Tag Archive for: Zone

SALTEX introduces new arcade zone

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SALTEX introduces new arcade zone: SALTEX, the UK’s cutting-edge turf management show, is thrilled to unveil its brand-new Arcade Zone, a dynamic and interactive space bringing gamification and play to the heart of the exhibition. 

Located in Hall 17, between the Spotlight Stage and the VIP Lounge, the Arcade Zone offers a space to recharge and get stuck into a bit of friendly competition, all without leaving the action. It allows visitors the chance to press pause on business and dive into fast-paced games and win a whole heap of prizes!

SALTEX introduces new arcade zone

SALTEX introduces new arcade zone

Key Features Include:

  • GMA Grass Identification Game– Put your turf knowledge to the test, complete the quiz correctly in the quickest time, and win a year’s GMA membership!
  • Husqvarna Robot Mower Racetrack– Ready, Set, Mow! It’s a battle of speed on Husqvarna’s custom-built track to be crowned champion.
  • Cramer’s Leaf Blower Darts– Propel the ball through the launch tube and register the highest score to win Cramer’s 82V Blower 22 N.
  • Fast Feet Football Challenge– How quick are your feet? Step into the arena and test your agility in this timed football skills challenge. Compete for the leaderboard and bragging rights and your chance to win £100!
  • Racing Simulator -Take on a range of racetracks and be in with a chance to win an Ultimate Adventures Experience Box.
  • Virtual Golf: Closest to the Pin Challenge– Grip it and rip it! Take your best shot on the cityscape hole for your chance to win an Ultimate Adventures Experience Box.

The Arcade Zone is just one of several exciting new features launching at SALTEX in 2025.

Visitors can also look forward to The Workshop with Tom Stidder, offering hands-on guidance to help grounds teams get the best out of their equipment, and a headline Learning LIVE session on mindset from rugby legend James Haskell – followed by a DJ set in the Clubhouse during Happy Hour. And, for the first time ever, parking is FREE for all attendees.

“We’re always looking for fresh ways to enhance the SALTEX experience,” said Sarah Hunter, Head of Events at the Grounds Management Association. “We listen closely to the demands and needs of the industry, and we know that as much as SALTEX is about business and discovering what’s new, it’s also about connecting people to others in the industry. The Arcade Zone brings a playful new energy to the show, encouraging people to interact and enjoy being part of something bigger.”

The Arcade Zone is open to all visitors and free to enjoy. Join us at SALTEX and level up your experience.

Register for FREE and be in with a chance of winning a Cramer Tools Lawn Mower, complete with charger and battery, worth £2,240!

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BALI to Sponsor The Landscape Zone at GroundsFest

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BALI to Sponsor The Landscape Zone at GroundsFest: GroundsFest is proud to announce that the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) will be the exclusive sponsor of The Landscape Zone at GroundsFest 2025.

Taking place on 9 and 10 September at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, GroundsFest is an unmissable event for anyone working in landscaping and grounds management. With its mix of live demonstrations, interactive features, free education, and even a live music festival, the show is known for its dynamic and welcoming atmosphere. And now, with BALI stepping in to support the Landscape Zone, 2025’s event is set to be the biggest and most impactful yet for the landscaping sector.

BALI to Sponsor The Landscape Zone at GroundsFest

BALI to Sponsor The Landscape Zone at GroundsFest

The Landscape Zone is the ultimate destination for professionals involved in the design, planning, and construction of outdoor environments. This dedicated area will showcase cutting-edge technologies, sustainable practices, and the very latest innovations in landscaping. Whether you’re a garden designer, landscape architect, contractor, local authority professional, architectural technologist, or facilities manager – this is where ideas take shape, and lasting business connections are made.

BALI has had a presence at GroundsFest since its inception, but 2025 marks a significant expansion of its involvement.

Wayne Grills, Chief Executive of BALI, commented: “As the leading Trade Association for landscaping industries, we believe that events like GroundsFest are vital to enable the industry to grow and thrive. Not only is it fantastic that profits from GroundsFest are reinvested back into the industry to support education – which complements BALI’s own work in skills and education through our GoLandscape careers initiative – but through knowledge-sharing, collaboration and networking at the event, all attendees can improve their best practice, thereby strengthening the landscaping ecosystem as a whole. That’s why we’re proud to be supporting the Landscape Zone and would encourage businesses and people to come along and participate.

