Garden Show & Festival Site Report
Authors: Bennis
1: Key Facts
Name: RHS Chelsea Flower Show (outdoors) Show Category: Built show gardens, floral displays, sales, entertainment, food Location: Royal Hospital Chelsea, London SW3 4SL UK Venue: Parkland of the hospital grounds Gross Floor Area: 11 acres (4 hectares) Dates: 20-24 May 2014; 19-23 May 2015 Origins: 1862 for the first RHS Spring Show; 1833 for first RHS flower shows; first Chelsea Flower Show 1913 Theme: Five Days that Shape the Gardening Year (more of a title than theme) Opening Times: 20-23 May 08.00-20.00; 24 May 08.00-17.30 Ticket Prices: Tuesday 20 May All day Members only £68 3.30pm Members only £38 5.30pm Members only £28 Wednesday 21 May All day Members only £58 3.30pm Members only £36 5.30pm Members only £26 Thursday 22 May All day Members £45 3.30pm Members £32 5.30pm Members £23 All Day Public £58 3.30 Public £36 5.30 Public £30 Friday 23 May All day Members £45 3.30pm Members £32 5.30pm Members £23 All Day Public £58 3.30 Public £36 5.30 Public £30 Saturday 24 May All day Members £45 All day Public £58
Charity Gala Preview: Limited numbers with champagne, canapés and music. Tickets start at £392 for individual tickets; RHS members receive a £25 discount There are no group rates and all tickets must be booked in advance; there are no ticket sales at the gate. Members can book a total of four tickets at members price Public tickets subject to £2 fee per transaction. No fee for RHS members Children under five are free. Children 5+ pay full adult fee Show catalogue £8.00
2. Visitor Facts (2013)
Number of Visitors: 157,000 (restricted/limited numbers)
The Following figures are from the RHS web site for 2012 Age Groups: ≤ 54 35%; ≥55 65% Male/female %: 77% female; 23% male Socio-economic groups: Majority ABC1 (national average of ABC1 is 51%) AB 53% C1 29% C2 12% DE 7% Private Visitors: No information Professional Visitors: No information Reasons for Attendance: No information Visitor Assessment: No information Origin of Local Visitors: Majority are from the affluent southeast and home counties, almost as many visitors are from the rest of the country. 81% are from the UK; 19% from overseas with continental Europe being the largest market. Greater London 13% Rest of the southeast 29% Rest of UK 38% Total UK 81%
Europe 9% Australia/New Zealand 6% USA/Canada 3% Rest of the world 1% Total Overseas 19%
Home/Garden Ownership: No information Intention to invest in a garden: No information 3. Exhibitor Facts Total Number of Exhibitors: 550 Main Exhibitor Goals and Attainment: No information Rating ‘good’ to ‘very good’ No information Ratings of Target Visitor Groups No information Market Positioning No information
4: Location & Facilities
4.1 Access: There is good access by underground and bus. Parking is available in Battersea Park at £28/day, £18 after 15.00hrs. There is a shuttle bus service from Battersea Park. Sloane Square is the nearest underground station and the show is a ten minute walk from there. Note there is virtually no signposting for the show from Sloane Square station. There are bus services from to Sloane Square and the Royal Hospital from rail stations.
4.2 Facilities: The site is well equipped for visitors but it is at its maximum carrying capacity. Facilities include: children’s play area, baby changing facilities, banking, bike racks, first aid, gardening advice, information stands, first aid, lost children, lost property, meeting point, music & entertainment, plant crèches, plant porters, presentations & demonstrations, restaurants, bars, fast food, toilets 5: Exhibitions & Show Gardens
5.1: The layout of the show is substantially different from the shows at Hampton Court and Tatton. Show gardens and tradestands are located by road names. Plant and floral displays are generally within The Great Pavilion. Other tradestands and the Artisan gardens are located within the area to the east of main show gardens in Ranelagh Gardens, a more informal semi-wooded area with food concessions and picnic areas.
