Tag Archive for: Seminars

Collier Turf Care seminars back with a bang

/in , /by

Collier Turf Care seminars back with a bang: After a pandemic-enforced two-and-a-half-year break, Collier Turf Care were delighted to resume their ever-popular bowls seminars. Hosted alongside Robert Jack and Andy Walker of Dennis and SISIS, over 40 attendees across two days were able to listen to talks on industry relevant issues, see some excellent machinery demonstrations and take part in thorough Q&A’s.

John Noyce & Chris Humphrey of Collier Turf Care led the presentations covering all things bowls! Turf disease, pests and future methods of prevention were top of the agenda. After a very informative morning the attendees were led outside to watch a very interactive demonstration of Dennis and SISIS’s latest equipment – after being fuelled by a hearty lunch of course.

Collier Turf Care seminars back with a bang

Collier Turf Care seminars back with a bang

The day was enjoyed by all and we would like to thank both Horley Bowls Club and Newick Bowls Club for being excellent hosts and also providing the brilliant weather!

Testimonials

We were so blessed with a perfect spring day for the Seminar jointly hosted by our friends from Collier Turf Care in association with Dennis and SISIS.

After morning coffees, we were treated to a talk on Disease Management from Chris Humphrey followed by another very interesting insight into Earthworm Management by John Noyce, both representing Colliers.

After lunch, the Fine Turf Management talk and Machine demonstrations by Rob Jack and Andy Walker from Dennis/SISIS showed off some very nice machines.

All in all, we had a very informative and enjoyable day and everyone who attended got a great deal out of it.

Brian Wilson – Greenkeeper (Horley Bowls Club)

Just wanted to say thank you to you and all your team at Horley Bowls club, yesterday, for an excellent day.

Found all the talks and demonstration very interesting and informative. All in all, we had a very informative and enjoyable day and everyone who attended got a great deal out of it.

Philip Waterman – Tandridge District Council

The events also saw the launch of our new Bowling Green Groundsman’s Maintenance Guide. This booklet is full of excellent tips and advice on keeping your bowls green looking its best. To get your copy please get in touch with your local Collier Turf Care representative or call our offices on 01328 700600.

If you are interested in updates of future seminars or think that your club would be interested in hosting such an event, please get in touch by emailing benb@collier-turf-care.co.uk

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Soil Scout and TLS announce series of Turf Tec Live seminars

/in , /by

Soil Scout and TLS announce series of Turf Tec Live seminars: Soil Scout together with strategic partner Turf Lighting Solutions (TLS) are delighted to announce the launch of a series of Turf Tec Live Seminars. The three one-day events will take place at Brentford Community Stadium on Wednesday 2 March followed by Hibernian’s Easter Road Stadium (Edinburgh) on Tuesday 15 March and finally at Coventry Building Society Arena (Coventry City FC) on Tuesday 29 March 2022. 

Headlining the seminars will be TLS Business Development Director Mark Sinnett who will introduce the events and talk about how and why to use supplementary turf grow lights. While Soil Scout’s VP of International Sales, Adam Sedgwick will address gathering soil data and making real-time gains with permanent underground soil monitoring.

Soil Scout and TLS announce series of Turf Tec Live seminars

Soil Scout and TLS announce series of Turf Tec Live seminars

The free to attend, live seminars will also be supported by industry leading special guests including Hans de Vries from grow light specialists Hortilux Schreder. Hans will be talking grow light basics, natural light versus artificial grow light and LED versus HPS.

Origin Amenity Solutions Research & Development Director Geoff Fenn will join the presenting panel at Brentford and present a seminar on how light and data combined can lead to better turf management.

Edd Tveit from TLS will also show you how to increase your efficiency by harvesting and utilising data through the Turfpal platform.

All three events will give sports turf professionals the opportunity to meet up and share ideas with like-minded colleagues, ask questions of the experts and get hands-on with the equipment on display.

