Student greenkeeper awards postponed

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Student greenkeeper awards postponed: Following consultation between awards organisers BIGGA and sponsors Toro and Reesink UK, the 2020 edition of the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards has been postponed.

Applications for the prestigious awards had opened in March, but the escalation of the coronavirus pandemic means that it is no longer safe or practical for the contest to take place.

Student greenkeeper awards postponed

Student greenkeeper awards postponed

Barry Beckett, senior marketing manager at The Toro Company, said: “It is with the greatest regret that the 2020 competition is postponed. We know how disappointing this will be for those who have already entered or were planning on entering this year. However, our number one priority is the health and wellbeing of all those involved in the awards and with the uncertainty we currently face, we cannot proceed with the event.”

BIGGA, Toro and Reesink UK express their apologies to all those who have already entered, but with the competition deadline for entries fast approaching, a firm decision had to be made.

David Cole, managing director at Reesink UK, said: “These are unprecedented times and while we very much hope the situation in the UK will have improved drastically by the time the regional interviews were scheduled to take place, we have to react according to the Government’s advice that stands now, restricting all unnecessary travel and contact.

“For 31 years the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards have supported the brightest upcoming professionals in the UK’s greenkeeping industry. While this is a blow for everyone involved, as with so many events being postponed and cancelled, it is the right thing to do and means the 32nd Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards will be even more valued.”

All those who have entered the 2020 competition will automatically be put forward for the 2021 awards. Nominees who are 21 and have their birthday before the next application stage can choose whether they would like to stay in the Young Student Greenkeeper category or move up to the main award.

Jim Croxton, chief executive of BIGGA, added: “Obviously, this is disappointing news for the competitors. However, the decision is absolutely appropriate in these unprecedented times and the safety of our members is always at the forefront of our thoughts. The Toro Student and Young Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards are one of the highlights of the year for the association, allowing our upcoming members the opportunity to showcase their talents.

“BIGGA’s Learning and Development team is available to discuss any questions from those who have applied or were thinking of applying regarding the awards, which we are confident will return for 2021.”

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Planning for a brighter future

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Planning for a brighter future: These are challenging times for us all. First and foremost, everyone at SALTEX hopes that you, your colleagues, businesses, and your families are keeping safe and well. Recognising the challenges in front of us, we wish to assure you that planning for SALTEX 2020 continues to be in full swing.

After recent consultation with our strategic partners we are hopeful that the situation we face today will have passed and that SALTEX will take place on 4 and 5 November. We understand though that this is an evolving situation. Recent exhibitions at the NEC that were scheduled to take place this March and April have already promoted the fact that they have rescheduled for October and November this year. This provides us with added confidence to continue preparations for SALTEX 2020.

Planning for a brighter future

Planning for a brighter future

SALTEX has faced many challenges in its 74-year history and everyone associated with the exhibition – organisers, exhibitors, visitors – the groundscare industry, has always shown resilience. It is this strength and unity that defines this fantastic industry.

We are ever mindful of the government advice and guidance. We live in hope that after this period of darkness, SALTEX and the groundscare industry will be a shining light as we plan for a brighter future and return to better days ahead.

SALTEX 2020 will be a great opportunity for the industry to come together, to re-unite and to look ahead to the future. It is our hope that we can all gather as one and that SALTEX’s 75th anniversary will be the most vibrant and celebrated event in its long history.

In the meantime, we have already taken the necessary measures to ensure that our team can continue the work required to deliver SALTEX this November, while at the same time planning for every eventuality.

Of course, it is necessary to adapt to the uncertainty we are all experiencing, as government advice can change at any time. We are committed to keeping you up to date every step of the way.

Please take care of yourselves and loved ones and remember to offer extra support to those most vulnerable. Try and maintain a positive outlook and we look forward to brighter days ahead – because they will come.

If you have any questions, please email in the first instance:

Matthew Knight – matthewknight@rabdf.co.uk

Charles Neale – charlesneale@rabdf.co.uk

Luke Perry – lperry@iog.org

Geoff Webb
Chief Executive Officer
The Institute of Groundsmanship

For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com

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

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SAGE: Postponed until 2021

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SAGE: Postponed until 2021: The Sports & Grounds Expo will now launch in July 2021!

We have been closely monitoring the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and the related Government guidelines. After careful consideration, and having spoken with many people involved in our event, we have decided to postpone The Sports & Grounds Expo (SAGE) until 2021.

SAGE: Postponed until 2021

SAGE: Postponed until 2021

Given the developing Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, it is with deep regret that we have taken this decision, this has been a difficult decision to make. But the health of our exhibitors, visitors and staff has to be our number one priority and has taken precedence.

There has been a huge positive momentum gained for this exhibition already and we will continue to build on this to make 2021 an even bigger success. We have a preliminary date booked already with the Three Counties Showground, which will be released shortly.

In the meantime, please accept our apologies but these are unprecedented circumstances. Most importantly, we wish to extend our thoughts and best wishes to all those personally affected by the Coronavirus.

