibition. Information collected will be transmitted to the Belgian garden designer.

More information is available on the AVBS website (in Dutch) and the organizer’s website.

To apply for participation, contact Pieter.Van.Oost@avbs.be