5.2: Show Gardens 15 Show Gardens: located on Main Avenue, Rock Garden Bank, Royal Hospital way, and Triangle Demonstrate the latest ideas in garden design with designers from around the world. These are the largest of the display gardens 5.3: Fresh Gardens 10 Fresh Gardens: located on Fresh and Royal Hospital Way. These gardens have been kept tightly together. These represent the latest in contemporary design and materials. 5.4: Artisan Gardens 7 Artisan Gardens: located in Ranelagh Gardens to the east of the main site. Site is more informal and encourages designs to take a more artistic and naturalistic approach. These are the smallest of the display gardens 5.5: The Great Pavilion Considered to be the centrepiece of the RHS Show Discovery is a new area for 2014 and replaces the RHS Environment. Focus is on plant science and education 15 Discovery displays. Some titles are: Our Planet Presents the Butterfly Effect, Plants Need Passports Too, The Techno Allotment, Small is Plentiful, Petals & Pests: Using plants to control Insects 97 exhibitors ranging from nurseries supplying roses, perennials, iris, bulbs, clematis, chrysanthemum, bonsai, alpines, etc Displays for the RHS Chelsea Florist (16 entries) &RHS Young Chelsea Florist (16 entries) of the Year competitions. 5.6: Garden Product of the Year 2013 winner was Flexi Spray from Hozelock. Seventeen companies were shortlisted for 2014.
The following is from https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show/2014- stories/chelsea-product-year
Bosch Lawn and Garden and Harrod Horticultural have been named joint winners of the RHS Chelsea Garden Product of the Year competition. This is the first time that the prestigious award has gone to two winners.
Bosch Lawn and Garden was recognised for the Isio Shape and Edge Shear, while Harrod Horticultural was awarded for its Harrod Slot & Lock Storm Proof Vegetable Cages.
6: Associated/Parallel Events
6.1 Music Programme: There are ten music groups that range from opera and classical music to jazz. The programme giving times and locations are in the show catalogue as well as being posted within the show grounds.
6.2 Talks and Presentations: There is an extensive programme delivered by often well- known celebrities, national and international.
6.3 London Shop Displays: A number of shops, particularly in the Sloane Square area, have floral displays in their shop windows.
6.4 RHS Activities: The RHS has an extensive programme of lectures, garden openings, advice facilities, educational courses and other shows in different parts of the country. 7:Awards
7.1 Award Grades
From: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox and 2014 Show Catalogue
There are four grades of award presented, gold, silver-gilt, silver and bronze, in each of the categories listed below. Bronze grade exhibits do not actually receive a medal.
There is no limit to the number of medals that can be awarded within each grade-displays are judged according to set criteria. The RHS Gold medal can be awarded to any type of exhibit. If an exhibit is judged to be below Bronze standard, no award is made. 7.2 Awards categories
The Diamond Jubilee Award for the best exhibit in the Great Pavilion: South Est in Bloom RHS President's Award: Birmingham City Council Best Show Garden Award: Laurent-Perrier Garden Best Artisan Garden: Tokenkyo-A Paradise on Earth Best Fresh Garden: The Mind’s Eye Best RHS Discovery Exhibition: Sparsholt College RHS Floral Arrangement Trophies RHS Chelsea Florist of the Year RHS Young Chelsea Florist of the Year Best Floral Arrangement Exhibit (1st Session) Best Floral Arrangement Exhibit (2nd Session) RHS Plant of the Year 2014: Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Miss Saori’ RHS Chelsea Garden Product of the year 2014: Bosch Lawn & Garden, & Harrod Horticultural The Director General’s Award for the DG’s favourite tradestand: Kahora Ltd BBC / RHS People's Choice Award: Show Garden: Hope on the Horizon BBC / RHS People's Choice Award: Fresh Garden: The Mind’s Eye BBC / RHS People's Choice Award: Artisan Garden: Tour de Yorkshire
7.3 Garden exhibits are judged on:
Design: layout, spatial balance, scale Atmosphere: unique character, originality, flair Impact, Originality, Theatre, Scale, Objectives Delivery: have the design objectives been achieved, level of challenge Construction: Material selection, Quality, Workmanship, Finish, detail Planting: Plant association, impact, texture, form, coverage
7.4 The Great Pavilion exhibits are judged on:
Plants: Colour and texture, quality, health (pest & disease free), identification, association and relevance, range Overall Impression: Impact, unity, balance and scale, design, colour and texture, finish of the exhibit, edging and labelling Endeavour: level of difficulty, use of props, difficulty of growing plants, originality/new ideas Information/interpretation: knowledge portrayal, clarity, well-researched message, signage, illustration, take home message
7.5 Tradestands are judged on:
A good quality finish Compliance with RHS regulations Horticultural enhancement A tidy appearance Scale endeavour Endeavour Levels of difficulty in creating display, props, difficulty in growing plants, originality, new ideas
7.6 Education exhibits are also judged on an additional category:
Information/interpretation Knowledgeable portrayal, clarity, well researched message, signage, take home message
8: Exhibitor Terms & Conditions