Mark Sinnett, the Business Development Director of TLS said; “It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to welcome like minded turf professionals to the Turf Tec Live seminars throughout the UK. These events will hopefully give the attendees valuable insight in turf lighting and data collection to help enhance their sports pitches. We will also showcase our new online management portal which will help make the right decisions at the right time.”

Adam Sedgwick, VP of International Sales at Soil Scout added; “We are really pleased to be supporting TLS at Turf Tec Live. It is a fantastic opportunity for us to get out and meet sports turf professionals face-to-face and demonstrate to them the real-time benefits from having in-ground soil sensors.”

Spaces at all three seminars are limited with seats offered on a first-come-first-served basis. Registration is open, please email: Martha Johnsen (Click Here) to confirm your interest leaving your name, contact number and which seminar you would like to attend.

Refreshments at all three seminars will be provided.

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

SISIS scarifier and seminars improve Rykneld BC

/in , /by

SISIS scarifier and seminars improve Rykneld BC: Rykneld Bowling Club, in Derbyshire, has not only benefited from a new SISIS Auto Rotorake Mk5 but has also seen major improvements to the green after various committee members enhanced their greenkeeping knowledge through the Dennis and SISIS virtual bowls seminar portal.

Founded in 1918, Rykneld is one of the longest running bowling clubs in the county and over recent years has also become one of the most successful. It boasts a thriving membership and some of the best players in Derbyshire, which is testament to just how good the green has become.

SISIS scarifier and seminars improve Rykneld BC

SISIS scarifier and seminars improve Rykneld BC

“Lately we have been getting great feedback,” said committee member Malcolm Holden. “That is not only from our own members but also from visiting teams. The improved surface has enabled us to have a South Derbyshire Premier League team excelling at the club.”

Looking after the green at Rykneld is very much a team effort as five committee members work hard to maintain it. They have recently enhanced their greenkeeping knowledge after becoming members of the free Dennis and SISIS virtual bowls seminar portal.

On the portal, members have access to regular, updated video seminar sessions on a wide range of relevant topics written and hosted by expert speakers. At the click of a button, users can also ask questions to the various experts and tap into their vast amount of experience and knowledge. Other resources on the portal include downloadable PDF’s containing seminar content, case studies, more informative videos, links to key products and vital information on funding.

“We have been following the videos on the portal religiously,” said Malcolm. “The portal is fantastic, and it covers every kind of topic you can think of when it comes to greenkeeping. We document everything we do, and the virtual seminars are helping us to continuously improve the green.”

Thatch is one particular issue that Malcolm and the team have been trying to solve through the seminar portal. Recently their efforts were boosted after the club purchased a SISIS Auto Rotorake Mk.5.

The SISIS Auto Rotorake Mk.5 is a powerful self-propelled heavy duty scarifier designed for the removal and control of thatch on fine turf. It features a contra-rotating reel with specially designed tipped blades for a clean, consistent cut and maximum thatch removal. A variety of maintenance tasks can also be carried out due to a selection of seven different interchangeable reels.

“The green has built up about 100 years of thatch, and it is slowing the green down,” said Malcolm. “It is not going to be a quick fix, but we are really stepping things up with the SISIS Auto Rotorake now.

“We’re already starting to see progress because of the amount of air it is helping us to get into the soil. Prior to the Auto Rotorake we were using a hand pulled spiker which was incredibly tough to pull – it was physically exhausting! The Auto Rotorake is just a brilliant machine which we are using on a fortnightly basis.

“That is what you get from Dennis and SISIS. Of all the suppliers we deal with, they have got to be the best. If they say they’ll do something, they will always do it – they keep their word, and I can’t fault them at all.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.sisis.com

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

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Celebrating 10 years of seminars

/in , , /by

Celebrating 10 years of seminars: Dennis and SISIS are celebrating an impressive decade of groundcare seminars this year. In this article, we look at the history and development of the seminars and how they have proved to be so beneficial for so many of the unsung heroes in a wide variety of sports turf sectors.   

