1: Key Facts

Name: Keukenhof (principally outdoors; three display pavilions)

Show Category: spring bulb exhibition, flower show, tradestalls

Location: Lisse, Holland

Venue: Keukenhof Park (Keukenhof means kitchen garden)

Gross Floor Area: 32 hectares

Dates: 20 March-17 May 2014 (8 weeks)

Origins: 1949

Theme: Holland

Opening Times: 08.00-19.30

Ticket Prices:

Adults (inc. 65+) 16.00€

Children 0-3 free

Children 4-11 8.00€

Groups 20-200 13.50€

Guidebook 5.00€

Car Parking 6.00€

Access & Combi-tickets: The easiest way to get to Keukenhof is by the Keukenhof Express buses which provide non-stop service. The journey takes 25-35 minutes and they leave about every 15 minutes from the following locations:

Schiphol Plaza – bus 858 outside of Arrival Hall 4, last bus leaves Keukenhof 7:47pm

Leiden Central Station – bus 854 located on town centre side, last bus leaves Keukenhof at 7:51pm

Amsterdam to Keukenhof: to get to Keukenhof from the centre of Amsterdam take the Connexxion bus service 197 to Schiphol and transfer at Schiphol Plaza to the Keukenhof Express.

Price: buy ticket on the bus for €6 (one-way) or use OV-Chipkaart public transport pass

Garden Show & Festival Site Report

Authors: Bennis

Low cost tip: buy a Combi-ticket which includes the bus ticket and entrance fee: Combi-ticket Prices:

Adults €28 (from Amsterdam centre) €23 (from Schiphol / Leiden / Haarlem) Children (4-11 years) €12.50

2. Visitor Facts (2014)

Number of Visitors: 1 million (normally around 800,000)

Age Groups: no information

Private Visitors:

Professional Visitors: Reasons for Attendance: Visitor Assessment: Origin of Local Visitors:

Home/Garden Ownership: Intention to invest in a garden:

3. Exhibitor Facts

Total Number of Exhibitors: 100 bulb companies; 500 flower growers

Main Exhibitor Goals and Attainment: no information

Rating ‘good’ to ‘very good’

Ratings of Target Visitor Groups

Market Positioning

4: Location & Facilities

The Keukenhof gardens are located in an area known as the Bollenstreek (Bulb growing

region) between Amsterdam and The Hague. 'Keukenhof' is well signposted on the

motorways. There is good public access; details in section 1 Key Facts under access.

There are large parking areas near the entrance with coach drop off at the entrance. Toilets

and tickets are available at the entrance. Internally the site is clearly signposted for facilities

including baggage store, toilets, free wheelchairs (charge for motorised), gift shops, bulb

sales (orders for autumn delivery), restaurants, cafes. Ideal for wheel chair users and

disabled visitors.

5: Exhibitions & Show Gardens

This is essentially an outdoor display of spring bulbs. 30 gardeners plant 7 million bulbs

over a three month period. The Oranje Nassau Pavilion is the main indoor display area with

flower exhibits, displays and tradestalls. Tradestalls are a mix of related and unrelated

objects to the show.

The Willem-Alexander Pavilion specialises in exhibititng tulips and during the last ten days it

hosts the world’s largest lily show. The Beatrix Pavilion displays orchids, anthuriums and

bromelias. The three pavilions have a total of 500 exhibitors. Plants, indoors and outdoors,

are clearly labelled.

The theme of this year’s show is simply Holland and there is a special ‘mosaic’ garden of

bulbs depicting traditional Dutch town houses. While there are some show gardens, the bulb

plantings provided by 100 commercial growers are the main feature of the gardens. There

are permanent gardens: the historic garden and the Japanese garden. Other themed

gardens change each year, this year the theme gardens were: the Family Garden, designed

by Rob Verlinden, a TV celebrity gardener; Love Garden; Recycle Garden; Health Garden;

Cookery Garden; Dutch Cow Garden; and the Bee Happy Garden.

There are permanent and changing sculptures in the garden; set within the bulb displays and

shrubberies. Children are catered for with several play areas for different age groups, a

scavenger hunt and a small area with animals.