Terms, conditions and contracts are available through: [email protected] When a request for an application pack is made, the RHS will contact the applicant for a discussion on their proposal. 9: Exhibitor Contracts
As No 8 above. 10: Show History
The Show increased in popularity throughout the second half of the century – until its popularity became its major problem. Crowding within the tents had been a recurring refrain during the interwar years, but always mastered by increasing the tentage; photographs show heavy crowds in the open, especially in the vicinity of the rock gardens. As the 1970s progressed, the attendance at the Chelsea Show climbed, by as much as 6,000 visitors in a single year (1978). In 1979, crowding became so severe in the mornings that the turnstiles were temporarily closed, and it was clear that some emergency action was needed. It was decided to open the Show at 8 am next year, and close it at 8.30 in the evenings, with a reduced price for entry after 4 pm, to try to draw people away from the morning time-slot; and a one-way system was laid out in the marquee (an expedient that had been rejected as impracticable 20 years earlier). The arrangements worked better than expected in 1980, when a bare majority of Council voted for the imposition of a ceiling on the number of tickets sold. But numbers continued to increase, and in 1987 the turnstiles were closed again. In 1988 a limit of 40,000 visitors per day was imposed – a reduction of 90,000 in total from the previous year – and members were charged for tickets for the first time. An immediate response was a fall in attendance; by April, ticket booking was so slow that national advertisements were taken out to encourage people to come to Chelsea, and the original announcement that tickets would not be available at the gates was rescinded. 1988 was also the first year that ticket touts made their presence felt, and the RHS felt the frustration of seeing its tickets sold at a considerable mark-up without being able to do anything.
An alarmed Council now began to look seriously at the idea of moving the show to a larger venue. Battersea Park, Osterley Park, and Wisley were suggested; one proposal was that Chelsea should be limited to plant sales, and the sundries rerouted elsewhere; the firm of Land Use Consultants was hired to prepare a feasibility study, and after examining all these options, concluded that the Show should stay at Chelsea. The real rescue came from the expansion of the shows programme into other venues, and in particular from the takeover of the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show in 1993: the increased options for both members and for exhibitors meant that the intense criticisms and conflict of the 1980s over the future of the Show did not return. The Chelsea Flower Show receives a lot of publicity. It is attended by 157,000 visitors each year (a number limited by the capacity of the 11-acre (45,000 m2) ground), and all tickets must be purchased in advance. From 2005 the show was increased from four days to five, with the first two days only open to RHS members. The show is extensively covered on television by the BBC. An official DVD of the show is produced on behalf of the RHS by Twofour. Several members of the British Royal Family attend a preview of the show, as part of the royal patronage of the RHS. The area of land devoted to show gardens increased steadily between 1970 and 2000 and the show has become an important venue for watching trends. New plants are often launched at the show and the popularity of older varieties revived under the focus of the horticultural world. It is the garden design equivalent of a catwalk at a fashion show.
Highlights from the 2011 RHS Chelsea Flower Show includes The Irish Sky Garden by Diarmuid Gavin based on the idea of a restaurant in the sky. Other show stopping gardens included the HESCO Garden, by Leeds City Council who reconstructed an impressive and idyllic working water wheel in the grounds of the Royal Hospital.
The 2011 show also saw the introduction of the new Artisan garden category which featured beautiful artistic and natural gardens.
11: Marketing
11.1 From https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/exhibit-at-a-show/press-and-pr-opportunities The latest information from the RHS is for 2012.
National press: Every national newspaper covered the show, and highlights included front page coverage in the Daily Telegraph, The Times, Daily Express and the London Evening Standard. The Daily Telegraph and FT Weekend both ran Chelsea-themed supplements prior to show opening. There was extensive news and feature coverage in many other national newspapers, including The Independent, The Guardian, The Sunday Times and Metro. Broadcast coverage: Radio and television highlights included coverage on BBC News, ITV Daybreak, Sky News, 5 News, Radio 4 and the BBC World Service. More than 70 hours of coverage was broadcast across the BBC English Regions radio network, reaching 7 million people. The BBC network broadcast 11 hours of coverage on BBC1 and BBC2
11.2 Other Marketing Venues: Posters are located in underground and rail stations Displays of flowers and posters in shop windows Information at major hotels and tourist information points
11.3: Out of all the shows, RHS Chelsea is the one show that probably needs the least amount of marketing; it is known nationally and internationally. All tickets are sold in advance of the show and it is consistently sold out.
