Success of the profession and the sector!

The 2024 Landscape Istanbul Fair (November 13-16), which was held for the third time this year, was successfully concluded. This year, Türkiye's producer organization (SÜBİR), the International Association of Garden and Ornamental Plants Producers (AIPH), and the Chamber of Landscape Architects declared their unequivocal support for the fair. Their statements of support were very significant.

As for the opening itself... The opening speech was delivered by Mustafa Gültekin Gökgül, Chairman of the Athena Fairs Executive Board. Following this, landscape architect Barış Işık, President of the Chamber of Landscape Architects, then forestry engineer Savaş Akcan, President of SÜSBİR, and Prof. Dr. Tuğba Ölmez Hancı, Head of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Parks, Gardens, and Green Areas Department, who was also a fair participant. The opening speakers didn't hold back from making jokes about the speaking order.

Meanwhile, let's say right away that the exhibitors and visitors—too numerous to mention individually—generally commented very positively on the Landscape Istanbul Fair 2024. On the other hand, we also encountered some who criticized the visitor profile, claiming there weren't enough visitors. However, the vast majority of participants emphasized that while the number of visitors wasn't very high, they did see a group closely interested in the profession and sector, with a desire to shop. On the other hand, participants emphasized that the number of international visitors met their commercial expectations.

Based on the impressions we've gathered from industry organizations and visitors, we can say this directly: This time, the industry and the profession have successfully organized an international fair centered in Turkey. We congratulate Athena Fair Organization, and all of Türkiye's plant producers and landscape architects, on this achievement.

By the way, we wondered if we had missed it or if they hadn't actually come. No one had seen any of the Istanbul Tree and Landscape Inc. officials during the fair. I wonder why.   

The fair, which highlighted the shifting paradigms in landscape amid the climate crisis with its first and second editions of the WUP Symposiums, once again garnered significant attention this year with the WUP Symposium. We've heard that these symposiums, which act as an unofficial world landscape architecture congress, will be even more influential in 2025.

Despite economic hardships and export difficulties this year, landscape ornamental plant producers, in particular, managed to increase their export figures. In short, the sector has already begun preparations for Landscape Istanbul 2025.