EFSA creates two connected worlds at Spoga Gafa 2026
At Spoga Gafa 2026, EFSA presents a concept that combines clarity, hospitality, and experience. Rather than a single stand, EFSA creates two distinct but connected areas, each serving a clear purpose within the visitor journey. Together, they demonstrate how the garden retail sector can communicate the value of plants and green spaces in a more meaningful and impactful way.
The EFSA cafe: a fixed point on the trade fair floor
The first area is the EFSA cafe. A familiar and reliable meeting place that offers visitors certainty and orientation. Here, EFSA provides hospitality, information about its members and insight into ongoing activities. The EFSA cafe is deliberately designed as an accessible and recognisable space. It is a dependable place to relax, network and for conversation, for exchange and guidance within the busy environment of the fair. As such, it functions as a stable anchor point within the overall Efsa area.
The Concept Store: experiencing the value of green
Adjacent to the cafe, EFSA introduces the Concept Store, which has been developed together with EFSA member and trusted partner lookINsight, known for its work on retail concepts and spatial storytelling within the garden and green sector.
In the Concept Store, visitors are invited to experience the value of plants and greenery through a carefully structured, multi-sensory journey. Rather than focusing on products, the Concept Store focuses on perception and impact.
The journey consists of three connected phases:
Phase 1 – A shift in scale and perspective
The experience begins inside a high-end virtual projection cube. Here, visitors enter an immersive environment that changes their point of view. Inspired by the idea of “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids”, the world is experienced from a reduced scale, close to plants, insects and natural systems. Within this digital environment, the setting evolves from hard, urban surfaces such as concrete and stone into increasingly green surroundings. Visitors discover how this transformation influences atmosphere, sound, comfort and biodiversity — not through explanation, but through direct experience.
Phase 2 – From virtual to physical
After leaving the projection cube, visitors move directly into a physical environment. This space contains no screens and no digital replication. Instead, it uses real plants and materials, combined with light, sound and scent, to create a calm and immersive green setting.
Here, the effects experienced digitally become tangible. The space feels cooler, quieter and more balanced. Green is no longer a visual concept, but a physical presence.
Phase 3 – A familiar setting, seen differently
The final phase of the journey leads visitors into a recognisable garden retail environment. Display tables and presentations reflect a classic garden centre setting — familiar and practical. The difference lies in perception. The same plants that previously formed part of a powerful immersive experience are now presented as products. At this point, the decision framework changes. Price becomes less dominant. Instead, visitors are encouraged to consider a broader perspective: this purchase is not only functional, but also contributes positively to living environments and quality of life.
Demonstrating the relevance of the sector
By combining the dependable structure of the EFSA Café with the experiential depth of the Concept Store, EFSA demonstrates how the sector can move beyond traditional product presentation. The concept underlines that plants and green spaces are not additional features, but essential components of healthy, liveable environments. At Spoga Gafa 2026, EFSA does not tell visitors what to buy, it enables them to understand why green matters.
