GroundsFest Expands to Accommodate Growing Exhibitor Demand

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GroundsFest Expands to Accommodate Growing Exhibitor Demand: GroundsFest 2024 is gearing up for its second year with remarkable growth and expansion.

With an impressive 90% rebook rate from 2023 exhibitors and many new first-time exhibitors, it’s clear that GroundsFest has become a must-attend event for industry professionals. The increased demand has led to significant expansion to accommodate the growing number of exhibitors and attendees.

GroundsFest Expands to Accommodate Growing Exhibitor Demand

GroundsFest Expands to Accommodate Growing Exhibitor Demand

The Outdoor Grand Ring, which now incorporates additional space, is completely sold out and only one spot remains available in Outdoor Areas A and B. Ring B, which is now the first accessible area upon visitors’ entry to the show, has undergone significant expansion to accommodate the increasing demand from exhibitors. Inside, there are only four stands remaining in Hall 1.

This growth is further evidenced by the increase in the number of exhibitors, with 212 already signed up compared to 171 in 2023. What’s more, over 70 new companies have committed to joining GroundsFest 2024, making it the largest event of its kind in the UK.

Christopher Bassett, Event Director of GroundsFest, expressed his excitement about the event’s growth, stating, “It’s truly remarkable to see GroundsFest expanding at such a rapid pace in just its second year. The overwhelming response from exhibitors speaks volumes about the value and impact of the event within the industry. We’re committed to providing a platform that not only meets but exceeds the expectations of our exhibitors and visitors.”

GroundsFest 2024 is shaping up to be the highlight of the year. Behind the scenes, the team is working tirelessly to introduce even more hands-on interactive features that have never been seen at a trade show. From innovative hands-on demonstrations to educational seminars and live music, GroundsFest offers a unique and immersive experience that sets it apart from traditional trade shows.

As GroundsFest continues to grow and evolve, it remains dedicated to providing a platform where industry professionals can connect, learn, and see the latest innovations. With its rapid expansion and commitment to innovation, GroundsFest is leading the way in shaping the future of trade shows.

GroundsFest is also committed to investing in the future of the grounds management industry through the GroundsFest Education Fund. The Education Fund offers students financial support for essential items such as course materials, tools, and even driving lessons. Additionally, students can take advantage of accredited training courses covering a range of subjects vital to the industry’s operations.

For more information, please visit www.groundsfest.com

You can also follow GroundsFest on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @GroundsFest for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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SALTEX 2024: Uniting the Industry

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SALTEX 2024: Uniting the Industry: The Grounds Management Association (GMA) proudly announces the return of SALTEX – the Sports Amenities Landscaping Trade Exhibition for its 78th edition, under the theme of “Uniting the Industry, Powering Progress.” This year’s event is set to take place from 30th to 31st October at the NEC Birmingham, marking another milestone in the grounds care industry. 

SALTEX 2024 will bring together industry-leading grounds professionals, volunteers, and exhibitors from across the globe, showcasing the latest innovations, trends, and practices in grounds management, landscaping, and environmental sustainability.

SALTEX 2024: Uniting the Industry

SALTEX 2024: Uniting the Industry

This year’s theme is all about powering the industry; how SALTEX enables the industry to continually progress by bringing together people from all around the world and helping drive innovation, education, and networking. The show will feature the industry’s biggest brands across three halls, and attract thousands of visitors, reinforcing its status as the premier grounds management exhibition for sharing knowledge and driving industry growth.

“Each year, SALTEX plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of grounds care,” said Geoff Webb, CEO of the GMA. “This year, we are focusing on uniting the industry and powering progress by providing a platform for professionals to connect, learn, and advance their skills.”

This year’s highly anticipated show will include a comprehensive programme including SALTEX’s renowned Learning LIVE schedule, where visitors can hear from the industry’s leading experts, as well as grounds care professionals from the country’s top sports grounds, covering industry hot topics. There will also be opportunities to speak with grassroots pitch advisors from the GMA and representatives from the National-Governing Bodies to receive technical advice as well as guidance on accessing much-needed funding and ways to upskill through the Grounds Management Framework. All this is in addition to the unrivalled opportunities to network, earn CPD points and speak to experts offering career advice.

Sarah Cunningham, Director of Commercial and Events at the GMA added, “Last year, over 7,900 visitors and over 400 brands attended SALTEX, with many more expected to attend this year.

“The feedback from last year’s exhibitors highlighted how SALTEX provides the platform for meeting high quality business leads as well as giving the opportunity of networking and entertaining with existing customers.”