The ever-popular Dennis and SISIS groundcare seminars, are first and foremost, education-based events, supported by expert speakers with both indoor presentations and outdoor practical sessions. The seminars aim to connect like-minded people where they can find advice, learn new skills and techniques as well as offer fantastic networking opportunities. A large number of groundcare individuals have significantly benefitted from attending the seminars over the years including volunteers and professionals representing schools, sports clubs, local authorities and contractors.

Celebrating 10 years of seminars

Celebrating 10 years of seminars

The humble origins of the seminars can be traced back long before this ten-year period when both Dennis and SISIS were operating as separate entities and hosted educational groundcare events for their respective customer bases.  However, in 2011, SISIS was acquired by the Howardson Group to sit alongside Dennis as a division to provide the groundcare industry with a truly comprehensive range of British manufactured turf maintenance products. It was at this point in history that the two manufacturers combined their extensive knowledge and expertise and the groundcare seminars were taken to another level.

This monumental year saw a series of seminars addressing a wide range of sports turf topics including a dedicated bowls seminar which took place in North Kessock, Scotland; and a cricket themed seminar which took place at Uxbridge Cricket Club in Middlesex, London.

These early seminars set the precedent and over the years, they continued to evolve. From winter pitch maintenance, to early spring maintenance; from renovations to soil core clinics – the seminars have, and continue to, offer advice in a number of groundcare aspects.

As the seminars grew in stature, support and reputation, so too did the illustrious and extensive list of expert speakers. Take for example the expert panel at the most recent seminar held at Durham County Cricket Club’s Emirates Riverside which included Vic Demain (Durham CCC), Karl McDermott (MCC, Lord’s), Jim Dawson (BT Murrayfield) and Keith Kent (Head Pitch Advisor to Rugby Groundsmen Connected).

From the first seminar in North Kessock to the most recent at the Emirates Riverside, the series of seminars have accumulated some truly astonishing statistics.

  • 87 venues across the country
  • 550 hours of education
  • Expert speakers covering 300 informative sessions
  • Over 4,800 delegates

Whether a groundsman or a greenkeeper in employment or a volunteer; whether highly experienced or just starting out in the industry; throughout this ten-year period so many people associated with the maintenance of sports turf have benefited from attending the Dennis and SISIS seminars. One look at some of the testimonials which have been gathered over the years are certainly testament to this.

Vic Demain has been a long-term supporter of the seminars and has been a speaker at many over the years: “Having been involved with the Dennis and SISIS cricket groundcare seminars since their launch in 2011, it has been fascinating to see the growth of the events, together with the interest shown by the industry.

“The beauty of many of these events is being able to share time with likeminded folk, making new contacts and discovering that no matter what level one works at, we all have the same passion. The interaction between presenters and delegates at these events will give the audience a desire to get back onto their grounds.”

Commenting on the seminars, Keith Kent explained why he feels they are so valuable: “I think that as part of everybody’s education, every day should be a school day and these seminars, where there are such high-quality speakers, are a vital opportunity to progress.

Commenting on a bowls seminar held at the Backworth Miners Welfare Bowls Club in Newcastle upon Tyne, Robert Blacklock from North Tyneside local authority said: “I’ve found the day to be extremely useful and informative with excellent presentations. I do not have a lot of experience in this field and have recently started some courses on turf maintenance. The seminar was not overwhelming, and it was pitched at the correct level.”

Nigel Pearce, Head Groundsman at Lechlade Cricket Club, attended a seminar at  Gloucestershire County Cricket Club along with his chairman and revealed that it was beneficial for the both of them: “For me it was great to catch up with a number of fellow groundsmen who I already knew and it was good to meet new ones as well. It was also really interesting listening to speakers like Chris Wood and having the opportunity to go out and look at the square. My chairman also came along with me today and I’m really pleased because he has learnt a lot about what I do and received an insight into the issues I may encounter on a day-to-day basis.”

