Day of the Tulip Floral Show goes digital

January 22 is the day that would normally be the Day of the Tulip, the first flower show to kick off the season. Unfortunately, this is not possible due to the COVID-19 measures, but the organization has been creative and has come up with a digital alternative.

With the start of the lockdown, it soon became clear that a physical event would not get off the ground, but what to do with the inserted tulips? These had already been prepared and grown off anyway, so why not set up an exhibition?

For this reason it was decided to make a 3D show of the flowers on display through Matterport. A Matterport camera makes 360 degree images, making it possible to view and zoom in the tulip from every side. Submitters also ensured that information available for each tulip was added, so that a digital visit is almost the same as a physical visit. The show can be viewed here.

The technology has been used in house sales for some time, in times of COVID-19 homebuyers can still "walk" through the house via Funda. The fact that the technique is now also used for flower shows is unique; this year is the first experiment with this. Another important advantage is that the show can be watched 365 days a year.