The British Rose Growers Association has been renamed the HTA British Roses Group. The re-branding comes after a recent meeting at Warwick HRI, where senior industry figures agreed to refocus in order to respond to an evolving market place.
The group and the changes planned will enable them to continue to make a significant contribution to the development and promotion of the rose industry and its products, according to the organisation.
“An analysis of current members shows that the majority operate small to medium sized retail/mail order nurseries with a handful of large businesses supplying roses wholesale to the retail market, ” the HTA’s Tim Briercliffe explained. “These two types of members have distinctly different needs and expectations of a trade association and the progression of the HTA British Roses Group will reflect that.”
The desire to promote the rose to the British public to increase sales is an area that all members have in common. This promotion will target both keen rose enthusiasts as well as the ‘marginal’ gardener with very little knowledge.
To demonstrate the support of the HTA British Roses Group in implementing promotional activity, its contribution to Roses UK (jointly funded with the British Association of Rose Breeders BARB) has increased from £7,500 to £15,000 during 2007. This will be used to maintain the promotion of the rose at Hampton Court and Gardeners World Live, for the ongoing development of Rose Locator, and to generate PR material to increase media coverage of the rose aimed at the ‘marginal’ gardener.
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