Global rose and garden event attracts international visitors
A new three-day international garden event kicks off in Adelaide today, coinciding with the World Federation of Rose Societies Convention – an event which draws rose enthusiasts from around the globe and only its second time in Australia.
Last held in Copenhagen in 2018 (and in Australia, in 1988), the 19th WFRS World Rose Convention has brought delegates from more than 25 countries to Adelaide including Japan, USA, UK, France, Belgium, South Africa, Switzerland, China, and Uruguay.
The 8-day convention includes lectures and official dinners, full-day tours to Kangaroo Island and Clare Valley, and experiences including a visit to Cleland Wildlife Park. Organisers report the ‘add-on’ full-day tours are booked out.
A highlight of the convention is the inaugural Adelaide International Rose and Garden Expo, which will transform the Adelaide Convention Centre into an oasis of floral displays featuring more than 10,000 rose blooms.
The Expo also features local and national exhibitors selling plants, gardening tools, and other products, free children’s activities thanks to Nature Play SA, a floral fashion parade on Saturday and Sunday, and a ‘speaker’s corner’ with international and domestic garden experts including world-renowned rose expert, Matthias Meilland, and local gardening icon, Sophie Thomson.
The two events combined are expected to generate $2 million for the South Australian economy.
The City of Adelaide’s Flower Day will run over two days this year to help celebrate the World Rose Convention in Adelaide.
For today and tomorrow, the City of Adelaide – with the help of local florists, floristry students and community groups – has created a dozen temporary floral installations across the CBD and North Adelaide.
It includes a live floral installation at the Adelaide Convention Centre to welcome attendees to the global convention.
The Adelaide International Rose and Garden Expo is open today from 4pm to 9pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 5pm. Tickets are $20, and children under 14 are free.
Minister for Tourism, Zoe Bettison said it was wonderful to host events of global significance in Adelaide.
"It gives another reason for international visitors to book a trip to South Australia and it puts our state on the map," she said.
"The last time Australia hosted the World Rose Convention was in 1988, so to have it in Adelaide this year and have attendees coming from more than 25 countries, is fantastic.
"Combined with the new three-day Adelaide International Rose and Garden Expo, these events entice tourists to explore our city and regions like Clare and Kangaroo Island, and are set to inject $2 million into our state’s visitor economy."
World Federation of Rose Societies President, Henrianne De Briey said Adelaide, South Australia was just ‘the place to be’ to host a World Rose Convention for rose lovers.
"Australia was one of the nine World Federation of Rose Societies founding Member Countries in London in 1968, and it has a lot of leading authorities in the rose world – including one of the most well-known and South Australia’s own, the late David Ruston OAM," she said.
"I was recently in Renmark to officially open the 28th Riverland Rose and Garden Festival, and I could see David’s influence in this festival and how he remains so loved by everyone who met him.
"More than 300 rose lovers have come from all around the world to attend the World Rose Convention in Adelaide and are using the visit to also see the many beautiful rose gardens, splendid wine regions and iconic places across the state, such as Kangaroo Island and Cleland Wildlife Park.
"I have no doubt that their passion for roses and gardening will be even more obvious when our rose lovers get back home after such an exceptional experience in Adelaide."
World Rose Convention organising committee, Kelvin Trimper AM said it was a delighted to be hosting the 19th WFRS World Rose Convention here in Adelaide.
"The highlight of the convention is the spectacular Adelaide International Rose and Garden Expo, a public exhibition which we expect to attract thousands of people – it is not only a “must-see” for gardeners, but it offers something for everyone, with children’s activities, a comprehensive lecture program, magnificent floral displays, and industry trade booths," he said.
"We thank the Nursery & Garden Industry SA and the South Australian Tourism Commission for their support, and hope that the Expo is an event which will have a permanent place on this state’s garden calendar."
City of Adelaide Acting CEO, Ilia Houridis, said he hoped Flower Day gives locals and visitors an opportunity to explore our city by visiting the stunning installations being created by the talented florists.
"The City of Adelaide has a dedicated team of almost a hundred horticulturalists working around the clock, planting more than 80,000 plants every year to help add a splash of colour to our wonderful city," he said.
"Adelaide is famous for its roses, and we have more than 25,000 roses in our various parks, gardens and squares, so it’s great that we can celebrate Flower Day simultaneously with the World Rose Convention."
Event information: https://southaustralia.com