The Brussels plant festival
- visitors
- 4,600
- exhibitors
- 48
- press mentions
- 16
- months of preparation
- 4
- Event
- Les Jardins de l’HippoDrohme
- My role
- Press relations, art direction and visual identity, social media, exhibitor relations, on-site coordination
- When, where
- 26–27 September 2026, Hippodrome de Boitsfort
·Constraint
Drawing a crowd without buying attention
A first edition starts from zero: no audience, no reputation, and a format many people already know from elsewhere in Europe. We had to give people who had never heard of the event a reason to come. The ad budget ran to three figures; buying visibility was not an option.
·Decision
Press over ads
I built a complete press kit so journalists had everything to hand without having to chase us. Then I pitched each outlet an angle tailored to its audience, rather than sending everyone the same press release. The result: several radio and print features before the event, then local TV on site.
À Bruxelles, une nouvelle fête des plantes veut reconnecter les citadins à la nature
RTBF
1 000 m² de jardinage : la toute première foire aux plantes débarque à Bruxelles
So Soir
La première grande fête des plantes débarque à Bruxelles ce week-end... et c’est gratuit !
Le Bonbon
Les Jardins de l’HippoDrohme, 1ère édition
BX1
La Fête des plantes à l’hypodrome de boisfort 26 et 27-09
BXFM
Plantes rares, conseils et découvertes : ce nouveau rendez-vous bruxellois arrive juste à temps pour ceux qui veulent verdir leur intérieur
Bruxelles Secrète
La première grande fête des plantes de Bruxelles
Bruxelles Today
·Brand identity
An identity against the grain
Plant festivals usually share the same look: a calm mood, soft colours, garden codes. For our first edition, we needed to be spotted at a glance. I created a bright, energetic identity that carried through to the event itself.
·Team
Came in to help, left as co-organiser
Marie launched and led the project. I joined her to run social media. Over the weeks, I took on the press, the visual identity and exhibitor relations, then on-site coordination over the weekend. By the end, the two of us were running the event together.
“I’ve done plenty of markets, but this one will stay the best!”
“It had been a long time since we took part in such a well-organised event!”
“Thank you Marie and Flora for such perfect organisation.”
·What’s next
Oyas and DROHME asked me to come back for the second edition, in 2027.