12: Site Photographs
Photo 1: The RHS Chelsea Flower Show has taken place in the grounds of the Royal Chelsea Hospital since 1913. It has been every year except during the two world wars. It is Britain’s most prestigious flower show.
Photo 2-3: Located in central London, some of the public spaces and shops reflect the atmosphere of the flower show. The easiest access to the show is by underground or bus.
Photo 4: There are three pedestrian entrances to the show grounds. All tickets must be purchased in advance. The ticket office is for ticket collections.
This is the Garden Gate entrance located to the north side of the site.
Photo 5-6: Map shows The Great Pavilion to the left; most gardens are located in this area. Artisan gardens are in the informal area to the right. The guide book costs £8.00
Photo 7: once through the Garden Gate entrance, the visitor is led through Eastern Avenue, a main tradestand area.
Photo 8-9: The trade stands along Eastern Avenue sell a mixture of products, some with little or no relationship to gardens and horticulture. Some tradestands are set up as garden displays to sell their products. These vary in quality but are generally very high. There is the Director General’s award for the best tradestand. Photo 10: Maps are displayed at key points and intersections throughout the site. These are generally easier to read than the one in the Show Catalogue which is a small fold-out plan
Photo 11-14: The M&G Garden, sponsored by M&G Investments (main sponsor of the show) is based on the Persian idea of the Paradise garden.
Chris Beardshaw, a well-known TV garden presenter, is being filmed by the BBC. RHS Gold award (Show Garden)
Photo 15-17: Information panels for the show gardens are of a standard format with an award being displayed on the panel. RHS Silver Gilt award (Show Garden)
Photo 18: The Massachusetts Garden represents the landscape of Cape Cod and was sponsored by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism. An example of using the garden show for promoting tourism; however, it is the first year they have done this and could not evaluate the impact, nor were they aware as to how they could make an evaluation.
RHS Silver (Show Garden)
Photo 19-20: this garden has been designed to support Help the Heroes. It received the BBC/RHS People’s Choice Award for a Show Garden. It shows that judging criteria can be different from the general population and the RHS judges.
RHS Silver-gilt (Show Garden)
Photo 21: The Well Child Garden is within the Fresh Garden category, note the different colour for the display panel from the Show Garden in Photos 19-20
RHS Silver-gilt (Fresh Garden)
Photo 22: Himalayan Rock Garden
RHS Bronze (Fresh Garden)
Photo 23-25: The Mind’s Eye was developed by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) in partnership with Countryside. Designed as a sensory garden for the blind and partially sighted. There are particular problems and restrictions in the use of water due to concern about Legionnaire’s Disease.
Two awards:
Best Fresh Garden RHS Gold (Fresh Garden)
Photo 26-27: The Great Pavilion dominates a very tight site, and in fact it is difficult to realise how large it is. Principally devoted to floral displays, it also houses the Discovery section occupies a small area in a corner of the pavilion.
Photo 28-34: Images from the floristry exhibition in The Great Pavilion. The two photos directly above this note are displays from Thailand and Grenada. This is used as an opportunity to promote to promote tourism.
Photo 35-36: some tradestands are as much about garden design as they are about the product on sale
Photo 37-38: Ranelagh Gardens, to the east of main display areas, is an informal English style park area. There are informal eating areas, some tradestalls and the artisan gardens.
Photo 39: The Topiarist’s Garden RHS Silver-gilt (Artisan Garden)
Photo 40: Tour de Yorkshire is a play on words referring to this year’s Tour de France which started in Yorkshire.
RHS Silver (Artisan Garden)
BBC/RHS People’s Choice Award: Artisan Garden
Photo 41: Togenkyo – A Paradise on Earth
RHS Gold (Artisan Garden) RHS Best Artisan Garden
Photo 42: 75 Years of The Roof Garden in Kensington has used some of the original structures from the Spanish garden originally designed by Ralph Hancock. RHS Bronze (Artisan Garden)
Photo 43-44: Ranelagh Gardens is approached through the Artisan Gardens. There are several fast food outlets, picnic tables but as in most areas there is still a shortage of seating. Decorative wind sculptures hang from the trees.
