When Glee returns to the NEC Birmingham from Tuesday 16th –Thursday 18th September 2025, it will bring with it a dynamic and future-focused seminar programme, designed to spark insight, drive profitability, and energise the garden retail sector.
Meanwhile, the Feed Your Business Stage, located in the newly launched Food @ Glee area, will take a deep dive into the commercial opportunities within catering, hospitality, foodservice and food retail as well as design.
Profit, purpose and the 'Garden Centre of the Future'
From high-level strategy to hands-on innovation, Glee 2025 addresses the real challenges and opportunities facing today's garden retailers. Central to the programme is the need to balance profit and purpose, and lead businesses into a new era defined by smarter operations, sustainable growth, and unforgettable customer experiences. In one of the most unique and interactive sessions of the show, Michael Perry – better known as Mr Plant Geek – returns with his ever-popular 'Future Plants' insights. This year, he'll take things a step further by hosting an exclusive walking tour of the show, giving participants the chance to meet the pioneering growers behind the next generation of plants set to transform UK garden centres.
In a flagship keynote, Pleydell Smithyman's Paul Pleydell will unveil their visionary take on the "Garden Centre of the Future", combining architectural creativity with real-world data to show how design can power everything from dwell time to footfall and spend.
In one of the most anticipated sessions of the show, Alan Roper, Managing Director of Blue Diamond Garden Centres, will offer a rare behind-the-scenes look at leadership in action. "An Industry Conversation" will explore his approach to retail transformation, culture, and staying ahead in a competitive and increasingly digital landscape.
Alan is inviting the industry to submit their questions ahead of the session in a unique opportunity to engage directly with one of the most influential voices in garden retail. Whether you're curious about leadership strategies, business transformation, or the future of the sector, Alan wants to hear from you. British Garden Centres will also take centre stage with "Buzzing with Innovation: Next Gen Leaders", where Amy and Libby Stubbs present how the next generation is not just preserving a legacy but actively rewriting what success looks like in the modern retail era.
The HTA will also bring its invaluable market intelligence to The Hive stage, helping retailers decode the latest research, performance metrics and consumer trends in their session "Pollinating Insights". With a clear focus on data-led decision making, this is a must-attend for anyone looking to build resilience and plan for the long term. Other sessions explore technology, supply chain strategy, and sustainability as competitive levers, showcasing stories of garden centres that are not just surviving but thriving by placing environmental and ethical practices at the heart of their operations.
Feeding growth
On the Feed Your Business Stage, content is all about delivering ROI through food and catering. From expert-led sessions on menu engineering and kitchen design, to talks on food truck partnerships, the power of farm shops, technology-driven cooking methods, and the evolution of the high-street coffee model, attendees will walk away with actionable ideas to increase dwell time, margin, and customer loyalty. Sessions from Brakes, Whitco, Debag, the Foodservice Equipment Association, Choice Marketing, Perrywood Garden Centres, Raemoir Garden Centre, Warbeck Garden Centre and others will equip businesses with the tools to make smarter decisions in layout, procurement, sustainability, and even menu insight, making Food @ Glee an essential destination for garden centres evolving their food and beverage offer.
Celebrating excellence
Finally, Glee has long recognised and celebrated creativity and innovation, and this year will be no different. The Glee New Product Awards return as a major highlight, spotlighting the most exciting product launches and giving buyers a direct line to the next big thing. New for 2025, GTN's Greatest Food & Drink Garden Centre Team Awards joins the line-up, recognising the teams behind the UK's most successful catering offers. Categories will celebrate excellence in everything from afternoon tea to traybakes to customer service, shining a spotlight on the F&B teams helping redefine the garden centre experience. To find out more about Glee's thriving seminar programme, be sure to visit www.gleebirmingham.com/seminars
