SALTEX 2021: “We’re ready to go!”

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SALTEX 2021: “We’re ready to go!”: After the government’s recent announcement, it appears that the grounds management industry can finally start looking forward to celebrating SALTEX’s 75th anniversary, which takes place on 3 and 4 November at the NEC, Birmingham.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has revealed the UK’s roadmap out of lockdown, and it is good news for the grounds management industry’s premier show. Most restrictions on events taking place could be lifted by 21 June and some may even be permitted to go ahead with restricted capacities from 17 May.

SALTEX 2021: “We’re ready to go!”

SALTEX 2021: “We’re ready to go!”

“We are very excited about the outlook for the show in November,” said GMA CEO Geoff Webb. “As Boris said, there is indeed light ahead, and with many suffering from ‘Zoom’ and online fatigue, there is more than ever, a real appetite for human interaction.”

The Prime Minister’s announcement certainly seems to have raised spirits in the industry. Since the roadmap was revealed the GMA has reported an influx of new business and enquiries from companies eager to have a presence at SALTEX and several stand upgrades from existing exhibitors.

“It is very encouraging and we’re ready to go,” continued Geoff. “The support from the industry has been overwhelming and I’d like to thank our exhibitors for their patience and for sticking by us as we transferred from 2020 to 2021.

“We are an industry which loathes to stand still, and I think the restrictions have shown that we are missing meeting people; that businesses are keen to see their customers in person again and that they are missing that trade and general conversation. Ultimately, it has amplified the power and the benefits of live events.

“There could be more twists and turns to come and we will remain diligent and prepared. The safety of everyone attending is our main priority, so we will continue to follow the guidance and implement the necessary procedures, if needed in November.”

Spirits are also riding high after the hugely successful #GroundsWeek united every corner of the grounds management industry. The GMA’s campaign was the first-ever celebratory week which highlighted the vital role of grounds staff, volunteers, and the role that the broader turf-care sector plays in making sport possible and keeping green spaces accessible. The #GroundsWeek campaign saw a veritable social media blitz for seven days straight as manufacturers, workers, media and high-profile sports clubs, stadia and sports persons publicly showed their support for the initiative.

The positivity is set to continue over the coming months, as the SALTEX team announces more details about what is in store for the 75th anniversary. From exhibitors, products, speakers, demonstrations, the Innovation of the Year Award, new features, prizes and much, much more.

“We’re putting absolutely everything into the show, and we can’t wait to celebrate this landmark occasion with you all.

“I am sure that SALTEX 2021 will show us at our finest. SALTEX promises to showcase the talent in our industry and the changes and the new directions that we can anticipate,” concluded Geoff.

For more information visit www.gmasaltex.co.uk

To view further industry support and quotes visit – https://www.gmasaltex.co.uk/industry-shows-support-quotes-for-new-saltex-dates/

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BIGGA announces Festival of Turf dates

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BIGGA announces Festival of Turf dates: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association has confirmed that its first Festival of Turf will take place this summer, with a new date intended to provide an improved experience for attendees and exhibitors.

The Festival of Turf is a two-day event that will take place in the predominantly outdoor setting of the Warwickshire Event Centre and will bring together golf greenkeepers, groundsmen and many others for the first time since BTME 2020, over 18 months previously.

BIGGA announces Festival of Turf dates

BIGGA announces Festival of Turf dates

BIGGA had initially announced a June date for the Festival of Turf and was confident event could be hosted with COVID-safety measures in place. But with the Prime Minister recently announcing the Roadmap out of lockdown, BIGGA has explored the opportunity of rescheduling the Festival of Turf for later in the summer, when social distancing restrictions are anticipated to have been removed.

As such, BIGGA is delighted to reveal that the Festival of Turf will now take place on 21 & 22 July 2021.

The Festival of Turf will welcome BIGGA members and others in the turf industry to the 30-acre Warwickshire Event Centre, with a wide range of vendors and trade stalls and entertaining twists that bring to life the ‘festival’ element of the event.

COVID-safety measures will remain in place, such as enhanced cleaning regimes and hand sanitising, plus any other requirements as defined by government guidelines. However, limits on visitor numbers and social distancing measures will no longer be required.

BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton said: “The Roadmap out of lockdown announced by the Prime Minister provided incredibly welcome news for the country and the association’s members, not least because it provided a date for the reopening of golf courses in England and a potential return to normality for us all. It also presented an opportunity for BIGGA to host the Festival of Turf as the spectacular of sports and amenity turf maintenance that we had hoped for when we first announced this event last year.

