IPM Essen 2026 sends positive signals for the horticultural industry

From 27 to 30 January, almost 40,000 trade visitors attended the 42nd world-leading horticulture trade fair

The fair reflected the industry’s core task: making innovations market-ready, conserving resources, reaching new target groups and visibly embedding horticulture’s societal importance

Horticulture

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4 February 2026

From 27 to 30 January, almost 40,000 trade visitors attended the 42nd world-leading horticulture trade fair – IPM Essen.

With 1,476 exhibiting companies, IPM Essen 2026 recorded three per cent more exhibitors than the previous year.

The industry perceived this as a clear sign of confidence and relevance. The return of individual companies also underlined the fair’s attractiveness as an international business platform.

“Once again, IPM Essen has proven to be the showcase of the green industry and at the same time the central meeting point and marketplace for gardeners from all over the world,” Eva Kähler-Theuerkauf, president of the Central Horticultural Association and the Horticultural Association of North Rhine Westphalia, said.

In terms of content, the fair reflected the industry’s core task: making innovations market-ready, conserving resources, reaching new target groups and visibly embedding horticulture’s societal importance.

Peat-reduced and environmentally friendly substrates were not only a key topic at exhibition stands at IPM Essen. At the International Plant Fair in Essen, the first “round table” discussions on phasing out the use of peat and possible alternatives were launched.

Climate-resilient plants remain a key field for new breeding and product developments. At the same time, it became clear that the market is increasingly moving towards plant concepts that convey a lifestyle, with less focus on the individual product itself.

In addition, sustainable and smart production, alternative materials, packaging and the circular economy came into focus – not as an add-on, but as a strategic necessity.

The transformation of communication and sales was also a noticeable focus. With the new content creator event “Green Vibes”, social media marketing was given its own stage: the industry is also changing in how it addresses target groups.

Online retail is considered a major field for the future – especially for products such as flowers and plants, which have so far been purchased primarily in brick-and-mortar stores.

In this context, new access and convenience solutions were presented, such as flower vending machines or smart gardening products designed to make access to flowers and plants as easy as possible.

“Networking within the horticultural industry is essential today – the key to identifying trends early, finding answers together to structural challenges and consistently seizing new opportunities,” Oliver P. Kuhrt, CEO of Messe Essen, said.

The next world-leading horticulture trade fair will take place from 26 to 29 January 2027 at Messe Essen.

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