The Floriade is a World Horticulture Fair. World Fairs are major international exhibitions that have taken place in various countries since 1851. They give nations the opportunity to sketch out a picture of their economic, social, cultural and technical development. A building or a work of art is often left behind, such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Atomium in Brussels. The Floriade has normally been held in the Netherlands every ten years since 1960. The first was in Rotterdam. Then followed Amsterdam (1972 and 1982), The Hague and Zoetermeer (1992) and Haalemmermeer (2002). It’s the Venlo region’s turn in 2012. Floriade 2012, the first outside the “Randstad” region, will leave GreenPark behind it for the Venlo region, an innovative and distinctive greenfield business park.