Photo 44-45: Outdoor lecture and presentation area. There is an extensive series of presentations throughout the day, some are under cover.
Photo 46-47: Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Miss Saori’ is the RHS Plant of the Year 2014 Rather than painted plywood hoarding, visual and crowd control barriers show historic images of the show, and dates for the 2015 show.
13: Organisation and Contacts
Royal Horticultural Society 80 Vincent Square London SW1P 2PE Tel: +44 (0)845 260 5000 Office Hours: Monday – Friday 09.00-17.00
Head of Shows: Alexandra Denman Tel: 0845 260 5000 Email: [email protected] Head of Chelsea & Hampton Court Shows: Anita Foy Tel: +44 (0)207 821 3652 Head of Tatton Show: Lucinda Costello Tel: +44 (0)207 821 3328
14: Sponsorship
Unlike most shows, RHS Chelsea has one primary sponsor, M&G Investments, who also have sponsored a show garden. There are numerous sponsors of specific events and gardens such as Fortnum & Masons deal with corporate hospitality. Many gardens are supported at least in part by some major commercial firms such as The Telegraph (newspaper), Homebase (a do-it-yourself building chain), Laurent-Perrier Champagne, and Royal Bank of Canada. There is advertising in the Show Guide from firms which have not exhibited such as London Square Fulham (new townhouses), St George’s Healthcare, garden equipment and furniture companies, etc. 15: Economic Impact
No information 16: Interviews
The RHS has been contacted, but no reply 17: Summary & Conclusions
17.1 Location & General:
Located in central London, the show has excellent public transport links, hotel and restaurant facilities nearby. Food outlets and toilet facilities are very busy but adequate. There is little or no private car parking in the immediate area. Designated car parks run a shuttle service.
17.2 Exhibitions:
The site is in two parts with a densely developed area to the west side of Eastern Avenue with The Great Pavilion and the Show Gardens. The area to the east side of Eastern Avenue is more natural, less congested and has a completely different atmosphere. This area has some tradestands, food outlets, lecture/presentation area and the Artisan Gardens.
As expected, the quality of all displays is very high The show takes 25 days to erect, and usually one week to dismantle There is no over-arching theme to the show Exhibition gardens are within zones defined as Show Gardens, Fresh Gardens and Artisan Gardens Most exhibitions are conservative in design Tradestalls are laid out in groups, but not to a theme, and are normally adjacent to the exhibition gardens Some of the trade stands were as good, or better, than the exhibition gardens Despite the high density of exhibitions, there is a sense of a setting for the gardens as the show is in an existing structured landscape The RHS requires that all displays are manned Often very good printed information available for individual gardens, plant sellers and Tradestalls. No uniform standard for this. Signage is generally good but the site is easy to negotiate even for a first time visitor as the main show area is based on a grid system Show Catalogue is laid out by coloured sections that reference the map and the display panels The Discovery area within The Great Marquee was a new introduction Awards are displayed with the standard display panels The BBC/RHS People’s Choice Awards were, in some cases, very different than the RHS awards Photographic hoardings used at the exit to show some of the show history and to promote next year’s show Excellent review on the RHS web site with video clips, links to exhibitors, award winners and tickets for the following year
7.3 Issues:
The greatest problem is over-crowding despite restricting numbers and some timed entries Often difficult to see the exhibition gardens or the displays of flowers in The Grand Marquee Arriving at the Garden Gate entrance, there is no real sense of arrival as all one sees is a row of tradestalls Bull Ring entrance appears better on the map, but not inspected Food and toilet areas very crowded at peak times All exhibits were not manned; but when they were, it was difficult to talk to anyone due to crowds Larger hand held maps would make it easier to find specific displays. Map in the show catalogue is too small Catalogue is more use after the show rather than during as it is too crowded to refer to it easily Seating was at a premium and difficult to find in the main area Litter bins difficult to find in some areas Children are positively discouraged with full adult admission charges if 5 years or older
7.4 Conclusion:
As probably the most famous of all garden shows, it is exceptional in its standards but it is not without its problems. The greatest issue is over-crowding, but it is also the most expensive of all the garden/flower shows that has been visited.
A high visitor economic base is a result of the show’s reputation and location. It conforms to the age brackets of other shows but the economic base, or spending power is higher. It has a greater than normal visitor percentage form overseas which reflects on its international reputation as well as a London location.