The core of RVBIGS gains strength

This year’s Riffa Views Bahrain International Garden Show (RVBIGS’09) has again attracted a wide range of global exhibitors, with confirmed international participants from Europe, the Far East, Africa and the Gulf region. This continuing international recognition and exposure is part of the long-term strategy adopted by the BIGS Organizing Committee, the Bahrain Exhibition & Convention Authority (BECA) and title sponsors, Riffa Views, to further establish BIGS on the international exhibition calendar.

As title sponsor of RVBIGS for the last three years and in keeping with its commitment to continually raise the profile of the Garden Show, each year Riffa Views has been introducing a wide range of new initiatives to augment the interest of an ever increasing number of visitors to the Show.

Following the success of last year’s Riffa Views Showcase of Local Arts and Crafts, Riffa Views will once again provide a platform at RVBIGS for an important area of Bahrain’s community, the agricultural sector. The Riffa Views Farmers’ Market will bring to life a traditional Bahraini farmers’ market and enable the local farmers and producers to display their produce, create an awareness of the importance of their contribution to Bahrain both historically and in the present-day and tempt the show’s visitors to experience ‘home-grown’ products at their best.

“In selecting the area of local agricultural expertise to showcase this year, we believe that we are not only paying a fitting tribute to a major part of Bahrain’s heritage but we are also showcasing a fascinating element of the island’s working community” commented Riffa Views’ CEO, Richard Browning.

Once again, the Riffa Views Eden Challenge environmental competition has proved a great success with the schools of Bahrain and RVBIGS’09 will see the four winning entries built up and displayed harmoniously on the Riffa Views Eden Challenge Exhibits Stand. In keeping with the overall theme of this year’s Garden Show – ‘water for life’ – and the competition’s underlying aims, the Eden Challenge Exhibits Stand will consist of a refinement of the “water conscious garden” of the Khawla Secondary Girls School, which won the secondary schools’ category of the competition.

A water sculpture in a water pond made of acrylic; a water mosaic that incorporates clay delmon seals produced by the pupils of Um Al Qoora Primary Intermediate Girls School and a water-mobile that recycles water through a hydroponic garden; these are winning Eden Challenge projects that, together with the use of turf grass instead of real grass, demonstrate that a garden can be green and incorporate different kinds of water features without the need to use real water; and even when real water is used, there are efficient ways to use that water to support a garden.

Visitors to the Eden Challenge Exhibits Stand will be able to experience the enthusiasm and excitement of the school children from the four winning schools as they will be on hand throughout the three days of the Show to provide further information about their projects.

For the second consecutive year, Chris Beardshaw, Riffa Views Ambassador, will attend RVBIGS as both Ambassador to the Show and Chairman of the Riffa Views Eden Challenge adjudicating panel. Along with Shaikha Maram bint Isa Al-Khalifa, Director of the RVBIGS Organising Committee, Chris will judge the “Eden Challenge Overall Winner” which will be announced on the Eden Challenge Exhibits Stand at 12 mid-day on Saturday, April 18th. This announcement will be followed by the unveiling of the “Overall RVBIGS09 Winning Stand” for which the winning exhibitor will receive a monetary prize to recognize its efforts to continue and enhance the international quality of the Show’s exhibits.

Chris Beardshaw has developed a great affinity for what he regards as an internationally important garden show, “……. I feel privileged to have an involvement with the Riffa Views Bahrain International Garden Show, a unique exhibition and demonstration of the most focused and relevant individuals and businesses in this field of expertise.”

As Riffa Views gets set for the final year of the development’s title sponsorship of BIGS, Richard Browning believes that the various initiatives brought to the Show by Riffa Views have contributed to “….strengthening the core of the Show, which is now strong enough to stand by its own. These initiatives have helped the Show grow in stature over the last three years to become a sustainable international event. We are looking forward to others building on this legacy in the future to ensure that it continues to grow, allowing the Bahrain International Garden Show to rank up next to the best of the international shows.”

The Riffa Views Bahrain International Garden Show 2009 will be held from April 17 to 19 under the gracious patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, King of Bahrain and under the support of Her Highness Shaikha Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, wife of the King of Bahrain.

