Invitation
We are pleased to invite you to this year's Home Garden Conference in Angers, France from 17-18 September 2026!
Situated in the heart of the Loire Valley, often referred to as the “Garden of France”, the Angers region is defined by strong horticultural heritage and a dense network of industry players.
Among them is longstanding member Voltz, with whom we look forward to welcoming you to the area. Site visits will include Terra Botanica and La Ferme de Sainte Marthe, alongside valuable opportunities to connect with industry peers.
À bientôt à Angers !
Thursday 17.09.
Conference kick-off with industry presentations | 09.00
The conference kicks off at the Novotel Lac de Maine in Angers which will also be accomodating conference guests (please see hotel info below). The programme begins at 09.00 with a welcome from hosts Fleuroselect and Voltz, including an update on the Business Unit Home Gardening.
Following up are three presentations from the companies we will be visiting later that day. Voltz CEO Hugo Bony and Sales Manager Solène Voltz will lay out their company structure, current activities and development from local to global player in horticulture.
The third presentation of the morning will be a company overview of La Ferme de Sainte Marthe, held by Associate Director Dominique Velé.
La Ferme de Sainte Marthe | 11.30
Widely known for its focus on organic seeds, La Ferme de Sainte Marthe is strongly associated with biodiversity preservation in home gardening, promoting traditional and regional plant varieties alongside practical edible gardening solutions. It reflects the growing interest in low-input cultivation and sustainable home food production in France.
A guided tour will take us through the biological seed and young plant production. Lunch is foreseen at the farm, with the opportunity for individual exploration of the grounds and seed shop.
Voltz | 15:00
As a major European supplier of seeds, young plants and propagation material for ornamental and vegetable crops, Voltz' relevance in the region reflects the Loire Valley’s broader strength as a hub for plant innovation. While their seed production operates at global scale, the Angers' headquarters are reknown for Voltz' research and development of new varieties and newer home gardening segments such as urban and vertical farming.
During guided tours, delegates will get the chance to discover Voltz' facilities, as well as their extensive gardens where thousands of varieties are being grown every year. There will be time for further individual exploration after the tours.
Networking evening at Voltz | 18:00
A networking evening will be rounding up the day, allowing to carry-on the conversations in a more laidback setting. Networking drinks will begin at 18.00, followed by dinner at 19.00 and a return by bus to the hotel at 21.00.
Friday 18.09.
What's new in home gardening? | Morning of industry presentations
Friday morning will be dedicated to a series of presentations and discussions centred around current industry developments.
We begin with a presentation from our host Terra Botanica, Europe's first theme park dedicated entirely to horticulture and a cornerstone of the green industry in the Anjou region with strong educational value.
Speaker: Terra Botanica
Next up is Excellence Végétale, a wide network of French ornamental plant professionals, focusing on quality assurance, certification and sector promotion. Their plant quality labels are highly relevant for home gardeners seeking clarity and reliability at the point of sale.
Speakers: Michel Nicou, Chairman, and Sylvie Robert, Secretary General, Association "Excellence Végétale"
The Collectif de la Fleur Française brings together breeders and growers committed to promoting locally produced flowers, with a strong emphasis on seasonality and traceability. As the interest in plant origin and sustainability is growing within the home gardening sector, they play an important role in reconnecting consumers with locally grown flowers and plants.
Speakers: Hélène Taquet, co-founder and chairwoman, Collectif de la Fleur Française & Emma Dulimbert, production support coordinator
Introducing themselves as new Fleuroselect member in 2026, SonnenSaat will present their business to the group. As a seed distributor with a clear focus on distinctive varieties, often with an organic orientation, the company is set to join the Fleuroselect family to explore further commercial possibilities (member vote scheduled during Annual General Meeting in July).
Speaker: Anja Gring, Owner
Longstanding Fleuroselect member Van Hemert Seeds will walk us through the rich history of the company, as they celebrate their 150-year anniversary. The milestone offers an opportunity to reflect on the company’s heritage, current activities and award winners but also look ahead into the future.