“With such a wide array of people from all walks of industry expected to attend, it will truly be an event to remember and, of course, an amazing networking opportunity for all.”

Chris Bassett, Event Director at GroundsFest, added: “We’re absolutely delighted to be working more closely with BALI for GroundsFest 2025. BALI is a fantastic organisation that shares our vision of supporting and celebrating the landscaping sector. Their exclusive sponsorship of the Landscape Zone is a huge endorsement of what we’re building with GroundsFest, and we look forward to welcoming BALI members – and the wider industry – to this vibrant space.”

Free registration is now open, don’t miss your chance to be part of the UK’s most inclusive and innovative event for the grounds management and landscaping industries.

Registration to GroundsFest 2025 is now open. Please visit www.groundsfest.com

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

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Petrol-powered tools undermine clean air zone efforts

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Petrol-powered tools undermine clean air zone efforts: Despite the widespread introduction of clean air zones in cities across the UK, new research obtained through Freedom of Information requests shows that high-polluting petrol-powered tools are still predominantly used in many of these areas, compromising clean air commitments.

Local authorities including Birmingham City Council and several London boroughs are still operating 100% petrol-powered tools within their clean air zones – at a time when cars are under increased scrutiny where emissions are concerned. The widespread use of petrol-powered tools can compromise air quality in these areas, producing emissions comparable with some cars.

Petrol-powered tools undermine clean air zone efforts

Petrol-powered tools undermine clean air zone efforts

Petrol-powered tools – such as leaf blowers and hedge trimmers – are known to be just as, if not more, harmful to people and the environment. Emissions testing carried out by EGO Power+ and Millbrook found that some petrol-powered gardening tools are capable of emitting 11 times more carbon monoxide and four times more nitrogen oxide than a Ford Fiesta.

While the majority of tools being operated by local authorities are still petrol-powered, some councils are progressing towards a cleaner, greener future with the adoption of battery-powered tools.

London’s Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is leading the way in its use of battery-powered outdoor equipment, accounting for 100% of its tools. Councils in Sheffield and London Brent are also making promising strides, with battery-powered equipment now accounting for 85% and 90% of tools respectively.

“The sustainability challenge is something that faces every local authority across the UK, and the removal of highly-polluting outdoor power equipment has a role to play,” says Vince Brauns, Product Director at EGO Power+. “By focussing our research on councils who have made clear commitments to sustainability through clean air zones, we were keen to understand if councils have recognised the negative impact of petrol-powered tools, and how much progress has been made on their journeys towards a greener, battery-powered future.

“While it’s encouraging to see a handful of councils have fully adopted battery power to maintain outdoor spaces, others still have a journey ahead of them. Birmingham City Council for instance still uses 100% petrol-power to maintain areas within the city’s Clean Air Zone, with the daily use of more than 60 tools emitting harmful emissions.

“Modern technology makes switching to battery power easier than ever, unlocking a series of benefits for councils and their maintenance professionals. Better still, transitioning to battery power can be done in an easy-to-manage and cost-effective manner, maximising council resources while supporting the drive towards cleaner air and greater levels of sustainability.”

The research, carried out by EGO Power+, saw Freedom of Information requests made to 40 local authorities operating Clean Air Zones – including individual London boroughs. As these zones are proving to be effective by reducing numbers of high-polluting vehicles, the research aimed to understand if harmful, high-emission outdoor power equipment was still being used in these areas to maintain public green spaces.

As one of the world’s leading suppliers of battery-powered grounds maintenance equipment, EGO Power+ has supported local authorities and businesses large and small to transition to battery power – sustainably and cost effectively. EGO’s technology adds social and environmental value while also driving down the total cost of ownership. For local authorities who face compliance and budgetary challenges, this offers a proven route to a sustainable and safer future.

The latest advice to government from the Climate Change Committee also recommends the phasing out of petrol and diesel lawnmowers in order to reduce emissions, with modern technology delivering petrol-matching power, without causing harm to the local environment through emissions and noise pollution.

Councils who have already adopted battery-powered maintenance equipment have unlocked a future that delivers improved comfort and safety to users, with tools that minimise noise and vibration.

To learn more visit: www.egopowerplus.co.uk/clean-air-zones

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New community sport zone at SALTEX

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New community sport zone at SALTEX: New to SALTEX 2023 is the Community Sport Zone which presents a range of grass pitch maintenance machinery curated to be of specific interest to grassroots and community football, rugby union and rugby league clubs – all of which can be purchased through funding schemes.