We look forward to seeing you all in 2021!

For further information, please contact:

enquiries@sportsandgrounds.co.uk

01684580101

Or visit our website; www.sportsandgrounds.co.uk

We’ll continue to keep you updated with our plans for 2021.

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More indoor demos at SALTEX

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More indoor demos at SALTEX: Due to popular visitor demand, show organisers have revealed that an increased number of indoor demonstrations will be taking place at SALTEX 2020 in a large dedicated arena on the show floor.

At SALTEX 2019 the Eco Village demonstration area offered visitors the opportunity to experience the latest green technology in groundscare and played host to daily demonstrations of cutting-edge sustainable products, which included electric mowers, loaders, brushcutters, hedgecutters, chainsaws and woodchippers.

More indoor demos at SALTEX

More indoor demos at SALTEX

This feature proved to be a huge success and attracted large crowds of onlookers, which gave exhibitors the opportunity to promote their products in more detail. In fact, every exhibitor that participated in the Eco Village reported an increase in footfall to their stand and claimed that it helped them generate a significant amount of sales leads.

At last year’s SALTEX event, Avant UK demonstrated its new electric loader in the Eco Village and John Spencer, national sales manager, felt that it put them directly in the spotlight.

“SALTEX is the UK’s flagship event in the groundscare industry and when the opportunity arose to promote our products within the Eco Village, we jumped at the chance.

“A working area is a great show feature – visitors love live demonstrations. It’s good to see all the machines and equipment on static stands but getting the chance to see them in action is a great opportunity.

“Last year’s Eco Village proved popular with the visitors, as a good size crowd gathered each time we demonstrated. Not only did this gain interest in our electric models, but it also drew the visitors to our main stand to look at all our other diesel and petrol models too.”

More indoor demos at SALTEX

More indoor demos at SALTEX

Allett Mowers used the Eco Village to showcase its walk-behind electric cylinder mower and managing director Austin Jarrett, also felt that it maximised the company’s presence at the show.

“It certainly drove more visitors to our stand. We were busy on both days right up until the end of the show. It helped visitors put us on the tick list in terms of exhibitors they wanted to see on the show floor, and it gave us the opportunity to talk to more people about our products,” he said.

Many exhibitors are already signing up to the new demonstration feature which is set to be more than twice the size of the Eco Village.

Commenting on the enlarged demonstration arena, SALTEX and events director Luke Perry said: “The success of SALTEX is achieved by listening to every single piece of feedback following a show. According to the post-show visitor survey there is a real desire to see more indoor demonstrations on the show floor. Therefore, for SALTEX 2020 we have taken the decision to display more indoor demonstrations and make the experience even better.

“Not only will it be a fantastic attraction for visitors, but it will also be a great opportunity for exhibitors to proudly put their products directly in front of over 9,000 relevant visitors who have the appetite and budget for new equipment.”

SALTEX 2020 will take place at the NEC, Birmingham on 4 and 5 November.

For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com

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

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New Sports and Grounds Exhibition

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New Sports and Grounds Exhibition: The Sports and Grounds Exhibition (SAGE) is the all new summer grounds maintenance exhibition opening 21st – 23rd July 2020.

SAGE has been introduced for the sports and grounds maintenance industry to showcase their market leading products as well as release new innovations in an outdoor environment, which will provide more opportunities to both the visitor and exhibitor. The exhibition falls well in the sports and grounds maintenance calendar, placing it nicely between BTME and SALTEX.

New Sports and Grounds Exhibition

New Sports and Grounds Exhibition

The target of SAGE is to bring together grounds personnel from a broad range of sectors and provide an engaging and well-resourced environment in which they have the opportunity to test out and see in action the latest products and ideas on the market. SAGE has huge potential to grow and develop year on year.

SAGE is a three-day event and has been formed out of the heightening demand by visitors and exhibitors to get “hands-on”. The Three Counties Showground provides the ideal situation for both the exhibitor and visitor alike. It is beautifully set at the foot of the famous Malvern Hills and within easy reach of Malvern and Worcester which both have ample amounts of accommodation. The Three Counties Showground already plays host to the RHS Spring & Autumn shows as well as the famous Three Counties Show.

The sectors who will be exhibiting so far include turf maintenance, machinery, line marking, fertilizers, seed weed control and play grounds, we expect to gain many more over the coming weeks. Keep up to date with all the exhibitor releases by following us on Twitter. For your chance to win a 2 night stay at the renowned Abbey Hotel in Great Malvern for the exhibition dates like our facebook page @exposage2020 and follow us on twitter @EXPOSAGE*.

SAGE is currently working with Lantra to develop onsite training during the exhibition, there will also be the opportunity to attend seminars on a range of key topics; from the sustainability to machine maintenance.

Hospitality will be provided by many of our exhibitors onsite. There are no entrance fees and onsite parking is free of charge. There are plans currently underway to run a shuttle bus between the train station, the centre of Malvern and The Three Counties Showground. The Three Counties is in a central location with good transport links easily providing a national and international reach. We look forward to seeing you in July.

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