Upcoming Shows: Hampton Court Flower Show

Each year around the UK there are a number of flower shows which are popular with a wide range of people. When delivered properly, good horticulture has the ability to raise one’s spirits, improve the appearance of a building, add value to that building and also give an area a sense of identity. With huge numbers of amateur horticulturalists adding to the vast professional market, it is no surprise that the most famous flower show are so very popular each time they are held. One flower show which falls into this category is the Hampton Court Flower Show.


Hampton Court Flower Show is held in Hampton Court Palace each year in Greater London. The venue itself is a significant factor in the popularity of this show as people enjoy the opportunity to enter the grounds of this royal palace which was once owned by Henry VIII, even if it is no longer inhabited by any members of the Royal Family. The show is generally held in July which gives it every chance of enjoying good weather in the heart of the British summer.

The event is organised and ran by RHS, who are the UKs leading charity with regards to horticulture. The idea of the show is to promote good horticultural practice, to inspire people and to generally sell the plus points of the British gardening industry through the significant amount of media attention that the event attracts. Much of the Hampton Court Flower show is conducted in Marquees which are erected around the park specifically for the show.

One of the features of Hampton Court Flower Show which sets it apart from other flower shows is the fact that it focuses significantly on environmental issues by giving gardeners information on how they can help wildlife to survive and how to limit the effects of gardening on the environment. Other key features of the show are the section which advises visitors how they can use any space to grow their own food, regardless of its size, tips on how to plan your garden and advice on garden design.

The visitor can also experience a wide range of flowers, many of which they will be unlikely to have experienced before. Around the ground there are a number of display gardens and water gardens, and although the show is not regarded as the most important flower show in the UK, it is certainly in the top three and can claim to be the largest.

The ExCel Exhibition Centre and London 2012

Throughout London there are a number of exhibition centres which are vast and diverse, but amongst the largest and most diverse is the Excel Exhibition Centre in the Royal Victoria Docks. The fact that there are no columns in the hall make it one of the largest uninterrupted spaces in the whole of Europe, and this feature also adds to the diversity of the venue.

Whilst many of the buildings to be used as venues for the 2010 Olympics in London have been purpose built, there are also certain existing facilities which will be used, of which the Excel Centre is one. The Excel Exhibition Centre was originally built in 2000, but not until the second part of the construction was completed in 2010 did the building acquire the sheer size and quality of facility which it now has.

The venue will host a number of events in the Olympics including fighting events such as judo, wrestling, boxing and taekwondo. The design of the centre with its large open space makes it ideal for these events as there is plenty of space for uninterrupted views around the fighting area. Other events to be held here will be weightlifting and table tennis. The centre is well versed in holding large sporting events and will certainly be prepared with regards to providing services to facilitate the thousands of people who will attend the Olympic events as a result of hosting countless exhibitions and conferences over the years.

The first round of ticket allocations for the Olympics has already taken place in the last few months, but there is still plenty of time to try and get tickets for Olympic events in the ExCel Centre. The one and only place to try and buy tickets is from the official London 2012 site. People are warned not to buy tickets from any other source except from the official site. You might also be best off booking accommodation as far as possible in advance given how busy London will be closer to the event. A number of the London Olympic venues are quite central and also tickets come with a day travel pass to makes things easier.

3 Good hotels for Business People attending exhibitions at the Birmingham NEC

The Birmingham NEC Arena is one of the biggest and busiest exhibition centres in the UK, indeed in Europe. Each year there are hundreds of events which can attract up to and exceeding 100,000 people. With Birmingham being the nation’s second city there is no shortage of accommodation around to put up the hoards of people who visit for these events. The quality of these hotels ranges widely, but below are some of the hotels which come recommended.

Swallowfield Country House - This is a bread and breakfast located close to the NEC centre. It is no run of the mill bed and breakfast, however. The rooms here are homely, something which will appeal to the businessman who spends a lot of time away from home, and the free wireless makes it easy to stay on top of your emails. More on Swallowfield Country House.

Thistle Birmingham City - This is certainly not a cheap option but the great business facilities here mean that it must be considered by those who wish to hold a meeting whilst visiting the city. There are meeting rooms of a variety of sizes, a good standard of catering and personal assistance to plan your event.

Premier Inn Birmingham - This national chain is renowned for its good value service which offers the business traveller a sustainable option. With access to wireless in the rooms and a good, hearty breakfast to start your day, this would be a good option for the modest businessman.

5 Exhibition Services you might need

The importance of an exhibition as a concept is the reason why thousands of them take place in most developed countries around the world each year, and therefore importance of facilitating these exhibitions goes without saying. It is important to consider the all aspects of the exhibition experience to ensure that the process runs smoothly. Below are 5 of the services you might need when hosting an exhibition.

Catering - This is one of the most important features of an exhibition. If you are going to have thousands of people visit an exhibition you need to be able to cater for them to ensure that they stay for a long period of time. Some options are to create a catering section at your exhibition or advertise the opportunity to contractors.

Exhibition Stands - Some venues will have stands available, otherwise you can find companies who can supply them for individual events. For larger shows, you will most often need to buy or rent your own exhibition stand and there are several suppliers of exhibition stands and who offer a variety of designs and styles.

Electrics - Without electrics available at each stand it would be almost impossible for many exhibitions to take place. If the venue does not have existing facilities you can hire the services of an electrician or a specialist exhibition services company.

Event Organiser - Organising an exhibition requires co-ordinating a variety of different aspects. By attempting to undertake this operation yourself you may negatively influence the event, so you may wish to seek the services of a professional events organiser.

Graphics - In order to give your event a professional image you may want to pay attention to the graphics around the venue. There are specialist companies who can design and provide graphics.