Tag Archive for: Ahead

Record numbers ahead of BTME

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Record numbers ahead of BTME: The BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME) doesn’t kick off until tomorrow (Tuesday 24 January), but the 2023 edition of the influential event has already broken multiple attendance records.

The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) organises and hosts the annual trade show and education conference at the Harrogate Convention Centre in North Yorkshire. BTME 2023 takes place this week (24 to 26 January) and is the first time the event has returned to its regular January timing since prior to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

Record numbers ahead of BTME

Record numbers ahead of BTME

With 24 hours to go until the doors of the convention centre open, BIGGA has reported that 4,930 attendees have pre-registered for BTME, marking a significant increase on previous years. The previous record was set in 2019, when 3,344 visitors pre-registered to attend.

This number includes 900 registrations from exhibitors themselves, who play a vital role in the success of the event.

The number of pre-registrations also does not tell the full story, with visitors able to sign up for the show upon arrival at the Harrogate Convention Centre. In previous years pre-registration has accounted for around 50% of the total attendees and so BIGGA is confident that this year’s event will be among its most successful ever.

Alongside BTME, BIGGA also hosts Continue to Learn and this too has seen incredible numbers. With 1,055 tickets sold, this year’s programme will provide more education hours than ever before across the various education formats, which includes a two-day conference and full and half-day classes. Free-to-attend seminars are also taking place during Tuesday and Wednesday and no pre-registration is required for these.

Continue to Learn brings together speakers from a wide range of disciplines to provide practical learning, management advice and other topics that this year include mindfulness, leadership, personal health and wellbeing.

BIGGA Chief Executive Jim Croxton said: “The BTME pre-registration and Continue to Learn booking numbers are cause for celebration for everyone across the BIGGA community. BTME plays a significant role in setting the agenda for the coming year for the association and our members and we’re delighted that so many people continue to support us in this way.

“It’s clear that for our members and supporters, BTME is the event they enjoy, in the timing and the location that they want, and we’re delighted to be able to offer that to them once again. Where else can you meet the hosts of this year’s Ryder Cup and various other major championships alongside people discussing a sustainable future for the game or providing solutions and opportunities for every golf club in the country?

“BTME is a wonderful event and I’m incredibly excited to discover what this week holds. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the event as we couldn’t do it without you.”

For more information about BTME 2023, visit www.btme.org.uk

Throughout BTME, people are encouraged to discuss the show on social media using the hashtag #BTME2023.

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Get ahead of the game at SALTEX

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Get ahead of the game at SALTEX: Visitor registration is now open, the new website is live and Europe’s largest free sports turf show, SALTEX, is introducing a brand-new look for 2022.

Registering for a free ticket has never been easier thanks to the event’s new website ­– saltex.org.uk. Now in its 76th year, Europe’s largest sports turf, amenities and landscaping trade exhibition will host all sectors of the grounds care industry, with over 400 industry brands standing ready to showcase their latest products and innovations.

Get ahead of the game at SALTEX

Get ahead of the game at SALTEX

Sarah Cunningham, GMA director of commercial and events, SALTEX event organisers, says: “As the biggest event covering the supply and management of products and services that help to create high quality leisure, recreation, and sports surfaces, it’s important that the new website is easy to navigate for visitors and exhibitors. I’m confident that the new site will deliver for both.”

Speaking about the rebrand, Andrea McMahon, GMA director of communications says:

“SALTEX represents innovation and progression. Its where the industry comes together to build networks, knowledge and learn about new innovations. It’s forward-looking and the brand needs to reflect this and we hope the new look strikes the balance of being modern and progressive, whilst retaining an element of simplicity connecting it to the previous look.”

The opening of visitor registration coincides with the launch of the 2022 show’s social media campaign, #aheadofthegame. As attending the show guarantees you’ll be ahead of the game, the tag couldn’t be more apt. SALTEX visitors are being encouraged to use the tag, along with #SALTEX2022 on social posts to share what they learnt at the show that puts them ahead of the game. Likewise exhibitors are being encouraged to use the tag to promote what they will be bringing to the show.

At the event, visitors will hear about latest product innovations and find all the machinery and technology needed to make their jobs easier. It gives access to expertise all in one place that they wouldn’t get anywhere else. Visitors will be surrounded by a broad spectrum of exhibitors offering solutions and providing answers – and there’ll be the opportunity to meet and network with others in the same industry for new ideas and fresh insights.

