Auctioneer’s column: From autumn colours to encounters at the Trade Fair Aalsmeer

Last week was a busy one for auctioneer Luus Hooyman. Early in the morning starting with the auction at clock A02, then straight onto the trade fair. Long days or not, Luus thrives on it: ‘It really felt like a celebration to be working among all that.’ In this column, she takes you behind the scenes: from pricing to meetings during the Trade Fair Aalsmeer.

Last week started surprisingly well. Prices were solid, especially for the final purchases ahead of 1 November (All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day). White dominated those sales. Later, attention shifted to warm autumn colours, which fortunately held up well in terms of pricing. Supply on the clock was still lower than usual, due to weather conditions and reduced transport of imported products.

The clock during the fair

During fair week, finding the right price as an auctioneer is always a challenge. From experience, I know this week is often tricky for traders. You really have to put in the effort because ideally, you want similar pricing as much as possible across the entire auction group. I started with broader auctioning and adjusted later. It’s all about listening carefully to the market and reacting quickly. Thankfully, the first auction day went well. Autumn colours performed strongly. It looks like we’ll close the week with reasonable prices.

Trade Fair Aalsmeer: a meeting place

What a celebration! The fair was the perfect moment for the sector to reconnect. Growers, agents, buyers, breeders, customers. Everyone from the industry was there. Growers use the fair to showcase new varieties, packaging, and ideas. It’s a joy to see what the sector can achieve! For us as auctioneers, it’s also a perfect moment to speak to a lot of growers and buyers in a short time. It makes it a bit easier to share some personal advice with them. Some growers and agents, along with their customers, even visited the studios before the fair to watch the auction process. That’s also a great opportunity to offer additional insights. The atmosphere on the exhibition floor was vibrant: conversations everywhere, new plans, and renewed relationships.

Stronger together in a dynamic market

The trade fair week was intense but inspiring. The sector once again showed its strengths: quality, innovation, and collaboration. Despite the challenges, the industry remains flexible and creative and that’s something to be proud of. That’s why it’s so important to keep meeting in person, especially in times of change and digitalisation. The trade fair truly remains the perfect opportunity for that. I certainly enjoyed every moment.