Visitors can register their interest in attending SALTEX here: https://www.saltex.org.uk/register-interest-saltex-2024

Exhibitors wishing to secure their place at Europe’s premier sports turf, amenities, and landscaping trade exhibition can contact saltexsales@thegma.org.uk.

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KYMCO UK appoints new Senior Area Manager

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KYMCO UK appoints new Senior Area Manager: KYMCO UK has announced the appointment of Damian Butterworth, Senior Area Manager to cover Northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland from 7th May 2024.

In his new role, Butterworth will be covering all products from the KYMCO range, including motorcycles and scooters, ATVs and mobility scooters and powerchair products.

KYMCO UK appoints new Senior Area Manager

KYMCO UK appoints new Senior Area Manager

Ideally placed to cover the important northern region for KYMCO UK, due to being based in Leeds, Butterworth brings extensive experience, due to previously held roles in the ATV and Marine sector for manufacturers such as Honda UK.

Butterworth commented: “I aim to bring a wealth of experience that will support and guide the KYMCO dealer network and ensure a quality support programme is in place for our growth plans for the future across all our business sectors.”

Butterworth began his career in the automotive industry over 35 years ago, starting out as an apprentice mechanic and rising through dealership ranks to management level which included training and business development roles.

Neil Keeble, National Sales and Marketing Manager, added:

“I am excited to have Damian join the KYMCO UK sales team, who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience – and is a further example of our continued drive to fully establish ourselves in the UK ATV and 2-wheel marketplace to emulate our brand position in the mobility sector where we are a renowned market leader.

“Having worked alongside Damian for many years, I am confident his appointment will be a huge benefit to not just our dealer network, but to KYMCO UK also as we continue our long-term growth plans.”

Damian Butterworth, can be contacted directly via email on dbutterworth@kymcouk.co.uk or via telephone on 07803 000017.

Now in its 60th year, KYMCO, an abbreviation of Kwang Yang Motor Company, was founded in Taiwan originally as an overseas producer of Honda motorcycles for thirty years. In 1992, KYMCO began producing its own models under its own brand, by 2003 had acquired back Honda’s business interest and today markets its brand globally with motorcycles, ATVs and mobility scooters. For more information please visit www.kymco.co.uk

For specific media enquiries, please contact Neil Keeble: nkeeble@kymcouk.co.uk

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Laser Grader takes services to the next level

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Laser Grader takes services to the next level: There’s no denying that with more than 20 years of greenkeeping experience under his belt, James Camfield is well placed to deliver on the consultancy services offered by Golf Course Management Services Ltd.

Now, with a Redexim Laser Grader on his fleet, he’s got the right tool at his disposal to deliver the practical precision and first-class finish demanded for fine turf renovations and beyond as this Hertfordshire based outfit look excitedly to the future.

Laser Grader takes services to the next level

Laser Grader takes services to the next level

Offering an alternative to traditional consultancy, James Camfield established Golf Course Management Services Ltd in January 2021 to provide guidance and hands-on support at each or every stage of a maintenance, renovation or construction project. While it’s still relatively early days, James has already built a highly-experienced team of three and has undertaken projects for a number of prestigious golf courses including Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club – where the drainage and renovation of two tee boxes triggered the purchase of a Laser Grader 1500 from Redexim.

James explains, “I am proud to work collaboratively and in a way that is efficient and cost effective for the customer. This means our clients will often procure the materials and machinery for larger projects but there’s some tasks that require something specific if we’re going to achieve that perfect end result. Levelling tees is one of those examples, where a string line and rake will only get you so far… I had experienced the Laser Grader, I knew Redexim was a quality brand and had no doubt this would be the perfect solution. I have not been disappointed!”

As the name suggests, the Redexim Laser-Grader 1500 utilises a laser receiver to accurately control working depths and grades to produce a perfectly level finish for the next stage of any turfing project. The 1.5m working width of the Laser Grader is ideal for use on tees and other fine turf surfaces and is available with an integrated engine or without an engine – the model James opted for, enabling the team to draw power from their Kubota compact tractor for optimal power to weight ratio.

“We had fantastic support from Paul Thomas and Paul Langford at Redexim, alongside David Fisher at George Browns Ltd at every stage of the purchase and combined gave us the confidence to invest. We’ve been so impressed by it; the build quality is fantastic and it’s straight forward to set-up and use.” He continues, “We started off working on a couple of trial plots – graded with a 1% fall, then got the spirit level out and it was absolutely spot on!”