Sarah continues: “With a proven track record spanning eight decades, the SALTEX 2022 show won’t disappoint. Bringing together the best in the business to tackle the trends and issues affecting those working in the industry, the event will host over 400 industry brands in one place – all lining up the best products on offer for today’s growing needs. And, as always, there will be a comprehensive schedule of speakers across three theatres sharing their knowledge and expertise – with sustainability and environmental pressure at the forefront of the 2022 agenda.”

SALTEX will make sure you #getaheadofthegame so be sure to visit saltex.org.uk and

register for your free ticket. The show takes place at the conveniently central Birmingham NEC on 2-3 November. To discuss the option of buying stand space at the 2022 show, email Sarah Cunningham at scunningham@thegma.org.uk.

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Rugby pitch damaged ahead of charity match

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Rugby pitch damaged ahead of charity match: On the eve of a charity match on the Sportsground, mindless motorists took the opportunity to race around the town’s rugby pitch in the early hours of Friday April 15.

Read the full article from Monmouthshire Beacon here

Rugby pitch damaged ahead of charity match

Rugby pitch damaged ahead of charity match

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Plan ahead with 4turf®

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Plan ahead with 4turf®: While we may be heading towards the traditionally cooler and winter months, the changing climate means that Turf Managers are not only having to consider the immediate pressures – but those likely to lay ahead as spring arrives and new season growth begins.

As spring and summer droughts become more common, and water becomes a more valuable resource, turf managers need to consider ways of maintaining lush green grass all summer long. The solution could well be in the form of DLF’s drought-tolerant 4turf® tetraploid range.

Plan ahead with 4turf®

Plan ahead with 4turf®

Not all droughts are the same. More common in Northern Europe, spring droughts occur when, despite the lack of rain, water remains available in the deeper layers of soil. During a summer drought, even the deeper layers of the profile have run dry and the simultaneous higher temperatures mean the grass above ground has to be able to withstand dehydration. While summer droughts are typical of southern Europe, they are now increasingly being seen further North.

DLF’s 4turf® eases the pressure on turf managers. Rooting fast and deep, tetraploid varieties like Fabian, Double, Tetrastar, Tetragame, Tetramagic, Tetradry, and Tetragreen are more likely to survive a spring drought and are better placed to stay green and playable should a summer drought follow. Years of testing at DLF’s state-of-the-art root-screening facility in Denmark demonstrated how, compared to diploid ryegrasses, 4turf® has quicker root growth and develops a larger root mass in the upper layer of the soil, making it an excellent springtime seed. In summer trials, conducted in France and the Czech Republic, it also remained green when the plants were starved of water above-ground.

It’s ability to withstand drought-like conditions means that 4turf® has a wide range of applications. On golf course fairways, for example, where irrigation is often not an option, overseeding with 4turf® produces a better-quality summer turf. The principles could also be applied to sports facilities, parks and ornamental lawns in public locations, where turf needs to sustain more playing hours, with less time spent on watering or maintenance.

4turf® is available in a number of mixtures from across the Masterline and Johnsons Sports Seed Ranges including J Rye Fairway, J Outfield and J 4Turf – the ideal choice for overseeding programmes on winter sports pitches and racecourses, establishing in temperatures as low as four degrees.

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Jacobsen helps Hamilton Park race ahead

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Jacobsen helps Hamilton Park race ahead: Track Manager, Darren Bissett, says Hamilton Park’s turf will be more than ready for the start of their flat racing season scheduled to begin in May.

“Course maintenance wise, we are on schedule with the first cut of both the track and the lawns due within the next week, assuming conditions prevail,” said Darren.

Jacobsen helps Hamilton Park race ahead

Jacobsen helps Hamilton Park race ahead

Darren joined the team at Hamilton Park from Ayr Racecourse exactly 12 months ago, and his first year in the job could hardly have been more unexpected.
In June 2020, a delayed and shortened fixture list got underway, with eleven race meetings successfully staged behind closed doors by the time the season concluded at the end of September.

One huge positive for 2020 was that local grounds care dealer, Fairways GM, delivered two new Jacobsen mowers – the HR500 Rotary Mower for the track and the TR320 for Hamilton Park’s extensive fine turf areas.

“The machines were ordered by my predecessor after several very positive recommendations. They’ve worked fantastically, and I’m genuinely very impressed at how effective they are. The HR500 has great width at 3.5 metres which allows us to cut the whole track with just five circuits in around 2.5 hours. It makes quick work and leaves a very clean cut. The room that you get in the cab is exceptional; really spacious, so it’s great for the operator. Also, once you are finished, it’s incredibly easy to maintain.

