Netherlands: Full HortiContact Tour programme announced

The HortiContact Tour organisation has released its full tour schedule. On Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 February 2017, the two-day excursion will visit multiple nurseries and research centres, and introduce international growers to the latest developments in Dutch horticulture. The programme includes a Practical Day, and a Seminar & Exhibition Day.



On the first HortiContact Tour day (14 February 2017), participants will be visiting several growing and research facilities. The excursion will leave from Rotterdam at 8:00 hours. The first stop will be at 8:30 hours, at tomato grower Jami’s in Bleiswijk, followed by a visit to the Wageningen University & Research (greenhouse department) and the Delphy Improvement Centre at 10:30 hours. Both knowledge institutes will walk tour members through the latest developments and growing experiments.

Next Generation Growing
After lunch, the group will head for De Lier-based chrysanthemum grower Arcadia at 13:30 hours. The company opened a new greenhouse in 2015. They are Next Generation Growing and plant health pioneers. The last visit of the day will bring the group to Sion Orchids at 16:00 hours, also in De Lier. The company is renowned as an innovative producer of young Phalaenopsis plants. Sion Orchids is active internationally, on multiple continents. The day concludes with a diner.

Seminar & Exhibition Day
The second day will centre around Gorinchem, 35 kilometres from Rotterdam. At HortiContact’s exhibition premises, researchers from Wageningen University & Research will give captivating presentations: Ep Heuvelink will present on the fascinating botany world (9:00 hours), while Frank Kempkes will introduce HortiContact Tour participants to the Winterlight greenhouse; the university’s new greenhouse construction project (at 10:30 hours). A complimentary lunch concludes the morning programme.

From 13:00 hours, participants may visit the HortiContact exhibition. With an average of 450 to 500 exhibitors, it is one of the biggest and most-valued meeting platforms for Dutch Horticulture. The day will be concluded with a standing dinner reception.

Free participation
The HortiContact Tour is being arranged through a cooperation of the HortiContact exhibition organisation (hosted from Tuesday 14 until Thursday 16 February 2017 at Evenementenhal Gorinchem), Uniglobe Westland Business Travel, and In Greenhouses magazine. Through support from multiple sponsors, participation in the HortiContact Tour is free of charge. Growers from abroad will need to arrange their own travelling and hotel stays. Participants can, however, make use of the organisation’s hotel and airport transfer arrangement.

For more information:
www.horticontacttour.nl