Tag Archive for: Visitors

GroundsFest 2024: More Exhibitors, More Visitors, More Excitement

GroundsFest 2024: More Exhibitors, More Visitors, More Excitement: The second edition of GroundsFest, held on 10 and 11 September at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire, has firmly established itself as the UK’s largest grounds management and landscaping event. Following a strong debut in 2023, this year’s show exceeded all expectations, marking a significant milestone in its young history.

With 8,014 visitors across two days—4,738 on day one and 3,276 on day two—GroundsFest 2024 saw an impressive increase in attendance, a remarkable feat for an event that only launched last year. The expanded event layout immediately immersed visitors in the action, creating an engaging and dynamic atmosphere from the moment they arrived.

One of the standout features of this year’s GroundsFest was the introduction of Machinery Nation LIVE, which captivated large crowds with thrilling machinery face-offs. Visitors watched top brands go head-to-head in a series of entertaining and rigorous trials, comparing performance across categories such as petrol vs. battery, agility, power, and more. Machinery Nation LIVE also provided interactive equipment challenges where attendees could compete for prizes, adding to the excitement and engagement throughout the show.

And speaking of prizes, GroundsFest 2024 was a treasure trove for lucky visitors. Attendees had the chance to win a wide range of impressive prizes, including a Toro ProStripe 560, a CyberTank portable power station and up to £20,000 worth of Kress tools, an award-winning battery pruner SC 100e and a SWIFT 372e battery garden ride-on mower from STIGA, an EGO Pro X battery-powered pedestrian mower, a Union Jack Turf Tank robot, and much more.

Innovation took centre stage at GroundsFest 2024 as over 60 new products were launched, providing visitors with a firsthand look at the latest in grounds management and landscaping technology. The mix of indoor and outdoor areas also struck a perfect balance. Indoors, a vibrant show floor offered a diverse range of exhibitors showcasing products and services, while the seminar theatres hosted a wealth of educational sessions, all free to attend.

The Landscape Zone, an entire hall dedicated to professionals in the design, planning, and construction of outdoor spaces in the landscaping sector proved to be popular, adding another dimension to the show’s offering.

Grounds Training practical sessions were another highlight, attracting large crowds eager to learn from experienced instructors on the use and maintenance of pedestrian mowers, ride-on mowers, handheld machinery, and sprayers.

Hands-on experience is one of GroundsFest’s key strengths, and attendees once again relished the opportunity to test out equipment before making purchasing decisions. The Avant National Pro Challenge was also a hit, with participants showcasing their skills in an exciting competition that involved slaloms, material handling, and tool changes in an Avant Loader.

Beyond the business of grounds management and landscaping, the festival atmosphere of GroundsFest offered a fun way for exhibitors and visitors alike to unwind. The popular happy hour, live bands, and free bumper cars added to the entertainment, ensuring that GroundsFest was not just about work but also about building relationships and enjoying the industry’s camaraderie.

Event Director Christopher Bassett summed up the event’s success, saying: “It’s incredible to see how much support GroundsFest has received from every corner of the industry. The growth from last year has been phenomenal, and we’re so grateful to all the exhibitors, visitors, and partners who made this year’s show such a success. As we look to the future, we want to continue growing and evolving the show—and the only way to do that is by listening to the industry. That’s why we encourage everyone to take the time to fill out the surveys we’ve sent out. Your feedback is invaluable.”

GroundsFest 2025 is already on the horizon, set to take place on 9 and 10 September at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire. After this year’s monumental success, anticipation is already building for what promises to be an even bigger and better event next year.

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 visitors up

SALTEX visitors up: Pre-pandemic confidence has returned to SALTEX as nearly 15 percent more visitors attended the 2022 show.

Over 8,300 attendees from across the UK and over 50 countries streamed through the doors over the two-day event at Birimingham NEC, signaling a return to pre-pandemic levels.

SALTEX visitors up

SALTEX visitors up

These latest figures confirm the confidence of visitors and exhibitors in SALTEX as the industry’s must-attend event for all those involved in the groundscare and turfcare industries.

Geoff Webb, CEO of The Grounds Management Association (GMA), the event organisers says:

“SALTEX has long been the flagship show for the industry and, in its 76th year, showed that, after the challenges of the pandemic, confidence from both visitors and exhibitors has returned.

“With nearly 15 percent more visitors than the 2021 show, SALTEX delivered on offering visitors the widest array of equipment and products to explore, with over 400 brands on display, and offered exhibitors the largest audience to showcase their products to.

“As a not-for-profit, everything we earn gets ploughed back into the industry through investment in resources and initiatives that benefit the groundscare sector, so, with the 2022 show being such a hit, we look forward to beginning work on ensuring we build on this success and make the 2023 show even better for the sector.

“We look forward to welcoming everyone back at SALTEX from 01-02 November 2023.”

In recognition of current economic challenges, the GMA introduced a special show rate for 2022 exhibitors, meaning that exhibiting at the 2023 show will cost the same despite increases in interest rates and inflation. The response from exhibitors has seen the 2023 floorplan filling up quickly, a sign of the confidence in SALTEX and the quality of exhibition the GMA seeks to deliver.

The independently audited post-show survey is already underway which will shed insight into the effectiveness of the event for generating new leads and sales for exhibitors and the role SALTEX is perceived to play in overall business strategy for both its visitors and exhibitors. The results of these surveys will be published in due course.

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Agronomics To ‘Perk Up’ SALTEX Visitors

Agronomics To ‘Perk Up’ SALTEX Visitors: Customers visiting Agronomics on Stand F100 can enjoy a “Perk Up” energy drink to give them a boost whilst visiting the show. “Perk Up” energy drink will revive visitors to Saltex and is based on the clever Floratine foliar product “Perk Up” which is designed to perk up your sports turf. When your turf grass plant has to run a marathon “Perk Up” creates the solution reducing plant stress and disease.

David Snowden, Managing Director has once more being invited to present a seminar on “Grass & Rootzone Management on Hybrid Pitches” on Wednesday 31 October at 10.40am.  Scott MacCallum of Turf Matters will be conducting the interview in which David will share his knowledge and experience and there will be the opportunity for a Q & A opening the floor to all.

Agronomics To 'Perk Up' SALTEX Visitors

Agronomic’s will also be bringing to Saltex a cost effective new product, Green Screen.  Green Screen is a pigment dye that protects the plant from harmful UV rays just like a sun screen.  Green Screen gives colour to the sports turf which increases photosynthesis and reduces disease pressure.

Green Screen can be tank mixed with all foliar products.

Call on to Stand F100 to learn more and discuss your individual Turf Action Plan (TAP)

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