Riffa Views to showcase Farmers at RVBIGS 2009

Riffa Views announced that following the success of last year’s Riffa Views Showcase of Local Arts and Crafts, another area of Bahrain’s community will be highlighted at the upcoming 2009 Riffa Views Bahrain International Garden Show (RVBIGS 09) – the local farmers. Riffa Views will bring to life a traditional Bahraini Farmers’ Market, with the aim of offering local farmers a platform to display their produce and create an awareness of the importance of their contribution to Bahrain, both historically and in the present-day.

The Riffa Views Farmers’ Market will allow the local farmers to demonstrate their longstanding trade and skills. Consisting of a display of all kinds of local seasonal produce from the fields and trees of Bahrain, the Riffa Views Farmers’ Market will provide a unique opportunity for this vital sector of the kingdom’s life to be exposed to a large audience. The Riffa Views Farmers’ Market will allow the show’s visitors to experience ‘home-grown’ products at their best – the farmers’ fruit and vegetables as well as local specialities including honey, Bahraini bread and date syrup.

Richard Browning, CEO of Riffa Views, commented: “We want to leave a legacy in Bahrain, a positive footprint in the shape of a sustainable and valuable contribution to the kingdom and its development. For this year’s RVBIGS, we have selected the area of local agricultural expertise as we believe the local farmers’ community occupies a significant place in the country’s heritage.”

“Our Farmer’s Market will not only include the farmers but also a wide range of other members of the local community, all displaying their very traditional skills and products alongside the farmers.”

The Riffa Views Farmers’ Market will be a central attraction by way of its location in the main hallway of the Bahrain Convention and Exhibition Centre; thereby allowing visitors to experience the feel of a traditional Bahraini Farmers’ Market as they enter the Garden Show. Local produce including tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkin, dahl, coriander, amongst other vegetables and fruits, will be on display at the Riffa Views Farmers’ Market.

A traditional coffee shop will allow visitors to enjoy not only Arab coffee and tea, but roqaq bread along with dairy products locally produced such as yogurt, milk, laban and labnah. The Riffa Views Farmers’ Market will also exhibit locally grown grass and an array of native flowers.

Visitors to the RVBIGS will be able to enjoy the full atmosphere of a traditional Bahraini market as the trades and products on display will not only include the farmers but also a beekeeper, who will show off his local honey production, and the product from a local date syrup producer – so for anyone with a sweet tooth, this will be the place to be. Other elements will be found in the traditional market display such as basket and carpet weavers, alongside a roqaq-bread maker. Together they will provide a great insight into the crucial place these old established trades and professions hold in Bahrain’s history and an understanding of how they continue to play a major role in the Bahrain of today.

The Riffa Views Farmers’ Market will bring alive a real sense of the old style Bahrain trading place, full of a wonderful combination of vibrant colours and aromas, offering something for everyone. It provides a real opportunity for the local producers to show off the quality and range of their local produce that they so caringly grow and harvest and for the visiting public to appreciate the important part they play in the community.

The Riffa Views Bahrain International Garden Show 2009 will be held from April 17 to 19 under the gracious patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, King of Bahrain and under the support of Her Highness Shaikha Sabeka bint Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, wife of the King of Bahrain.

2008 Garden Show, Simply the Best!

Wide Praise for its International Quality

It was announced today that the three-day gardening extravaganza, the Riffa Views Bahrain International Garden Show (RVBIGS) 2008, attracted a record number of visitors this year with well over 10,000 local, regional and international visitors coming through. Visitors were attracted by the extensive variety and caliber of exhibits as international exhibitors reached 50% of the total for the first time ever. Many foreign visitors commented on the true international quality of the show.

The show culminated with Riffa Views’ award of $10,000 to the most outstanding RVBIGS stand: “Public Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources, Environment & Wildlife.” The prize was presented by Shaikha Maram bint Isa bin Ahmad Al-Khalifa, Director of BIGS, Richard Browning, CEO of Riffa Views and Chris Beardshaw, Riffa Views’ Garden Ambassador.

“We selected the Public Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources, Environment & Wildlife stand since we considered it portrayed the essence of the Garden Show and the natural environment of Bahrain”, mentioned Mr. Beardshaw.

Such was the quality and creativity of the stands that four additional exhibitors were recognized as Highly Commendable:

• Royal Court
• Ministry of Municipalities
• Ministry of Education
• Riffa Views’ stands: The Riffa Views Eden Challenge Exhibits; The Riffa Views Showcase of
  Local Arts and Crafts; and The Bahrain International Golf Company stand.

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