Certificate of Merit for Harrod Horticultural at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2010

Superior products to grow your own

All the hours of hard work from over 40 members of staff involved in preparing for and manning the Harrod Horticultural RHS Chelsea Flower Show trade stand has paid off, with an award for Certificate of Merit for Outstanding Presentation.

The award was presented to Harrod Horticultural Marketing Manager Jon Couch at the show, by the official RHS judging panel earlier in the week and is the highest accolade that can be achieved for a trade stand at the show. Jon commented “we are delighted with this year’s award and it pays testament to all the hours of hard work our staff put into the show. From those that are involved in designing and constructing the stand, pick and packing the product to take with us, putting together successful marketing material, a PR campaign, not to mention those that have to be on their feet for days during the show

to reinforce Harrod Horticultural’s position as one of the leading mail order retailers of superior products to grow your own”.

It’s the 8th year that the Lowestoft based mail order company has exhibited at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, in which time it has received 3 Certificates of Commendation and for the 3rd year running it has achieved the prestigious Certificate of Merit. Jon Couch had a special word of praise for Jon Wheatley, previous winner of 5 RHS Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medals for pavilion stands, who supplied an impressive display of vegetable and flower planting to enhance the range of products on display.

“For this year’s show we would like to thank Jon Wheatley for the wonderful vegetable and flower planting display. It did so much towards helping the successful launch of our new timber patio growing range which we were able to showcase for the first time at the event”.

The Harrod Horticultural RHS Chelsea Flower Show trade stand is planned as early as 9 months before the event. A design layout, pre-show construction build, marketing and PR plans, product range and logistics all happen before leaving to build the plot on an open 5.5m deep x 10m wide plot outside The Great Pavilion. It features a T- shaped hard structure that displays many hardware products including the “Natural Choice” pest control range, hand forged Sneeboer tools, water-wise solutions, potting shed delights and composting solutions. The main display area was dedicated to the exclusive structures that are designed and manufactured in Lowestoft including the stunning walk-in Fruit & Vegetable Cage, timber raised beds and the innovative new timber patio range to inspire patio growing.

“The Chelsea Flower Show is always an important date in the diary for Harrod Horticultural as we have a chance to engage with new and existing customers face-to-face, much different to our usual channels to market via print literature and online campaigns. It’s a great opportunity to gain valuable product and customer feedback, launch our newest product ranges and maintain our brand awareness in the gardening market”, says Jon Couch. Every year

157,000 people visit the show over the course of the week and this year the show was a sell-out weeks in advance, the fastest selling since the 1980s.

Source: Harrod Horticultural