“In March, we will probably only cut the track once a week until it gets a bit warmer and soil temperatures rise, however, come May we’ll have increased that to at least twice a week. Over the summer months cutting increases to three or four times a week as the fertilisation programme takes effect.

“During the racing season, we like to cut the day before a fixture and then again 48 hours afterwards. Height of the cut is set at 6cm for the next month or so, and when racing starts, we’ll allow it to grow a bit longer before cutting it to around 9cm. Changing the height of cut on the decks takes around half an hour, and it’s a case of moving just ten pins, so it’s very straightforward.

“Away from the track, our lawns are a great backdrop for weddings and events as well as racedays, and hopefully, this summer they will see a lot more visitors. Because it’s been a bit milder these past few weeks, the lawns are starting to grow. The TR320 delivers an exceptionally fine, effective cut, and it is so good at striping the lawns and leaving a professional finish – everything is really level. We cut the track and the lawns on the same day, so there will be times when we are cutting lawns four times a week throughout the summer.

“Last year, sadly, we were unable to welcome racegoers and event guests alike, and so we’re working hard to ensure the grounds will be at their spectacular best for when we can open our gates to the public once more.”

Rob Hogarth, Fairways GM’s Area Sales Manager, said: “The HR500 can cut all day long. Robust and smooth, it has built in consistency delivered via a feature called Automated Assist Drive, so no matter the conditions, the finish remains clean and sharp. The big cab that Darren likes gives the operator a superior view of what’s going on out-front; controls are positioned exactly where they are required, so you can also be extremely precise. The TR320 is good in tight spaces and challenging terrain. It’s a wizard at stripes, so it is great at keeping locations pristine and interesting, a nice touch for important wedding photography.”

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Scatter seeds for a brighter year ahead

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Scatter seeds for a brighter year ahead: Spring is traditionally seen as a time for renewal, growth, and new life, with warmer days urging us outdoors to enjoy nature. This year we have even more to look forward to, with reunions on the horizon and things returning to a semblance of normality.

With these brighter days and positive thoughts of the year ahead, now is a great time to get outside and scatter some wildflower seeds to ensure that 2021 and beyond is full of life and colour.

Scatter seeds for a brighter year ahead

Scatter seeds for a brighter year ahead

Wildflower specialist, Seedball, has developed a unique way in which to protect scattered seeds until they are ready to look after themselves, creating a mini ecosystem and giving them nutrition as they germinate and grow. The balls are made from a combination of British wildflower seeds, clay to protect from predators such as birds and ants, peat-free compost to provide nutrition, and a little bit of chilli powder to deter slugs and snails. Simply throw the balls onto soil or compost in a garden bed or planter in Spring or Autumn and wait. The seed ball has everything it needs to grow and, once the ball becomes moist and the temperature is right, the seeds will germinate! What could be easier?

While Seedball is famed for its compact tins of seeds that are ideal for gifting, the company also produces larger grab bags, each containing 100 seed balls, make it easy for everyone to create a wildflower patch in their own garden, and what could be a greater symbol of positivity and optimism than that? The range includes bags of curated seed collections, such as the Bee Mix and the Shade Mix, to help people create wildflower havens with ease.

New for 2021 is a collection of Single Flower Grab Bags, each of which contain 50 seed balls of a single variety, allowing even more flexibility for people to design their own outdoor spaces according to individual preferences. The 24 varieties include quintessentially British species such as cowslips, cornflowers, yarrow and camomile.

People will even be able to create their own delicate, blue carpet of bluebells with the Bluebell Grab Bag – provided they are willing to wait for them to flower, which can take up to five years after germination. These native flowers are more than worth the wait, though, and are one of Britain’s most precious and iconic plants. The variety available in the grab bags is the Hyacinthoides non-scripta, with a distinctive scent that is highly attractive to bees.

A simple scattering of seed balls today will result in a brighter, wilder tomorrow!

To find out more about Seedball visit https://seedball.co.uk/

You can also find Seedball on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

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Full steam ahead

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Full steam ahead: Iseki UK was launched in 2017 into a rocky economic environment but with exactly the right man steering the ship. Two years on David Withers has proven his worth as a “Captain” and the company, now based in Ipswich, is making steady progress. 

“We are up on last year which is pretty good,” said David, in answer to the most obvious of opening questions – “How are you doing?”

