SALTEX the flagship event

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SALTEX the industry’s flagship event: Findings from the SALTEX 2019 post-show survey have revealed that attendees are continuing to embrace SALTEX as the groundscare industry’s flagship event.

From 30 to 31 October a record-breaking 9,104 visitors streamed into the NEC, Birmingham to explore the latest trends and products in groundscare.

SALTEX the industry’s flagship event

The growth in visitor numbers at SALTEX 2019 was supported by a large proportion of first-time attendees. An encouraging 34 per cent visited SALTEX for the first time this year compared to 28 per cent in 2018, 27 per cent in 2017, 26 per cent in 2016 and 23 per cent in 2015.

The busy atmosphere in the exhibition halls was fantastic and a massive 93 per cent of survey respondents rated their overall show experience as being either very good or excellent.

SALTEX visitors came from far and wide as the show continues to attract a growing international audience. This year’s show saw attendees from 49 overseas markets, topping the previous record of 45 countries which was set at SALTEX 2016.

International visitor Frederico Galardini, who maintains the pitches at Federale di Coverciano – the central training ground and technical headquarters of the Italian Football Federation, visited the show to gain UK groundscare expertise.

“I think, no matter where you are in the world, it is important that you come to SALTEX because British groundscare is regarded as the best. In Italy the pitches are not at the same level as the pitches in the UK, but we are slowly getting there and this is why a trip to SALTEX can only be beneficial in helping us to improve,” he said.

The post-show survey also confirmed the high calibre of visitors, most of whom came from groundscare contracting companies, local authorities, dealerships, schools and universities, and sports clubs.

The buying power of SALTEX attendees was also high, with 36 per cent of survey respondents confirming that the purchasing responsibility was solely theirs, while 43 per cent contribute to the buying process and 32 per cent have the authority to sign-off on purchases up to £50,000.

Many exhibitors agree that SALTEX 2019 was the most financially beneficial yet and the 40 per cent of survey respondents that said they made purchases on the show floor is perhaps testament to this.

The Leicester City FC grounds team were certainly on the hunt for new equipment at SALTEX according to Callum Allsop, head groundsman at the club’s training ground. “We will be spending a lot of money on a new fleet of equipment over the next year. So being able to look at equipment options at SALTEX and having the opportunity to speak to all of the distributors in one place is ideal.”

The post-show survey findings also revealed top priorities for attending with 68 per cent saying they visited SALTEX to source new products/services/suppliers; 66 per cent attended out of general interest; 44 per cent wanted to see the latest industry innovations; 39 per cent attended to network with other like-minded individuals and 35 per cent to witness machinery demonstrations.

Andy Miller, head groundsman for Northampton Saints, says: “I always plan ahead on what I want to do and who I want to see at SALTEX, but plans often change when I’m on the show floor. I may bump into someone, get talking and gain new ideas.”

Product innovations were a big pull this year, and 87 per cent of attendees rated the mix of products on display as excellent. The show also offered visitors the opportunity to see a number of these products in action through Eco Village demonstrations and this new feature did not disappoint with 78 per cent of survey respondents also rating the Eco Village as excellent.

Products and innovations aside, SALTEX attendees also made use of the training, advice and educational opportunities. The 57 free-to-attend, CPD-accredited seminars in the Learning LIVE programme proved popular with 84 per cent of survey respondents claiming the education offering was either very good or excellent; 83 per cent made the most of the Ask the Expert feature and 77 per cent said the Pathology and Soil Science LIVE was also an excellent feature.

SALTEX will be celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2020 and will take place at the NEC, Birmingham on 4 and 5 November and 95 per cent of SALTEX 2019 visitors concluded the survey by indicating that they will be returning.

James Wright, grounds & gardens team leader at the University of Leeds, believes that the success of SALTEX indicates a bright future for the industry. “This year was the best SALTEX I have experienced to date and its popularity proves that we are in a great place to take the industry we are all so passionate about into the next decade and beyond.”

For more information please visit www.iogsaltex.com

Follow SALTEX on Twitter @IOG_SALTEX and Facebook – www.facebook.com/IOGSALTEX

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Dennis & SISIS off to STMA

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Dennis & SISIS off to STMA: Dennis and SISIS are heading to West Palm Beach, Florida on January 13-16, to exhibit at the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) Conference & Exhibition.

The British manufacturers have exhibited at the show for a number of years, which takes place in various states across America yearly and have on each occasion reported huge success.

Dennis & SISIS off to STMA

For the 2020 show, visitors to the stand (booth 131) can expect a fabulous insight into the array of world-class turf maintenance products manufactured by the British innovators.

