Introduction
We are delighted to invite you to our Home Garden Conference 2024, which will take place on 4 and 5 September in the Brno area of the Czech Republic.
The two-day programme is an excellent opportunity to discover the latest home gardening trends and catch up with industry colleagues.
Invitation
We are delighted to invite you to our Home Garden Conference 2024, which will take place on 4 and 5 September in the Brno area of the Czech Republic. The two-day programme is an excellent opportunity to discover the latest home gardening trends and catch up with industry colleagues.
On Wednesday 4th of September, the event will kick off at 08:30 at the Quality Hotel in Brno. Herbert Wehrle, Product & Sales manager at Graines Voltz and Chairman BU Home Gardening, will update the delegation on the most recent developments in the Home Gardening Business Unit.
Petr Hembera, CEO of ZC Holding, will present the structure, strategy and activities of this leading wholesaler of plants and garden supplies. The programme continues with a presentation by Stanislav Kozlik, Chairman of the Czech Home Gardening Association. Representing individuals and businesses involved in gardening, this association advocates for the advancement of horticultural practices and has developed an outstanding programme to educate children about gardening.
As Graines Lecouf-Mailliet is applying for Fleuroselect membership, co-owner Pierre Byache-Kersemaecker will present the company and its activities. Lamya Kou, CEO of Vykvet, will enlighten us about the Slow Flower Movement in the Czech Republic, a rising international trend promoting local, seasonal, and sustainably grown flowers.
After lunch, we will leave for the Faculty of Horticulture of the Mendelu University. The Czech Republic, known for its historical contributions to breeding, owes much to Gregor Mendel. The Mendelu University fulfills a crucial role in shaping the future of plant breeding and genetics education. Patrik Burg, Dean of the faculty, will present the university's activities and students will showcase recent work. Afterwards, our delegation will visit the experimental gardens with the university's extensive flower and herb trials. Our Year of the Sunflower display has been sown especially for this conference.
A 10 minutes walk will bring us to the famous Lednice Castle. Its greenhouse is one of the oldest in Europe, second only to the Palm House of Kew Gardens. Delegates can have a guided tour of the Castle's interior OR the greenhouse, followed by individual time in the gardens.
The first day will end at the wine breeding station Velke Pavlovice where delegates can have a look at the local wine production before enjoying a delicious local dinner.
The second day of the conference is dedicated to visiting Fleuroselect member SEMO. This leading Czech breeder specialises in the breeding and production of vegetable seeds for the professional market and pictorial packets. The group will receive a company presentation, visit the breeding/production facilities and view the extensive ornamental/vegetable trials, including our Year of the Sunflower trial.
The event will end at 12:00 hrs.
Looking forward to welcoming you to the Czech Republic!
Herbert Wehrle, Chair Home Garden B.U. Fleuroselect
Peter Laan, Vice-Chair Home Garden B.U. Fleuroselect
Jan Prasil, Director SEMO
Ann Jennen, Secretary-General Fleuroselect
Hotel | Quality Hotel in Brno
For this event, the Quality Hotel Brno Exhibition Centre has been chosen. The hotel is located right next to the Brno Exhibition Centre, just a few minutes from the city centre. Brno Airport is located at 15 minutes by car and the hotel is easily accessible by public transport. The hotel disposes of excellent meeting facilities, comfortable rooms, quality cuisine, a cosy bar and a large car park.
Hotel
Double room for single use: 2366 CZK (= 95 EUR) per night, including breakfast.
Twin room: 2678 CZK (= 108 EUR) per night, including breakfast.
How to book a room?
Please book your room via our event registration form when signing up for this conference.
Room reservations are collected by Fleuroselect and passed on to the hotel. When your reservation is processed, you will receive a payment link from the hotel. Upon reception of payment, the hotel will send you the booking confirmation.
Travel instructions
By airplane
Brno airport has a limited flight offer including London Stansted. The nearest larger international airports are Vienna, Prague and Bratislava. To continue the journey, it might be easiest to rent a car and drive to Brno. From Vienna or Bratislava airport, it will take approx. 2 hrs by car to reach the hotel, from Prague airport you might need approx. 3 hrs.
If you prefer to travel via public transport, take a taxi/train/bus to the main train station in Vienna/Bratislava/Prague and continue the journey to Brno by train. The train journey Vienna/Bratislava to Brno will take 1,5 hrs; from Prague it will take 2,5 hrs. From Brno train station, the hotel can be reached via public transport.
By car
From Prague (200 km) and Bratislava (150 km) – Take the 190 highway exit 190, take a sharp right behind the tunnel, follow the route indicators bearing the BVV (exhibition grounds) signs.
From Vienna (130 km) – Follow the Centrum (downtown) and BVV (exhibition grounds) route indicators.
Parking spaces are available at the Quality Hotel for 360 CZK (14,50 EUR) car/night.
Preminary programme
Wednesday 4th September
| 08.30 hrs | Welcome & Update Home Gardening Business Unit Speaker: Herbert Wehrle, Graines Voltz & Chairman BU Home Gardening |
| 09.00 hrs | Presentation 1: ZC Holding Speaker: Petr Hembera, CEO ZC Holding |
| 09.30 hrs | Presentation 2: Czech Home Gardening Association Speaker: Stanislav Kozlik, Chairman Czech Home Gardening Association |
| 10.15 hrs | Coffee break |
| 10.35 hrs | Presentation 3: Company presentation Graines Lecouf-Mailliet Speaker: Pierre Byache-Kersemaecker, Co-owner |
| 11.00 hrs | Presentation 4: Slow Flower Movement & Vykvet Speaker: Lamya Kou, Vykvet | Introduction by Anja Gring, Sonnensaat |
| 11.30 hrs | Lunch |
| 12.30 hrs | Departure by bus to Faculty of Horticulture MENDELU University |
| 14.00 hrs | Introduction Faculty of Horticulture MENDELU University and Mendeleum Speaker: Patrik Burg, Dean Faculty of Horticulture + some students presenting their work |
| 14.40 hrs | Visit experimental gardens, including our Year of the Sunflower display |
| 15.40 hrs | Coffee break |
| 16.00 hrs | Walk to Lednice Castle |
| 16.20 hrs | Welcome & short introduction |
| 16.40 hrs | One guided tour of choice a. Castle inside OR b. Green house |
| 17.20 hrs | Individual time to visit the gardens |
| 18.00 hrs | Departure by bus to wine breeding station Velké Pavlovice |
| 18.30 hrs | Arrival, short visit wine cellars and wine tasting |
| 19.30 hrs | Dinner |
| 21.30 hrs | Departure by bus back to hotel |
| 22.30 hrs | Arrival at hotel |
Thursday 5th September
| 08.30 hrs | Departure by bus to SEMO |
| 09.45 hrs | Arrival & coffee |
| 10.00 hrs | Company presentation, visit facilities and ornamental/vegetable trials, including Year of the Sunflower trial | 3 groups, rotating system |
| 12.00 hrs | Departure by bus back to hotel |
| 13.15 hrs | Arrival at Hotel & End of Conference |