Full steam ahead

“We are going to sell more this year and make less money and the reason for that has been the collapse in the value of the pound.

That’s even more of a problem for a company which brings in all of its goods from Germany and France – 80% Germany and 20% France,” revealed David, who returned to the UK following his time in the States as President and CEO of Jacobsen.

“The economy is not in great shape and causing a lot of uncertainty but the biggest single impact for us is that exchange rate.”

To highlight the point he added that the pound had devalued by 13% in the previous two months and that Iseki had recently been forced to increase its own prices by 3% to 5%.

“We are going to see inflationary pressures coming in and I don’t think that the economy is going to be strong enough for wages to keep up with inflation.”

Like so many other companies Iseki were prepared for the original Brexit timetable of March 31 and had brought in sufficient parts stock to ensure no issues over that period.

“Then it didn’t happen so, having had a good quarter one, when we were doing a lot to prepare, there was a hangover in quarter two and from April things never really got going.

Now we have prepared again and we are once more full of inventory,” said David, speaking a few weeks before the more recent October 31 Brexit date.

The company has secured additional warehouse space, through a relationship with one of the transport companies on the Ipswich Europark with which they share a postcode to cope over the period.

Any issue of delays at ports is not of huge concern to David, given the nature of the Iseki business.

“If our deliveries take an extra week to get through, it will be irritating but it’s not life-threatening,” was his pragmatic view.

As to the wider issue of ensuring the Iseki brand is available the length and breadth of the country the company is making real progress in bolstering its dealer network.

“What has really worked for us is that we have clarified in our minds what our distribution strategy should be. We find that for many of our dealers we are either the simplest and easiest product a dealer sells – because they also deal with combine harvesters or 500 horsepower tractors and forestry harvesters – and we are the lowest value product they sell.

“Conversely, for other dealers, we are at the upper end of their portfolio. They might be selling products like Mountfield, Honda and Stiga, but don’t have a diesel product other than ours. In these cases we are the most complicated product they sell.”

Many dealers, often classic garden dealers, have been asked if they would like to have a diesel offering in their portfolio.

“We are up to about 16 new dealers but we still have some gaps and we have space for another 30 or so.”

Having spent most of his more recent life at the top end of business life – prior to his time at Jacobsen he was Managing Director of Ransomes Jacobsen, based just down the road from his new home on that Ipswich Europark – he is enjoying building a new business from the beginning.

“I enjoy the closeness with the market, the customers and our staff whereas before there were layers between me and the other people.

That’s fun. But there are plusses and minuses. I find booking my own travel intensely irritating, as I’d never had to do that before,” he said with a smile.

Another area of potential expansion for the company may come on the back of that new dealer network.

“I look forward to the business growing and having more resource and ability to do things. For example one of the things you might see us doing over the next 12 months is bolt on additional products to our range.

“We have had a lot of people asking us if we could distribute for them. I didn’t want to do that to begin with as It was important to get Iseki moving, but now that we have all the infrastructure in place and our polices and procedures are in order we will look at it.

“It would be products of similar standard and reliability and that which are complementary to our own products.”

All forward thinking moves and proving once again that, when the seas become rough and the waves are high, having a capable Captain is so important.

New Wembley Pitch Ahead Of Euros

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New Wembley Pitch Ahead Of Euros: The pitch at Wembley will be removed and completely replaced during next winter for the first time since 2010 in readiness for the 2020 European Championships, according to a report in The Times on 7 April.

The present Desso pitch was installed in June 2010 with an estimated life expectancy of ten years. Although selected areas of the pitch are relaid regularly throughout the season, the work planned for winter months involve the installation of a completely new hybrid pitch as Wembley is due to host seven matches of Euro 2020, including two semi-finals and the final.

New Wembley Pitch Ahead Of Euros

With the stadium due to host Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift concerts this summer, the pitch installation is scheduled to take place over two weeks in November after a UEFA Nations League group game against Croatia.

The first match to be played on the new surface is likely to be the 2019 League Cup Final.

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Bright Future Ahead After SALTEX College Cup

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Bright Future Ahead After SALTEX College Cup: The SALTEX College Cup returned to the NEC once again at this year’s event and highlighted just how well young grounds staff are academically prepared for careers in the industry.

The SALTEX College Cup, sponsored by Ransomes, is a national student-led sports-turf challenge. It is an academic test of turf management knowledge for student competitors who are enrolled at colleges throughout the UK on relevant courses of study.