6: Associated/Parallel Events

A boat trip around the Keukenhof bulb fields and Dutch landscape. You can rent them at the dock near the Windmill in Keukenhof park. Duration: 50-75 min Price: Adults – €8; Children (4-11 years) €4; Children (0-3 years) Free

Fly over Keukenhof in a DC-3 Dakota

From April 12 – May 5 you can book your flight to get a bird’s eye view of Keukenhof Gardens on a DC-3 Dakota plane. The plane leaves from the Amsterdam Schiphol-East airport at the KLM Jet Center Price: €125/person

The annual Flower Parade starts on Saturday May 5, 2014 at 9am and goes until 9pm. 20 floats and 30 cars decorated with flowers drive along a 42 kilometer route from Noordwijk to Haarlem.

Price: free! Tip: The parade does not actually pass through Keukenhof but visitors will be allowed to leave the park and re-enter to see the parade. The parade will pass Keukenhof around 3:30pm.

7: Awards

There does not appear to an award system, probably as the displays are provided by

commercial companies.

8: Exhibitor Terms & Conditions

No information. Contact Keukenhof direct.

9: Exhibitor Contracts

No information. Contact Keukenhof direct.

10: Show History

From: http://www.keukenhof.nl/en/footer/about-keukenhof/

10.1 History: Keukenhof has a rich history. For centuries, the area was part of the estate of Teylingen Castle. During the 15th century, game was hunted and food collected in the region's untamed woods and dunes, for the kitchens of the castle of Jacoba van Beieren. This is where ‘Keukenhof’ gets its name, which means ‘kitchen courtyard’ in Dutch.

Landscape architects Jan David Zocher and his son Louis Paul Zocher, who also designed Amsterdam's Vondelpark, redesigned the castle gardens in 1857. That park, in the English landscape style, still forms the basis of Keukenhof.

In 1949, the Mayor of Lisse joined forces with a number of flower bulb growers to organise the very first flower exhibition. It soon developed into an annual event. Every spring, Keukenhof now attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the world for the most beautiful and flower-packed day out.

10.2 Mission and objectives: Now and in the future, Keukenhof is and will be the

international and independent showcase of the Dutch floricultural industry, with a special

emphasis on flowering bulbs.

Keukenhof is the platform for the Dutch floricultural sector. For the exhibitors and participants in the flower shows, we provide a superb showcase for their bulbs, flowers and plants.

That's what makes Keukenhof an excellent opportunity to network and meet business contacts. Trade events for growers are also organised regularly. Keukenhof has strong links with all of the relevant organisations in the floricultural and tourist sectors.

10.3 Organisation: Stichting Internationale Bloemententoonstelling Keukenhof is run by an

Executive Board. The Management Team includes the director and the managers of the Sales & Marketing, Park Management and Finance & Administration departments. Throughout the year, there are 50 employees working at Keukenhof. During the opening period, this number increases to 750.

Keukenhof itself focuses on running the park, but certain specialist services are outsourced. Our partners in catering, retail, parking, cleaning and staff recruitment work closely with our own staff to ensure you have an unforgettable day at Keukenhof.

10.4 Preferred suppliers: Keukenhof would not be possible without our preferred suppliers.

Almost a hundred growers and exporters of flower bulbs showcase their very best flowering bulbs at Keukenhof. We have alliances with numerous different companies. A total of 100 preferred suppliers and 500 flower growers place their very best products at our disposal. Keukenhof is given worldwide promotion together with other leading tourist attractions.

11: Marketing

There is extensive national and international marketing to support the show. It is believed

that the substantial increase in visitor’s number in 2014 resulted from increased marketing,

particularly in Germany and the United Kingdom.

In the UK, adverts are placed in related gardening and ‘life style’ magazines and national

and regional newspapers. There are many coach and air tours organised for the show as

well as competitions on the radio for free trips.

The web site shows that there are designated contacts for group tours and publicity

information for anyone giving a talk/presentation on the gardens. There is a separate login

for the press.

As with many other large shows, celebrities appear to play an important role in attracting

visitors, in this case a Dutch gardener/designer who is well-known through TV programmes.

There is some coverage in the UK through programmes such as the BBC’s Gardener’s

World.

12: Site Photographs (photos dated 2007 are from an earlier visit by the author)

Photo 3: A formal avenue of trees and bulb planting

leads into the main display areas. Sculptures are

displayed along this route.

Photo 1: Using public transport, the queue at

Amsterdam airport for the connecting bus to the

Keukenhof. A joint ticket gives rail travel, bus

connection and entrance ticket. The wait at the

airport was 45 minutes on a weekday.

Photo 2: Past the main gate ticket collection, there is a

plaza that provides a sense of arrival with water feature,

toilets and information point.

Photo 4: Opportunities for visitor participation and

photo opportunities.

Photo 6-8: The historic garden is at the end of the

long formal approach.