Products appearing on the stand will include:

Syn Pro SVR 1500 – for synthetic turf

The SVR 1500 deep turf cleaner is a tractor mounted system that removes not only large debris from the infill but also finer dust particles before returning the ‘cleaned’ infill back to the surface.

Designed for use on either sand or rubber filled surfaces, the SVR 1500 is ideal for deep cleaning and aiding de-compaction. Operators will notice that this process allows water to permeate through, which can help to reduce bacteria, algae and moss and minimize the risk of player injury.

SISIS Javelin Aer-Aid 1500 – for aeration

This popular machine injects air directly into the root zone speeding up the aeration process, moving air uniformly throughout the root zone for complete aeration and not just where the tines have penetrated the surface. Those operating the Javelin Aer-Aid have the flexibility to alternate tines for other operations such as hollow coring prior to top dressing. Other benefits include a fast forward speed for excellent productivity, minimal maintenance and a smooth and quiet operation.

Dennis G860 – for that perfect finish

The G860 cylinder mower features a large diameter front roller with an adjustable scraper which has been designed for a precise height of cut control, giving an excellent finish. Weighing just 166kg, it is light and extremely versatile due to the interchangeable cassette system. With a simple one-minute changeover, users have the option of fitting thirteen different types of heads including scarifiers, verticutters, brushes, spikers, slitters and cutting cylinders

Dennis ES-860 – environmentally friendly

This 34” battery powered turf management system delivers maximum versatility and the range of thirteen interchangeable cassette options provide a solution to many day-to-day maintenance tasks such as cutting, scarifying, brush, slitting and aeration.

A robust keypad screen is an integral feature of the handlebar console providing the operator with a multitude of information options including speed, clip rate, service checks, lifetime running reports and battery information.

Dennis PRO 34R – for debris collection

The Dennis PRO 34R is a 34” (860mm) rotary mower which has been designed to help groundsmen achieve an aesthetically pleasing appearance and desired playing surface. It is ideal for sports pitches and lawns producing the enviable ‘Dennis Stripes’ while a powerful vacuum flow collects debris quickly and efficiently

The angle of the cutting deck and twin blades can be easily adjusted using a single ‘click adjuster’ ensuring the mower is suitable for changing conditions and meeting groundsmen’s requirements

A number of experienced turf experts from Dennis and SISIS will be on hand at the exhibition to speak in more detail about the products.

Further information about the range of maintenance products available can be found by visiting www.dennisuk.com / www.sisis.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter & Instagram @DennisMowers and SISIS @SISISMachinery. You can like the Facebook page –www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK and www.facebook.com/SISISMachinery. You can also view the latest Dennis videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers and www.youtube.com/SISISMachinery

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Reesink brings the future to BTME

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Reesink brings the future to BTME: Reesink Turfcare is launching Toro’s most eagerly anticipated technology, the most advanced on the market, at BTME.

The all-new all-electric Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 ride-on mower with the industry’s first lithium-ion battery powered unit will be on stand 420, in the purple Zone.

Reesink brings the future to BTME

It’s the quietest ride-on greensmower and incorporates features that will revolutionise the market says Toro, and Toro’s innovation could not be more evident in this machine, even if you didn’t focus on its all-electric credentials for a moment, with a ream of patented or patent-pending features bringing a host of benefits and solutions for greenkeepers.

Toro’s ‘radius dependent speed system’ delivers an optimal perimeter cut by monitoring each individual cylinder and traction wheel speed during turns and that, in conjunction with the ‘lift-in-turn’ cutting unit levelling feature, standardises the clip rate of each individual cylinder and virtually eliminates the effect know as ‘Triplex-Ring’. The double A-Arm suspension system, with industry-leading Flex technology, means the cutting units float freely and closely over any terrain and deliver superior contour-following, while the ‘lift-gate footrest’ and ‘tool-free quick change’ cutting units simplify service and maintenance.

But back to that all-important all-electric point. Lower emissions and fuel savings, yet ample power to get the job done, the eTriFlex 3370, which will be joined on stand by its hybrid counterpart the eTriFlex 3360, means customers can respond to business demands for increased revenue by cutting earlier and therefore delivering earlier tee times to customers.

Not only that but responding to environmental concerns is a subject spanning the industries, and there simply has to be the choice for businesses to buy electric whether that be a car or a fine turf mower. No more damaging hydraulic leaks, no more emissions, no more pollution, the eTriFlex 3370 delivers the future to the fine turf sector.

