With over 650 exhibitors ready to present their products and services, Cultivate is back in its original form and size for the first time since the pandemic. Many were surprised by the immediately busy start on Sunday morning. Perhaps the rain and thunder convinced some extra people to take a look inside the Greater Columbus Convention Center. More likely, of course, is that visitors were excited to meet their industry colleagues again, walk the halls on the lookout for interesting companies, and listen along to the educational presentations.
While exhibitors are, of course, mentioning the industry-wide challenges of material shortages and high costs, the overall vibe on the show floor was definitely a positive one. Companies have been adapting to the challenges as much as they can, making the best of the situation. Some companies have even been doing better than ever, with demand continuing to rise and their services expanding. And the show is, of course, the perfect event for exhibitors to meet new potential customers.
A large section of the show is dedicated to the floriculture industry. The amount of new varieties that breeders and growers had available to show this year’s visitors were noteworthy. When it comes to technical suppliers, there was a lot of interest for the many Dutch companies that were present, as proven by their busy stands. Several companies also mentioned that this show is particularly interesting for their cannabis services, as many cannabis growers show up at the event to take a look around.
The trade show will last until Tuesday, and we will keep you up-to-date on a daily basis. For now, here are a few snapshots of the first day of the show.
The Dramm and Vifra teams meeting up at the show. From left to right: Stefano Liporace of Vifra, Louis Damm and Kurt R. Becker of Dramm, and Vincenzo Russo of Vifra
John Ritter and Brian Parrish showing off the Pipp Horticulture vertical grow racks
Henry Vangameren, Vic Mirabella, Cesar Salavernia, and Kees van der Kruk ready to meet visitors at the Priva booth 
Robert Hanifin, Bryan Fagan and Alan Falomir of Ludvig Svensson 
To celebrate the Dutch participation at Cultivate, the Netherlands Embassy in Washington D.C. held a Netherlands reception at the end of the first day