Photo 8, left, shows the difference a few weeks and

variable garden makes to an outdoor show. (2007)

Photo 5: The first encountered tradestall is for

souvenirs including Dutch cheese.

Photo 13: The Oranje Nassau Pavilion is the main

permanent exhibition hall; there is a formal garden

and water feature to the front.

Photo 9: Plan of the historic garden with a brief

explanation in Dutch and English.

Photo 10-12: Exit from the historic garden leads

to the floral mosaic, but past its prime! Photo

13, right, shows the mosaic at its peak (from

Keukenhof website).

Avenue

Photo 14-16: Flower and water avenue to the front of

the Oranje Nassau Pavilion. There is a major fountain

at the terminus. Planting would need to be changed

throughout the show period for such a dominant

feature. Photo 17, left, 2007.

Photo 17: There is a raised/stepped seating area

overlooking the fountain and a small kiosk selling

drinks and snacks.

Photo 18: Main children’s play area

Photo 19: There is a play area for younger children

near the main/adventure play area, and an area with

small farm animals

Photo 20-22: The Dutch Cow Garden uses the basic

colours of the Frisian cow, black and white, in the hard

materials and planting.

Photo 23: From the 2007 show, this informal

bedding scheme is a way of extending the

flowering period. Single colours and species will

have a much shorter season.

Photo 24-25: Same view point: left 2007 and right 2014, shows different planting schemes using different

varieties muscari and narcissus. There are photographs of various years on numerous websites showing

a constant changing arrangement, but generally different varieties of the same genus.

Photo 26-27: The windmill is a popular feature as you can go up to the balcony and view both the

gardens and the surrounding bulb fields.

There are coloured streamers in the trees as art installations. Both photos 2007

Photo 28: Not part of the Holland theme as this

was in 2007, but it shows one of the problems

of managing bulbs to flower together. The US

flag has the stripes, but not the stars.

Photo 29: The sales shop for the gardens have

several large scale floral arrangements in urns. Bulbs

can be ordered for late summer and autumn postal

delivery

Photo 30-32: Displays in the three pavilions; the

lilies not quite in bloom

Photo 33: Most tradestalls were selling bulbs,

plants and horticultural products; there were

some unrelated stands.

Photo 34-37: Probably the most spectacular display using bold and single bands of colour under a thin

woodland leaf canopy that only happens in the spring. All 2007

Photo 38: The Flower Parade which passes the

Keukenhof but does not go through it. There

are numerous sponsors for the parade (from

Keukenhof web site).

13: Organisation and Contacts

Keukenhof

Stationsweg 166a

2161 AM Lisse

The Netherlands

Tel: +31 (0)252 465 555

Fax: +31 (0)252 465 565

Info@keukenhof.nl

www.keukenhof.nl

14: Sponsorship

14.1 Bulbs and Flowers: There are around 100 bulb companies who provide their bulbs for

planting and display; 87 are listed in the guide book and on-line. Another 500 exhibitors are

the flower growers in the three pavilions.

14.2 Flower Parade: There are numerous sponsors of the parade including commercial

growers and hotel groups.

15: Economic Impact

No specific information

16: Interviews

Contacted, but no response

17: Summary & Conclusions

17.1: Location and General:

The show site is about 20 kilometres from Amsterdam and located in the main bulb growing

area of Holland. There is good public access, although it is a slow trip by train and bus via

the airport.

As the show has been operating for 65 years, there are few problems in dealing with large

numbers of visitors except at peak times and specific viewpoints.

17.2 Exhibitions:

The exhibitions are spread out over the site and are developed in a number of

different settings from woodland enclosures to open areas.

There are very different atmospheres to the different areas.

Plants are well labelled but discretely marked

There is no sense of hard selling

Three exhibitions have distinctly different plants themes on exhibit

Good range of food/drink facilities and seating around the park

There are some good visitor participation activities, particularly for children with play

areas and farm animals

Large wooden shoes are popular tourist features for photographs

The Oranje Nassau pavilion being the largest, is also the main arena for craft stalls

The exhibits, while similar each year, are redesigned to encourage repeat visits

17.3 Issues

Some areas can get very crowded; restaurants and toilets are busy at peak times

There is a level of good luck in terms of the weather and how good the gardens will

look at any given time

Internal exhibits normally have someone to answer questions, this is not the case for

the outdoor exhibits

Tripadvisor on the Flower Parade: ‘Gorgeous, but avoid flower parade day’. This is

due to the very large crowds.