The eTriFlex 3370 is not the only new machine Reesink is launching at BTME. Welcoming to the UK, the latest model in the Greensmaster 1000 series, the GR1026. Like the other models in the range, including the GR1021 which launched at BTME last year and will also be at the 2020 show, the GR1026 brings consistency to fixed-head pedestrian greens mowing. With the industry’s first telescoping handle, each machine in the range can accommodate operators of different heights and skill levels and now with the GR1026 can deliver the widest cut yet at 26 inches.

Representing Toro’s irrigation range will be the ever-popular Lynx Central Control system, with Infinity 35 sprinklers with Smart Access, FLEX 35, T5, T7 and 590G sprinklers with precision rotating nozzles, all from Toro. The Lynx Smart Module and Smart Hub which provide the flexibility of a satellite controller with the cost savings of a two-wire system and launched at the show last year will also be back.

For those managing ponds and lakes and needing to optimise oxygen levels to keep water healthy, there will be Otterbine’s best-selling Fractional five-in-one aerator and the Concept 3 aerating fountain.

Reesink will again have two stands with 211 in the Red Zone South being entirely dedicated to TYM’s range of compact turf tractors and 1st Products, the specialist range of tractor-mounted aeration equipment.

Rochelle Bedford, marketing manager at Reesink, says: “BTME is the perfect launch platform for these two new cutting-edge Toro machines. We look forward to welcoming everyone to the stand, where our specialist machinery team will be on hand to give help and advice about all our products.”

See all this – and more – on stand 420 in the Purple Zone.

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Headland to launch new Turfite

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Headland to launch new Turfite: Headland Amenity will be launching an updated and improved formulation of their popular Turfite product at BTME 2020.

Visitors to Stand 272 in the Red Zone can hear how Turfite Elite is already showing excellent results in the company’s leading ‘20-20-30’ non-pesticidal tank mix, in the fight to minimise incidences of turf disease.

Headland to launch new Turfite

New Turfite Elite is based on potassium phosphite and Salicylic acid – a known systemic acquired resistance (SAR) elicitor which provides a clear disease suppression pathway, by triggering the SAR mechanism. By stimulating stronger root development, it has demonstrated in trials to contribute to a stronger grass plant that is less susceptible to stress-related disease. As well as ’20-20-30’, Turfite Elite is also fully compatible with a number of other Headland products including Seamac Ultra Plus and TeMag Elite. It is available in 10 and 100 litre containers, and cost and rates of use are exactly the same as the previous Turfite formulation.

As leaders in integrated disease management, Headland have been trialling effective non-pesticidal products with the STRI since 2007. These products and combinations have been refined over this period and now provide established results in the field. The company will use Harrogate as a platform to launch two new biostimulant, seaweed-based products, together with a new non-pesticidal disease management concept.

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200 Years of Johnsons Sports Seed

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200 Years of Johnsons Sports Seed: BTME in Harrogate signals the start of a year of celebrations for the Johnsons Sports Seed team, as 2020 marks the company’s 200th anniversary in the seed industry.

To commemorate, visitors to stand 214 in the Red Zone will have a chance to win big in a special ‘200 Years’ competition. It will also be the launch platform for the new ProNitro® Seed Coating from DLF, and a number of updated Johnsons Sports Seed formulations ready for the new season.

200 Years of Johnsons Sports Seed

ProNitro® seed technology was launched to much acclaim in 2016 and has proven itself to achieve a stronger germination and faster establishment, without the need to apply pre-seed fertilisers – saving both time and money. The coating now features DLF’s hydroactive water management technology which promotes sustainable water and nutrient availability through significantly improving the water distribution in the surrounding soil. Enhanced moisture availability during the early stages of plant growth gives each developing seedling the optimum conditions for strong root development and healthy, vigorous growth.

The new ProNitro® coating is available on a selection of mixtures across the Johnsons Sports Seed range, including J Premier Pitch and J Tee. Ideal for hard wearing, shaded golf tees & pathways, the 2020 formulation of J Tee now includes the new strong creeping red fescue Laverda. Laverda is the new number one rated fine fescue cultivar, that delivers unbeatable summer colour and shoot density. For golf, Laverda also features in the updated J Rye Fairway and J Premier Fairway mixtures.

For those turf managers with a focus on improving long-term sustainability, the brand-new J 4Turf 100 mixture will be of particular interest. A 100% tetraploid ryegrass mixture, J 4Turf 100 is ideal for the rapid renovation of worn sports turf areas. The increased chlorophyll density and greater root mass of DLF’s 4Turf ryegrasses optimise water and fertiliser inputs resulting in good looking turf, that’s cheaper to maintain and better for the environment.

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