Speaking at a renovation seminar held at St Albans School, Woollam Trust Playing Fields, Lee Marshallsay, Grounds Manager at Charterhouse School said: “It’s been very beneficial for my team and I like the fact that it is aimed at everyone – it’s not just for those in the top positions. To get everyone together from grass roots upwards works really well. I think the indoor seminars and the outdoor practical demonstrations have provided a good mix. You get to see the machines in action and many people here wouldn’t have seen that before so for them to have more of an idea of what equipment is out there is ideal.”

Derek Traill of Cricket Scotland, summarised the seminars perfectly after attending the most recent event in Durham: “The key message coming out of today’s event is that it is all about communication and to strive to learn off one another – we learn from one another’s experiences, failures and successes and from these we can build on them and improve as one,” he said.

Although we are currently facing testing times, Dennis and SISIS are looking forward to resuming the seminars with the groundcare community.

“I’m extremely proud to be celebrating ten years of groundcare seminars – they have a long history and a great tradition,” said Roger Moore, Sales and Marketing Manager. “The seminars are about attendees getting as much information as they can and making the day enjoyable. They can go away with some excellent knowledge which they can then put into practice on their own sites. Over the years the events have been a tremendous success and I am looking forward to continuing our support for the groundcare community.”

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 and Instagram @DennisMowers and SISIS @SISISMachinery. You can like the Facebook pages – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK and www.facebook.com/SISISMachinery. You can also view the latest Dennis and SISIS videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers and www.youtube.com/SISISMachinery.

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

CMAE MENA Launch First Series Of Seminars

/in , /by

CMAE MENA Launch First Series Of Seminars: The recently formed Club Managers Association of Europe – Middle East & North Africa Region (CMAE MENA) is launching its first club education seminars with the support of John Deere. Communication expert Bill McFarlan will deliver three seminars in the Middle East this spring, one at Education City Golf Club, Qatar on 23rd April, one at Al Mouj Golf Club, Oman on 25th April and one at Jumeriah Golf Estates on 28th April.

Bill McFarlan has a passion for helping people build their confidence in communication. Having been a broadcaster for 25 years with some of Britain’s top radio and TV stations – presenting flagship programmes in news and sport – he established a company that’s taken his training to over 20 countries. Sharing what he’s learned from broadcasting and business, he helps clients create and deliver passionate presentations and conduct interviews confidently with the media or at work.

CMAE MENA Launch First Series Of Seminars

In his 30th year of business, he’s delivered over 4000 seminars across the world, and written two best-selling books on how to Say What You Mean – and Mean What You Say. He’ll share his top tips and techniques with delegates, to help them write better emails and better reports, deliver better presentations and interviews, and overall present themselves better in front of their Boards and members. The seminars will be fun and educational – and life-changing, if you adopt the principles!

CMAE MENA Region chairman Chris May CCM says of the seminars: “It’s great to have someone of Bill’s knowledge and skill come to the region to help club industry professionals further develop their communication skills. Our clubs are becoming bigger, more diverse and more demanding and communication is now a key skill for managers and operators. We are grateful to John Deere for its support in bringing Bill here.”

Carlos Aragones, John Deere’s Turf & Golf Sales & Marketing Manager for Europe, CIS, North Africa and the Near & Middle East, adds: “We are delighted to support this initiative and the CMAE’s broader vision of being the leading organisation for club management educational programmes in the newly expanded area of the Middle East and North Africa. Continued education is a core pillar of the John Deere philosophy, and through our partnership we are committed to making ourselves available to the association’s membership for advice and support.

“As an industry leading, full range supplier of sports club maintenance equipment including mowers, tractors and Gator utility vehicles, we also look forward to the opportunity to present our business and advanced technology solutions to those attending these events.”

Any club or hospitality professional interested in attending the seminars should contact Michael Braidwood by email to mbraidwood@ecgolf.com.

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.