GIMA is helping Glee exhibitors unlock new international opportunities this September with the return of its Gardenex International Hosted Meetings programme.
Taking place across all three days of Glee 2026, from 8th to 10th September at the NEC Birmingham, the meetings will give exhibitors the opportunity to sit down one-to-one with established retailers, importers and distributors from across Europe and the USA.
Delivered through Gardenex, GIMA’s dedicated international trade service, the speed-networking programme is designed to make international business development more focused and accessible, with each meeting lasting 10 minutes.
Crucially, meetings are buyer-selected. Participating international buyers review exhibitor applications and choose the businesses they are most interested in meeting, helping to ensure that conversations are relevant and commercially meaningful for both sides.
This year’s line-up includes buyers from ACM Agrocentrum in Poland, BGScd in France, bol in the Netherlands and Belgium, Bosmere Inc in the USA, Digebis SL in Spain, Schetelig Oy in Finland, Walther & Co in Denmark, Ward Gartenbedarf in Germany and Wexthuset Sverige AB in Sweden.
Together, they represent a broad mix of international routes to market, including import and distribution, online marketplaces, specialist mail order and direct-to-consumer retail.
Product interests are equally varied, covering practical and decorative gardening products, grow-your-own, irrigation, sustainable garden solutions, outdoor cooking, storage, garden accessories and products for urban and indoor gardening.
Among the participating businesses is bol, a major online marketplace serving the Netherlands and Belgium, which is looking for new garden, outdoor leisure and pet-sector partners. Bosmere Inc, meanwhile, offers opportunities for suppliers looking towards the US market through import and distribution, warehousing and 3PL support.
Other buyers are seeking everything from innovative products suitable for large-volume DIY retail to distinctive practical gardening accessories and products aligned with growing consumer interest in self-sufficiency, biodiversity and sustainable gardening.
Alongside the buyer meetings, UK businesses will also be able to access one-to-one export advice during Glee.
Petra Vaskova, International Markets Adviser at the British Embassy in Prague, will be available on 8th and 9th September to support businesses looking to make their first export sale, enter new European markets or expand their existing international activity. Through the wider European network, she can also help businesses access local market insight, specialist contacts and relevant government support.
Martin Ward, Director of GIMA, said: “One of the key aims of Gardenex is to make international growth feel more achievable for UK garden businesses, and these Hosted Meetings are a very practical way of doing exactly that.
“We are bringing established international buyers directly to Glee and giving exhibitors the opportunity to have focused conversations with businesses that are actively looking for new suppliers and products.
“For some exhibitors, that may lead to an immediate opportunity. For others, it may be the beginning of a longer-term export relationship. Either way, having the right buyer sitting across the table is incredibly valuable, and that is exactly what GIMA and Gardenex are working to facilitate.”