“We entered into negotiations with the Warwickshire Event Centre and were delighted to come to an arrangement with regards new dates for the Festival of 21 & 22 July. On this date England is anticipated to be at Step 4 of the COVID-19 roadmap, which will see legal limits on social contact removed. Although the published roadmap only serves as a guideline and the timings are subject to change, everyone at BIGGA is excited about the opportunity to provide an improved exhibition experience for our attendees.

“We always intended the Festival of Turf to be an opportunity for BIGGA members and their colleagues in the turf industry to reunite after so long apart and I’m delighted that these new dates will allow even more people to attend what promises to be a fantastic few days of exhibitions and entertainment.”

For more information about the Festival of Turf, head to the BIGGA website.

Keep up to date with the latest announcements and updates on Twitter by using the hashtag #FestivalofTurf

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

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BIGGA unveils new outdoor festival

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BIGGA unveils new outdoor festival: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association has unveiled a brand new outdoor festival and exhibition, taking place in June 2021.

The event, called the Festival of Turf, will bring together the greenkeeping and turf management industry for two days of innovation, exhibition and entertainment.

BIGGA unveils new outdoor festival

BIGGA unveils new outdoor festival

Taking place in the COVID-secure setting of the Warwickshire Event Centre on 8 & 9 June 2021, the Festival of Turf will feature two full exhibition days with a wide range of trade stalls and opportunities to interact with vendors and meet face-to-face with industry peers for the first time since before the coronavirus pandemic took hold.

The Warwickshire Event Centre is located on the outskirts of Leamington Spa, close to Coventry. Centrally-located, the venue enjoys easy access to all transport networks, along with 2,000 free parking spaces.

The Warwickshire Event Centre can accommodate up to 200 exhibitors and is capable of welcoming 3,000 visitors a day through its doors. Set in a 30-acre site with both indoor and outdoor exhibition areas, the venue provides countless opportunities to make the Festival of Turf an innovative and exciting new event for the greenkeeping and amenity turf management industry.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic BIGGA has been in regular conversation with regulators, golf’s governing bodies and central government and there is widespread confidence that a successful event can take place in June 2021. Importantly, there is also a keen desire among commercial partners and industry professionals to provide an event that enables the industry to move forward and begin the process of rebuilding so many key relationships that have been eroded through the distance imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.

BTME, BIGGA’s annual trade exhibition that was due to be held in January 2021, has been cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the Association remains proud that the event’s spiritual home, the Harrogate Convention Centre, continues to be utilised as an NHS Nightingale Hospital.

BIGGA’s world-renowned education programme, Continue to Learn, has moved to an entirely-online format and will be held across two weeks during January 2021. More information can be found on the BIGGA website.

BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton said: “I’m excited that BIGGA is finally able to launch the Festival of Turf to the industry and bring some much-needed hope for a brighter future. The Festival of Turf is a hugely welcome opportunity to reunite our industry, which will have been forcibly separated by the global pandemic for nearly 18 months by the time this event takes place.

“The industry has survived brilliantly despite all the challenges it has faced, due in no small part to the resilience and adaptability of BIGGA members and the network of commercial partners and who have supported us all throughout the pandemic. There has been a clear groundswell of opinion that members, other turf professionals and commercial supporters want the opportunity to celebrate our achievements and put this whole terrible ordeal behind us – and that’s where the Festival of Turf comes in. The event will be an opportunity to reconnect at a time when personal connections have never been more vital.”

For more information about the Festival of Turf, head to the BIGGA website, www.bigga.co.uk

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SALTEX surveys offer encouraging feedback

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SALTEX surveys offer encouraging feedback: The Grounds Management Association (GMA) has revealed its feedback from both the recent visitor and exhibitor surveys that influenced the decision to move SALTEX to November 2021.

Last month the GMA issued two surveys; one to every exhibitor that had signed-up to the 2020 event and one to every visitor – past and present. The aim was to gather industry feedback which could help plan for and shape the future of SALTEX.

SALTEX surveys offer encouraging feedback

SALTEX surveys offer encouraging feedback

When asked which type of show visitors would like to attend, respondents confirmed that, despite the rise in virtual events, nothing can quite replace human interaction as an indoor show proved to be the most popular choice for both 2021 and 2022.

Preferences for 2021

  • Indoor show – 86%
  • Outdoor show – 27%
  • Virtual show -18%

Preferences for 2022

  • Indoor – 91%
  • Outdoor – 33%
  • Virtual – 9%

A key question in the survey asked the best time of year to attend a trade show; November was the first option – followed by October.