Bright Future Ahead After SALTEX College Cup

Askham Bryan College, Bridgwater & Taunton College, Myerscough College and, last year’s winners, the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) Greenmount Campus competed for a chance to have its name engraved on the trophy in support of their respective turf programmes.

In teams of four, the colleges embarked on the two-hour competition consisting of paper-based multiple choice and short answer questions on turf management, plus a case study which required a more in-depth written answer. The students were also presented with live test samples in which they had to identify potential threats to the health of turf.

CAFRE, from Northern Ireland, claimed the top prize for the second year running although Askham Bryan were only one point behind in what was a closely fought competition between all of the colleges. CAFRE was awarded the trophy, a £500 cheque for the college’s turf department, and each student received a £50 Amazon voucher. The team was also presented with a prize that money can’t buy – the chance to get involved with pitch preparation at the 6 Nations, Scotland vs England, at BT Murrayfield Stadium.

Results were announced on the first day of SALTEX and CAFRE’s senior tutor, Paul Campbell, revealed his delight at picking up the trophy for a second successive year.

“A combination of excitement and disbelief ensued among the squad as they emulated the achievement of 2016 – particularly for team captain and rugby fan Michael Dundee as he realised he was on his way to BT Murrayfield – and he didn’t need a ticket!

Paul continued: “CAFRE staff and students fully support the concept of the SALTEX College Cup – it provides a forum for showcasing and acknowledging the skills of young people making a career in the industry and allows college staff to benchmark how their programmes are performing against other specialist colleges in the UK. The excellent organisation of the event, the generous sponsorship and the once-in-a-lifetime experience afforded to the winners will mean healthy competition for next year`s team and guarantees CAFRE will return to defend the title in 2018.”

Commenting on the sponsorship of the 2017 SALTEX College Cup, Ransomes senior director Alan Prickett said: “The SALTEX College Cup was another success this year, and we were delighted to have sponsored it for the second year running. Ransomes has a commitment to educating the next generation of groundscare professionals, and we aim to support this in a variety of different ways, including sponsoring the SALTEX College Cup competition. CAFRE, based in Northern Ireland were deserved winners again this year.

Congratulations to CAFRE and we look forward to seeing if the college can retain its title for a third time next year!”

For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com

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Williamwood Get Ahead With Terra Spike GXi8 HD

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Williamwood Get Ahead With Terra Spike GXi8 HD: For several seasons Williamwood Golf Club had their sites set on a Wiedenmann Terra Spike GXi8 HD deep aerator. This autumn, a well subscribed winter membership initiative finally made it a reality for the Scottish course.

“Increased demand for winter play heightened the need to keep the course open,” said Course Manager, Gerry Bruen. “The Wiedenmann is our tool of choice to make that happen.”

Williamwood Get Ahead With Terra Spike GXi8 HD

The James Braid designed parkland course is nestled in the outskirts of south Glasgow.  Gerry Bruen and his team of five greenkeepers cope valiantly with above average rainfall to deliver a consistently high standard of surface.

“Everything about the GXi8 HD confirms how aerators have moved on. Set up takes minutes and not a morning. The depth and heave settings are tool free and can be set in seconds.  You just adjust them to suit the conditions on the day. The machine has several shock absorption systems so there’s no shock transfer to the operator or tractor. Basically it’s just getting the gearing and speed right and off you go.

“We’re out and back within the weather windows. Last year to do one of the wider fairways took a full day and a half.  Now it’s done thoroughly in less than one. Crucially our members are benefiting with less disruption.

“After nine weeks we’re almost two full months ahead of where we would be normally with prep for next season. We haven’t allocated extra time. Aeration for us has become an altogether smarter operation.

The 1.8 metre wide is Wiedenmann’s most popular Terra Spike, the access–all-areas status giving it the versatility to take tees, greens and fairways in its stride.

“Everywhere is scheduled for at least two passes before spring but key areas are earmarked for more. Never before could I have contemplated some of the fairways receiving three visits. In the coming months we will hollow core a few select spots to open the surface even further.”

Alan Jack, Area Sales Manager (West) for Fairways GM, Wiedenmann UK’s dealer in Scotland said:

“Gerry knew exactly what he wanted. The GXi8 HD had his name on it from the start so our involvement has been to help him and his team become familiar and use the machine to best effect. His team is powering through so next season he’ll really be able to see a difference especially to his fairways.”

For more information, visit: www.wiedenmann.co.uk

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