“It’s accurate, it’s efficient and importantly it’s versatile. Alongside golf courses, we’re also getting enquiries for work on cricket wickets and tennis courts which I believe is testament to the results we’ve already delivered with the Laser Grader and leaves us excited about the new doors this machine can open for us.”

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Garden spend ending up in the ditch due to flooding

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Garden spend ending up in the ditch due to flooding: British people are wasting £2.9 million on their gardens, thanks to a low understanding of their flood risk, according to new data published today by Flood Re, the joint initiative between the UK government and the insurance industry.   

Despite the cost-of-living crisis, Brits spent £17.6 billion on their gardens last year – an average of £402 per UK adult – but a low awareness of their flood risk means they’re currently wasting £2.9M on their gardens, which are being battered by heavy rain and surface water flooding.

Garden spend ending up in the ditch due to flooding

Garden spend ending up in the ditch due to flooding

In total, 5.4 million (1 in 8) UK adults with gardens have experienced the devastating impact of flooding on their green spaces.

With February 2024 being the wettest on record for over 250 years and 1 in 4 homes in the UK at risk of floodingi, this National Gardening Week Flood Re wants people to start getting smart about their garden spending.

High Risk, Low Awareness 

The data also reveals only 5% of people living in high-risk areas could correctly identify their flood risk. Worryingly, 68% of people in high-risk flood areas think their flood risk is low. This low awareness of flood risk means green fingered Brits are at risk of investing time and money in their gardens that could be washed way.

The research shows Brits are not taking the crucial steps they need to protect their homes and gardens. Indeed, 90% of homeowners, rising to 93% in high and mid flood risk areas, haven’t taken any steps to make their homes and gardens more flood resilient. Despite the extreme weather conditions, this doesn’t look to be changing, with only 9% of homeowners planning to add flood resilience measures to their homes and gardens in the next year.

Furthermore, almost half (46%) of people in high and mid flood risk areas said flood risk had “no impact at all” on where they have chosen to live.

Flood Devastation 

The picture couldn’t be more different for those who have experienced flooding in their home and garden, with 62% claiming risk of flooding has since impacted where they choose to live.  With 41% of those who have experienced flooding considering implementing flood resilience modifications (compared to only 4% of Brits who haven’t experienced flooding), Flood Re is on hand to offer easy, cost-effective ways to smartly invest in your garden as a flood prevention tool.

Gardens are an important and cost-effective first line of defence to flooding. Properly managed, domestic gardens can channel, absorb and store large quantities of water, which means the risk to buildings and property is mitigated. The risk of localised and downstream flooding is reduced too.

From Roots to Resilience 

Choosing a variety of plants such as willow, water mint and astilbe can help ensure your garden can thrive in varying water conditions and withstand the challenges posed by climate change, from drought to inundation.

Similarly, slowing the flow of water into your garden will significantly reduce local flooding risks by diverting rainwater away from infrastructure, easing the burden on drainage systems and avoiding costly upgrades down the line.

To demonstrate how to harness your garden’s natural flood resilience, Flood Re are teaming up with leading garden designer Dr Ed Barsley and Naomi Slade and, to unveil the Flood Resilient Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May. The garden has been carefully designed to show how people can protect their gardens and homes against extreme weather and learn how to increase their flood resilience from the ground up.

Build Back Better

In the event of a flood, Flood Re’s Build Back Better scheme allows eligible customers with specific home insurers to receive up to £10,000 as part of a claim.

The amount is meant for home and garden improvements that go beyond basic repairs, focusing on enhancing the property’s resilience against future floods.

Andy Bord, Chief Executive Officer, Flood Re said: “The research clearly shows there is a job to be done to educate people about their flood risk. Gardens are cherished spaces that bring joy to so many of us, so why wouldn’t we want to not only protect them from harm but actively harness their power to prevent them from future damage? Your garden can be both beautiful and resilient to extreme wet weather. We’re hopeful this research and the Flood Resilient Garden will help people think about their flood risk and consider the plants and garden features that will both endure a flood and help reduce destruction and distress to their home when a flood hits.”

Dr. Ed Barsley, Environmental Design Expert said: “The research clearly shows that the majority of people aren’t aware that their garden or home is at flood risk of flooding until it’s too late. However, what’s positive to note is that there are a variety of practical and cost-effective measures that gardener owners can take to save themselves emotional and financial stress further down the line.”

Nikki Stocks, 63 from Lancashire said: “In the chaos of the flooding, I felt overwhelmed, unsure of how to safeguard my home and happiness due to financial restrictions. It’s affected my mental health because now I’m always anxious when it rains and how bad it could get for my home”.

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