  • November – 47%
  • October – 32%
  • February – 30%
  • September – 25%

Despite the pandemic it is clear that there remains an appetite for trade shows. Respondents were asked how confident they were on a scale of 0-10 (0 not likely at all, 10 extremely likely) in attending trade shows in the future. An overwhelming 73% voted 7 or above.

Commenting on the results of the survey, Geoff Webb, CEO of the GMA said: “Crucially, we wanted to listen to the industry and give them an opportunity to shape a show that is totally about them, and their needs. It also hugely supported our motivation to reschedule.

“We felt really encouraged by the research which pointed to a continuing demand for an indoor trade exhibition and it was also promising to see November as the preferred date.

There was a reason that we went from an outdoor Summer show to an indoor show, and I think these survey results underline the fact that SALTEX, in its current format, works for the sector.”

In addition to a core audience of regular visitors, SALTEX continues to attract new first-time visitors. An encouraging 34% visited SALTEX for the first time in 2019 compared to 28% in 2018, 27% in 2017, 26% in 2016 and 23% in 2015.

SALTEX is appealing more to the younger generation in the industry too, which is further supported by the GMA’s wider range of activities. There was an increase of 6% in visitors aged between 16-30 at SALTEX 2019.

Other notable increases have seen a rise in landscapers, local authorities and those working in junior, assistant and deputy positions.

For more information visit www.gmasaltex.co.uk

Follow SALTEX on Twitter @GMA_SALTEX and Facebook – www.facebook.com/GMASALTEX

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SALTEX moves to November 2021

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SALTEX moves to November 2021: Due to mounting pressure from the global Coronavirus pandemic, the Grounds Management Association (GMA) regrettably announces that it has taken the decision to move SALTEX to 3-4 November 2021, from its planned Spring dates (3-4 March 2021).

The GMA has been strategically planning for every eventuality to ensure the exhibition is a bio-secure event, in partnership with the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) and internationally recognised professional events bodies, however ongoing Government restrictions and local and national lockdowns, as well as rising cases of Coronavirus have highlighted the immediate challenges to stage a successful event in March.

SALTEX moves to November 2021

SALTEX moves to November 2021

This decision has factored in recent analysis from both exhibitor and visitor surveys, as well as discussions with relevant parties. Organisers have been closely re-negotiating with the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), returning the exhibition to its original Autumn dateline.

When visitors were asked on date preferences to attend a trade event, November was the first option – followed by October and September. Exhibitors also echoed this, with 64% stating a preference to attend SALTEX in November 2021 due to latest news and restrictions. In addition, latest visitor research showed that an overwhelming majority (80%) stated that attending an indoor trade show was their number one preference.

In more usual circumstances, SALTEX brings over 9,000 visitors across two days with circa 400 brands exhibiting, and visitor attendance at the NEC has significantly grown year-on-year. The next show will be its 75th anniversary marking the longstanding contribution to the grounds sector.

Geoff Webb, CEO at the GMA commented: “As hard as this decision was to make, we knew it was important to act quickly and responsibly so we can begin looking to the future and stage a successful event once restrictions ease again. We have recently seen confidence eroding despite early optimism.

“Our recent surveys have given us excellent insight from both exhibitors and visitors, giving us evidence that reflects current circumstances so we can continue planning an event that best reflects the turf care sector’s requirements.

“The majority of our respondents expressed high confidence levels in attending indoor trade shows and we can see that there is still a huge appetite going forward – we are already looking ahead to what is required for what will be a milestone edition of SALTEX in November 2021.”

Exhibitors have the option to carry over their March 2021 booking to the November show at a preferential rate and retaining their stand location. There is also the added option to secure a 2-year SALTEX loyalty deal for those transferring their booking (for November 2021 and 2022), with improved benefits for GMA Corporate Plus members.

Alternatively, exhibitors due to showcase in March 2021 can apply for a full refund in writing. The GMA’s events team has contacted all exhibitors personally to discuss preferences, as well as payment terms and plans.

Geoff continues: “Despite the circumstances, and a future where Covid will always be present, we are really touched by the number of exhibitors that have expressed that they are on this journey with us and wish to be part of SALTEX at the next possible opportunity. We are determined to help contribute to the growth – and celebrate the sector – albeit at a later date in 2021.”

Luke Perry, Director of SALTEX and Events for the GMA added: “We have worked hard to reflect changing situations. We intend to maintain this regular, frequent communication going forward whilst continuing to analyse how our sector feels about events in general.”

All exhibitors with a confirmed stand have been informed directly and are being urged to contact the sales team at SALTEX@thegma.org.uk for any further queries.

For more information visit www.gmasaltex.co.uk

Follow SALTEX on Twitter @GMA_SALTEX and Facebook – www.facebook.com/GMASALTEX

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