ECT Travel Group Holidays - Press releases

ECT to support tours to IPM Essen – the biggest ‘green’ show in Germany

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Published on Friday, 14 October 2011 15:52

ECT can confirm it can cater for group tours to IPM Essen Tour, the largest show of its kind in Germany. This International Plant Fair is a global attraction drawing in 60,000 trade visitors from around the world who want to view the best plants and floristry, and get to grips with the key technologies of the trade that only a world fair like this can offer.

Taking place at Messe Essen on January 24 - 27, 2012, IPM Essen promises to mark its 30th Anniversary in style, with rare live performances from world-class florists, brand new floral techniques for weddings and an exhibition that will rival any on the world-stage.

In excess of 1500 exhibitors from more than 40 countries, spread over 16 exhibition halls ensure that every need and want in the trade is catered for but there are many reasons, beyond the high standard of exhibitors, why you would not want to miss this event.

Nicola Fink, spokesperson for Fachverband Deutscher Floristen (FDF) explains some of the top attractions: “Live on stage we are expecting the famous Gregor Lersch, who is one of the best known floral-designers in the world. He works together with Thomas Gröhbühl, the German Champion, and Felix Geiling-Rasmus, a very talented new-comer of the scene. This trio guarantees a fantastic stage show with high-end German design.”

This event is a first of its kind and puts together three generations of design and three strong personalities to create a show that cannot be missed as an opportunity to watch Masters of their art at work in a live setting.

Beside this, a creative FDF-project, called Marry Mania will be presented for the first time. This is a spectacular new programme for floral wedding design with amazing new floral shapes, colours and techniques.

Fink enthuses: “Beyond the floral content, Marry Mania creates a completely new method of presentation but I do not want to give too much information away. Come and enjoy Marry Mania and you will see what I mean. Presentation, design and techniques will be spectacular and absolutely new.”

There will also be a tribute to the anthurium flower in the showcase The Best of Anthurium Unlimited. Here, the team of German ‘Anthurium Ambassadors’, Viktoria Salomon, Kathrin Göllner and Stefan Bohnenberger have put together a presentation of the most successful new ideas on how to work with the classical anthuriums. The well known trio will join two international designers to work on stage. 

“We expect Lana Bates from Great Britain and Robert Milkowski from Poland. All five of them will present an inspiring show focusing on cut anthuriums in new designs. Our aim is to give new ideas and motives for this very attractive product for florists,” says Fink, who goes on to conclude, “IPM Essen is a platform full of inspirations, impulses and good energy.”

Whilst there is a day dedicated to education for students wanting to explore the ‘green’ professions, more seasoned floral designers will get the opportunity to see new products, new techniques and new designs as well as make many new exciting contacts in the trade. There will be an emphasis on innovation and for forward thinking designers this will give a valuable edge to their work.
To visit the fair ECT Travel are putting together an attractive tour to IPM Essen including high standard 4* accommodation.
CEO for ECT Travel, Theresa McDermott commented: “There are many reasons to go to IPM Essen. It is not only Germany’s largest exhibition of this kind but it also has some one-off attractions in 2012 that are worth the trip alone for many.”

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ECT are the confirmed sponsors of the Covent Garden's Flower Market College Day

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Published on Wednesday, 21 September 2011 15:19

European Connoisseurs Travel are proud to sponsor the next Flower Market College Day that will be taking place at London’s Covent Garden Flower Market on Thursday 3 November 2011.

The Flower Market College Day is an entertaining and interactive introduction to the workings of the largest wholesale Flower Market aimed at students at Levels 2, 3 and 4. Publisher of the Florist & Wholesale Buyer Magazine, Caroline Marshall-Foster will be the high-level speaker at the event and will give a talk to Level 2’s on ‘Making money from flowers’.

With fantastic prizes, a floristry bookshop and a great opportunity to network, learn, shop and compete this promises to be a day to remember for all who attend.

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Floral Tourism Blooms for Bath Travel Company

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Published on Friday, 09 September 2011 11:05

Bath based Group Tour Organiser, European Connoisseurs Travel (ECT) have recently witnessed a growing trend in floral themed tours around Europe and the wider world.

The success of the florist-centric travel bookings has culminated to turning the company truly international in scope. For the first time since its inception in 1993 ECT has broadened its travel range beyond European borders and organised a group of florists to travel to the 10th World Flower Show in Boston entitled ‘This Glorious Earth’ which was hosted in the US for the first time in its history in June.

“We are very proud to be involved so closely with some of the most prestigious floral events on the international calendar,” said Theresa McDermott, CEO of ECT. “The Boston World Flower Show really is the big one for florists and we were delighted to be able to fly a group of florists to America to experience it first hand. As a local company to Bath we really are expanding our horizons and our specialist tours are proving popular to the point we have many return customers.”

Graham Parker, Tour Manager for the Boston trip added: “The tour and the hotel were fantastic! The WAFA 2011 presented international florists at the top of their game with the finest flower displays in the world. Most people had to cover the show in two days as it was so big.”

The show and the tour have proven to be a great success and this is the latest triumph following a number of business ‘firsts’ for the local Group Tour Operator this year in floral themed event travel.

Additionally, ECT has been chosen to provide the support logistics for the World Flower Council to be held in London for the first time from 22-26 September where the company will host excursions from Thames Dinner Cruises to Flower Market trips. They are also now officially a privileged partner to the major new floral event to be held at Chicheley Hall, a grade 1 listed country house in North Buckinghamshire set in 80 acres of grounds, from 5-7 August.

The company harbours further plans to organise a spectrum of event themed tours for 2012 and to continue with an eye on the floral shows of the future as in a time of recession this is proving to be a ‘flowering’ market in every sense.

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