|
|
18/10/2006
|
Iberflora’06 to launch Floralia 2007 contest.
The event is part of the Valencia City Council’s Valencia 2007 and the Environment initiative
Valencia City Council is to support Floralia as part of the Valencia 2007 and the environment initiative due to roll out in the city next year.
The Project is being launched at IBERFLORA 2006 on the Valencia City Council stand. Comprising a substantial programme of events and exhibitions relating to green issues, it will also coincide with world-class events such as the Americas Cup. María Jesús Puchalt, head of Valencia City Council’s Department of the Environment and Sustainable Development, is co-ordinating the project and, along with Floralia, it also includes the city’s status as Tree Capital of Europe. The latter is a new European scheme that has in this launch year awarded the title to the Valencian capital.
A central feature of the activities will be Tree Week, which takes place from 5th to 10th March 2007, at the same time as Floralia. The XIth Congress of the Spanish Arboriculture Association is also due to take place during that week, from 7th to 9th March, and the week will culminate with the Tree Festival on 10th March, which will feature a number of events targeted at the general public.
Floralia International is a large-scale floral display that has not been held in Valencia since 1990. When it takes place the exhibition complex will become a vast covered garden where visitors and professionals will be able to admire indigenous species, Mediterranean and European garden designs, ornamental plants, forest plants, fruit trees, fruits and vegetables, cacti, bonsai and more, along with the industry’s latest technological advances.
FLORALIA will be one of the venues on a five-year circuit of International Floralias being held in the European cities of Genoa (Italy), Budapest (Hungary), Nantes (France) and Ghent (Belgium).
Organising Committee
A Committee has been formed to organise Floralia. Comprising business people and representatives of the flower and plant sector from all the trade associations, the committee is being chaired by Vicente Villanueva (Viveros Villanueva), who has many years experience as a grower. Accompanying him as Vice-Chairman will be Vicente Domingo Esteve of Viveros Esteve and members of the committee will include Emilio-Jesús Villanueva Decodes (Jardinería Villanueva, S.L.), Jordi Ferrer Alba (Orvifrusa), Juan José Galán Vivas (University Masters in Gardening and Landscaping), Arnau García Ferrer (Viveros Francisco Ferrer, S.L.), Salud Lis Pardo (Lis Academy of Floral Design), Vicente Micó Pascual (President of the Gardening section of the CV / Thaler, S.A. Association) and Santiago Orts Pérez (Jardinería Huerto del Cura, S.A. ).
An Advisory Board has also been set up, which is being chaired by José Domingo Ibáñez of Viveros Levante. Members of the Board include Evaristo Almudéver Cervera (Tenisplant), Mª José Avallone Bellver (Maceflor, S.A.), Francisco Ballester Peretó (Hortisval, S.L. and President of IBERFLORA), Vicente Caballer Mellado (Director of the University Masters in Gardening and Landscaping programme), José Domingo Esteve (Viveros Levante, S.L.), Tomás Ferrer Ortiz (Orvifrusa), José Luis García Vicente (Construcciones Nagares, S.L.), Vicente Martínez Fambuena (Viveros Martínez), Mª Dolores Mesado López (Viveros Mesado, SAT), Joan Roig Mas (Cultius Roig, SAT), Vicente Peris Alcayde (Plants, Flowers and Horticultural Technology Trades Association of the Comunidad Valenciana), Vicente Martínez Basaldua (Casa Reina Garden Centre and President of the Spanish Association of Garden), Joaquín Ribera Fernández (President of the Federation of Florists) and Antonio Sánchez Lancha (Department of the Environment, Andalusia regional Government).
Spanish and International Involvement in Floralia
To date a number of Spanish trade associations have confirmed that they will be taking part, including those of the Canary Islands, Galicia, Catalonia, Aragon and Andalusia, with more expected to come on board over the next few days. As regards the international element, it is worth mentioning that several regions of Italy will be taking part as will Holland, Shanghai and Taiwan along with the cities on the international Floralia circuit – Genoa (Italy), Budapest (Hungary), Nantes (France) and Ghent (Belgium).
Parallel events
A number of events and exhibitions are also being organised under the collective title of FLORA XXI and which will run in parallel with and support Floralia. The flower exhibition will be complemented by events such as the display of 2006 Iberflora National Gardening and Landscaping Degree Projects Competition winners. FLORA XXI will feature gardening, art and landscaping and flower arranging competitions, whilst Floralia will feature GEA XXI, the International Landscape, Land and Development Congress. The programme for the latter has already been set and most of the speakers confirmed.
International Floralias at Feria Valencia
The history of the international Floralias held in Spain has always been linked to IBERFLORA and to Feria Valencia. From 1974 to 1990 five Floralias were held in Valencia, one every four years. The first was held from 8th to 17th November 1974, coinciding with the third IBERFLORA. The President of the international jury on that occasion was the Count of Kerchove, President of the Ghent Floralias. Five countries took part and the event received one very special visitor, HRH Princess Dª Sofía.
The second International Floralia was held in the Viveros de Valencia Park from 5th to 12th October 1978, concurrently with the seventh IBERFLORA. The number of countries taking part this time doubled to ten.
In 1982 the third International Floralia was held at Feria Valencia, from 12th to 21st October. The exhibition was a tremendous success and was visited by more than 300,000 people.
M.J. Van Doesburg was president of the quality contest at the fourth International Floralia, which was held from 17th to 26th October 1986. For 10 days IBERFLORA was host to numerous foreign contestants. The international jury for this fourth Floralia comprised experts from eleven different countries.
The fifth and last of the Floralias held so far in Valencia took place from 19th to 28th October 1990, coinciding with the 19th IBERLFORA. Thanks to the enormous international promotional drive at the Floralias in Nantes, Lyon, Ghent, Milan, Essen and Santarem, this Floralia was comparable to those held in other countries. It covered a total surface area of 50,000 square metres.
|
« Rétour
(Source: Feria Valencia)
|
