spoga+gafa and Euro 2024 kick off the summer in Cologne

While Germany is buzzing with excitement ahead of the European Football Championships in June 2024, the gardening and barbecue industry is also gearing up for its biggest event: spoga+gafa, the world's largest trade fair for the sector, which will take place in Cologne from June 16-18. And no, it's no coincidence!

Stefan Lohrberg, the director of spoga+gafa, gave us a tasty interview a month before the fair opens, in which he reveals how preparations are coming together for the two big events of the summer.

"June will be an extremely busy month in Cologne," says Lohrberg. "Of course, organizing two major events at the same time comes with challenges, especially in terms of accommodation. Let's just say that the hotels near the exhibition center are packed. But Cologne and neighboring cities have enough places to suit all pockets."

And if you're worried that you won't make it to the spoga+gafa in time because of the traffic generated by the European Championships, Lohrberg reassures you: "Thanks to the excellent infrastructure of our exhibition halls, you can get to the spoga+gafa quickly and directly from the region by train, bus or taxi. So Cologne is ready for both the biggest garden and barbecue fair and one of the hottest sporting events the city has ever hosted!""

And football really will be at home in the Cologne region during the spoga+gafa. On June 15, the day before the fair opens, the Rhein-Energie Stadion in Cologne will host the match between Hungary and Switzerland. Nearby in Dortmund, Italy will take on Albania on the same day. On June 16, England and Serbia will meet in Gelsenkirchen and on June 17, Austria and France will meet in Dusseldorf.

But beyond logistics and football, Lohrberg sees a perfect symbiosis between the European Championships, barbecues and gardening. "The color green will be omnipresent in Cologne in June: both in the spoga+gafa pavilions and on the lawn. If there's one thing that really matches, it's barbecues, gardening and football. So in a month's time we will have a mega garden and football festival!" he enthuses.

And spoga+gafa really does have something to wow visitors, even those who are more penalty shooters than pansies. Under the motto "Responsible Gardens", the fair will showcase sustainable and innovative gardening solutions, outdoor furniture, tools, efficient technologies for barbecues and garden maintenance. A special attraction will be the first Coolingworld, an area dedicated to active and passive coolers, which are in great demand in the specialized trade.

But why is spoga+gafa an unmissable event for the green industry? Lohrberg explains: "The gardening industry has had a difficult few months. But now they are joining forces. The mutual exchange of ideas is essential for everyone. Common ideas need to be developed and solutions found. And the fair provides just the right framework for this, conveying security, stability and a feeling of 'home'. As an innovation platform, spoga+gafa sets trends, offers access to the international market and excellent networking opportunities, bringing together industry expertise, new impulses, demand and supply."

So if you're coming to Cologne or the surrounding area in June, either for the football, the spoga+gafa, or - why not - both, you should know that the region will be ready to handle both events with flying colors. The only dilemma will be: Do we go to the fair or the game first? Or barbecue in between the two and watch the second half over a cold beer? Whatever the choice, the atmosphere is guaranteed to be European championship atmosphere!

Photo credit spoga+gafa. Event details spoga+gafa 2024 https://www.spogagafa.com/trade-fair/spoga-gafa-2024/industry-trade-fairs/