Spokespeople from the brands will be present alongside the GMA’s Regional Pitch Advisors to guide visitors through the features and benefits of the machinery, answer questions and explain how this machinery is available to purchase thanks to the millions of pounds of funding that has been awarded via the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation to support grassroots football, as well as for Rugby League and Rugby Union in England.

New community sport zone at SALTEX

New community sport zone at SALTEX

In the zone, located alongside the GMA Hub, will be compact tractors from Campey Turf Care and Iseki, combination grooming tools such as Quadraplay, tractor mounted slitters from Greentek Solutions, tractor mounted fertiliser spreaders, cricket mowers, and line markers from Fleet Ltd.

The GMA’s Pitch Advisory Service is made up of grass pitch experts and understands volunteer and community sport grounds staff better than anyone else. The Pitch Advisory Service works throughout the year to support sport’s National Governing Bodies in improving the quality of grass pitches across the country and at all levels of sport, with particular focus on community sport.

The machinery on display in the Community Sport Zone has been curated from Pitch Advisory Service recommendations in their grass pitch reports facilitated through the Football Foundation’s PitchPower web-based app.

Jason Booth, chief operating office at the GMA, says: “We’re always looking at new ways to bring value and valuable experiences to visitors at SALTEX, hence the introduction of the Community Sport Zone at this year’s event.

“It will showcase key machinery that will directly benefit grounds people at a recreational level and is an opportunity not to be missed for grassroots clubs needing an introduction to the machinery and the funding opportunities available.

“We are extremely proud of the work our Pitch Advisory Service does year-round to support community sport across the country in collaboration with our partners at the National Governing Bodies – the machinery on show wouldn’t be possible for community clubs to acquire if it wasn’t often funded through the Football Foundation’s Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund.

“We appreciate the National Governing Bodies’ support and look forward to introducing a new audience to the world of benefits that SALTEX can offer grounds care professionals at all levels of sport.”

There will also be a guided tour with the GMA’s Regional Pitch Advisors taking visitors around the show floor to see the exhibitors displaying more specialised equipment.

To take advantage of this unique opportunity, register now for Europe’s largest and leading sports turf, amenities, and landscaping trade exhibition at Birmingham NEC on 1-2 November 2023 at: https://bit.ly/456l0dA

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GroundsFest Launches the Landscape Zone

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GroundsFest Launches the Landscape Zone: Organisers of GroundsFest have launched a new zone at the event dedicated to all those involved in the planning, design, and construction of outdoor environments in the landscaping sector.

The Landscape Zone is set to spotlight the latest landscaping technologies, solutions, and innovations, and will be a must-attend feature for landscape architects, local authority landscaping professionals, garden designers, landscape contractors, interior designers, facility managers and many more.

GroundsFest Launches the Landscape Zone

GroundsFest Launches the Landscape Zone

The Landscape Zone will be headed by Jess McCabe, an award-winning event specialist who previously worked on the landscaping event FutureScape.

“GroundsFest is an exciting concept and I’m delighted to be involved,” said Jess.

“After working in the industry for many years, I know that this concept ticks so many boxes for the landscaping sector. For visitors, it will have everything a landscaping professional needs to help them in their designs and projects. Additionally, it enables them to see all the other leading groundscare brands on display and products in action; and then there is the festival element which will be a great networking opportunity.

“From an exhibitor point of view, stand prices at landscaping events are becoming more expensive every year and as a result, are pricing many companies out of exhibiting. The competitive pricing for The Landscape Zone at GroundsFest allows companies of all shapes and sizes to get involved. It will provide these companies with an ideal platform to showcase their products and services to a dedicated audience.”

Commenting on the new Landscape Zone, GroundsFest Event Director Christopher Bassett said: “Our intention has always been to bring together all corners of the groundscare industry and launching The Landscape Zone is another step towards this goal.

“This new initiative signals the huge support we have already received to date and accommodates the strong demand for exhibitor space. To open an entirely new hall at GroundsFest after launching just twelve weeks ago shows how far we have come.

“We would like to extend a warm welcome to Jess,” continued Christopher. “She has an abundance of experience, knows the landscaping sector inside out and she shares our passion for delivering an extraordinary event for both visitors and exhibitors.”

Jess can be contacted on 07830 488 812 or jess.mccabe@groundsfest.com

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