GreenTech Americas 2024 reports record-breaking attendance

The fourth annual GreenTech Americas controlled agriculture event attracted a total of 5,867 professionals, including exhibitors, a nearly 12% increase from the previous year's event.

Hosted at the Querétaro Congress Center from March 12-14, the event featured 220 exhibiting companies from 20 countries, including Canada, the United States, Chile, Colombia, Spain, France, India, Turkey, Germany, Belgium, Italy, New Zealand, Greece, the Netherlands and Mexico.

This year's event saw 32 Dutch breeders, as well as the introduction of the ornamental industry as part of GreenTech Americas. Two flower sculptures, donated by nine ornamental companies and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, marked the entrances of the expo floor.

Innovations aimed at enhancing crop productivity ranged from greenhouse structures and climate control systems to precise irrigation technologies and advanced substrates, demonstrating a collective commitment to sustainable agriculture practices.

The accompanying conference program attracted 11% more professionals compared to last year, with attendees gathering to explore issues on water scarcity, sustainability, pest control, agriculture 4.0 and human talent development. The program included a keynote session with Stijn Weijns from Agro Care Rilland, who shared insights on strategies for managing ToBRFV and addressing challenges related to virus management.

Another highlight of the event was Wednesday's "Power Day," with the theme "Human skills make the difference" and led by industry experts including Peter Klapwijk (2Harvest), Stijn Weijns (Agro Care Rilland) and table moderators Felix Tarrats (Ceickor), Hugo Escoto (Alternativa Agrícola Sustentable), Oscar Woltman (Phoenix) and Bernardo Carranza (UTEQ).

The Power Day focused on the pivotal role of human skills in driving agricultural innovation and sustainability. The discussions emphasized the need for collaboration between academia and industry to reshape education programs and nurture talent within the sector.

“We need a high development of research and innovation in the agricultural sector to benefit from the displacement phenomenon," Carranze said. "We have to worry about how we can be more competitive and add value.”

Eighty percent of the exhibitors have already secured their stands for the 2025 event.

GreenTech Americas, organized by RAI Amsterdam in partnership with Informa Markets, serves as a pivotal meeting point for stakeholders from Mexico, the region Americas and beyond.

GreenTech Americas is part of the GreenTech portfolio and focuses on Mexico as well as the rest of the Americas. The goal is to meet the specific needs of growers, breeders and suppliers. The fifth annual event is March 25-27, 2025. For more information, visit greentech.nl/americas.

GreenTech Amsterdam will be held June 11-13, 2024. The exhibition is a global meeting place for all horticultural technology professionals, with a focus on the early stages of the horticultural chain and the current issues growers face. GreenTech is supported by AVAG, the industry association for the greenhouse technology sector in the Netherlands. For more information, visit greentech.nl.