Speaker: Rob van der Voort, Owner
Terra Botanica Guided Tours | 11.30
Terra Botanica is a theme park dedicated entirely to horticulture, combining botanical collections with immersive educational experiences. It reflects the region’s positioning of horticulture not only as an industry, but also as a cultural and educational asset. The park’s gardeners will guide us through Terra Botanica and share their expertise on what it takes to maintain and operate such a large and diverse botanical collection for a broad public.
The conference ends at 14.00 with a networking lunch served on-site. For those wanting to indulge further in the green depths of the park, there is the possibility to further explore the parc on an individual basis in the afternoon.
Hotel & Prices
Novotel Lac de Maine, Angers
Just minutes from central Angers, the Novotel Lac de Maine offers a well-suited setting for our Home Garden Conference. The hotel features vast modular meeting spaces, as well as an own restaurant with a terrace. On-site parking and electrical chargers are available.
Room price: 179 € / night, breakfast included
Room booking: Please indicate your room reservation on the conference registration form. Hotel confirmation and costs will be added to our invoice.
Conference price and registration
Price for members: 295,00 €
Price for non-members: 590,00 €
Travel advice
By plane
The closest major airport is Nantes Atlantique Airport, located about 100 km from Angers. The most convenient option is to continue by train, with direct connections from Gare de Nantes to Angers Saint-Laud Station taking approx. 35–45 mins. For travellers from abroad without a convenient connection to Nantes, a recommendable option is to fly to Paris Charles de Gaulle, followed by a TGV high-speed train to Angers (1,5 - 2 hrs).
By train
TGV direct train connections are available from Paris and Brussels. From the train station, Novotel Angers Lac de Maine is only 10 mins away by taxi or 15 mins by bus, which is stopping in front of the hotel at the bus station Grand Maine.
By car
For attendees travelling by car, the hotel is easily accessible by major roads, including the A11 highway leading southwest-wards from Paris. Free on-site parking is available.
Programme
Thursday 17th September
| 09:00 | Welcome & update Business Unit |
| 9:15 | Company presentation Voltz Speaker: Hugo Bony, CEO |
| 9:30 | Voltz, from local to global player Speaker: Solène Voltz, Sales Manager |
| 10:00 | Company presentation La Ferme de Sainte Marthe Speaker: Dominique Velé, Associate Director |
| 10:30 | Coffee break |
| 11:00 | Departure by bus to La Ferme de Sainte Marthe |
| 11:30 | Arrival & welcome at La Ferme de Sainte Marthe |
| 11:45 | Guided tour biological seed & young plant production |
| 12:15 | Lunch |
| 13:30 | Individual time at La Ferme de Sainte Marthe |
| 14:45 | Departure to Voltz by bus |
| 15:00 | Arrival & welcome at Voltz |
| 15:15 | Start guided tours |
| 18:00 | Drinks |
| 19:00 | Dinner |
| 21:00 | Bus returns to hotel |
Friday 18th September
| 8:30 | Departure by bus to Terra Botanica |
| 8:50 | Arrival & welcome at Terra Botanica |
| 9:15 | Company presentation Terra Botanica |
| 9:30 | Presentation "Label Rouge", an official quality mark to grow customer confidence Speakers: Michel Nicou, Chairman & Sylvie Robert, Secretary General |
| 10:00 | Presentation Collectif de la fleur française | the rebirth of cutflower production in France Speaker: Hélène Taquet, Co-founder and Chairwoman & Emma Dulimbert, Production Support Coordinator |
| 10:30 | Coffee break |
| 10:50 | Company presentation SonnenSaat Seeds – new Fleuroselect member in 2026 Speaker: Anja Gring, Owner |
| 11:10 | Company presentation 150 years Van Hemert Seeds Speaker: Rob van der Voort, Owner |
| 11:30 | Guided Terra Botanica parc tour with gardeners |
| 13:00 | Lunch |
| 14:00 | End of conference |
| Optional | Individual afternoon visit to Terra Botanica |