According to an IOG press release, issued this morning, they will not be holding the annual Saltex event at Windsor racecourse after this year's show (Sept 2nd - 4th). The 2015 event will be at NEC in early November.
Presumably, there will not be provision for any equipment demos. Personally, I think this is a retrograde step. Suppliers like the opportunity of showing their machinery working, and visitors enjoy watching it. It's probably the main reason we have exhibited at Saltex (this is our eighth consecutive year) and may well be the main reason we decide not to do the Show in future. Here is a paragraph taken from the IOG release:
"By moving to the NEC, SALTEX 2015 will be more comprehensive than ever before. In addition to the UK’s largest exhibition of groundscare and landscaping products and services, the indoor venue will allow for an even wider range of educational seminars and panel debates. The event will continue to feature the unique ‘Ask The Expert’ clinic, and for the first time, incorporate the IOG’s annual conference and awards events".
So, good idea or not? I should be interested to know what others think.
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Moving Saltex to the NEC is definitely a backward step, in my view Paul.
I've followed and commented on Saltex since Landscape Juice started and I've always been of the opinion that Saltex was/is unsustainable in its current format.
I like the Windsor racecourse venue and the space it provides but in latter years the organisers appeared to set out the dwindling number of exhibits to make the show ground seem as though it's as full as it's always been.
I agree with you that suppliers like to demonstrate their machinery. To that end, it's essential that a turf show is held on turf. If nothing else it creates the right atmosphere in which turf machinery buyers can evaluate turf machinery.
In my view Saltex will continue to contract in the coming years as exhibitors and buyers move toward more smaller intimate venues. I expect to see more and more mini-roadshows where qualified potential buyers are catered for in a smaller informal space.
Won't be getting my business
-1. However, is "Saltex" another example of a 'crowded marketplace' in our industry?
How all these shows can survive and be effectively supported by a large enough range of suppliers who are seeing their revenue cut and costs increased (for more shows, economy etc) to attract sufficient, qualified Contractors?
Selfishly, being southern based we are unlikely to trek up to the Midlands and will look around for good Dealers instead.....
The best way to persuade IOG that you want an outdoor exhibition with equipment demonstrations would be for landscapers to turn out in large numbers for this year's Saltex. We shall be running demos of the unique TurfTeq Edger/Trencher, the TurfTeq Power Rake http://bit.ly/1qao1RZ and the ZipLevel survey instrument http://bit.ly/HMuH6E .
We are on Stand 35, Yellow area and look forward to seeing you.
Paul Errington said:
No they didn't. Maybe they consulted exhibitors who have static displays, but I don't recall them asking our opinion. The news of the move to NEC came as a complete surprise.
One positive is it does mean that a bit of September rain won't be an issue!
I've been to a few exhibitions at the NEC, its a great building for it but as you said wouldn't really give people the chance to showcase equipment running. There's quite a lot of competition from other shows but they do seem to be moving to the indoor setting one by one - Landscape Show for example.
Do you think less people will turn out this year because of it?
The rain (maybe snow - who knows?) and the colder, November temperature WILL be an issue when you are standing around in the car park waiting for the bus!
NEC is a great venue, but landscapers like to see machinery working, and that's always been in the mix at Saltex. By all means have an indoors section, but leave room for demos too. The exhibitions I have attended all have demonstration areas. GIE Expo at Louisville KY has a massive indoor show area, but also has an outdoors section. Galabau (Germany) is similar. The Salon Vert (France) is completely outdoors.
I am hoping MORE people will turn out, if only to persuade the IOG & Brintex that what the industry really wants is a balanced show that includes space for working demonstrations. So come on all you landscapers; if you want an outdoor exhibition you need to support it!
Hi Everyone,
Having been monitoring your comments over the past 24 hours, I thought that someone should respond (our opinions are solely that of Fusion Media, and do not necessarily express the views or opinions of the IOG) - FYI - we have been appointed by the IOG Board to handle all PR activity.
Your feedback is most welcome and has been reported back to both the organisers and the IOG. Every exhibitor, for the past two years was invited to take part in an online research questionaire including questions on timing, format and location.
It's a shame that some people are totally ruling out attending the 2015 show with it being some 14 months away. We do hope that you will change your mind/consider attending when further details of the event are released in due course.
After careful consideration and after valuable visitor and exhibitor feedback (both static and demo positions) over a considerable amount of time, the decision was taken to move the event.
Visitors were asked for their feedback on what they wanted from the show and live demonstrations were low priority, compared to seeing new products, education, seminars, awards, Ask The Expert, wrong time of the year. If the event changes the date, then you need to look at different venues - removing the financial risk to exhibitors if there is adverse weather.
SALTEX, in its current guise, has been seen, for some time, to be a regional show - hence why over the past few years you have been getting manufacturer's dealers exhibiting rather than the manufacturer.
The move to a more central venue (around 75% of the UK population live within 3 hours of the NEC) is being seen as very positive. You could argue, that not that many people from the North attend Windsor at the moment - the move will attract more people from not just around the UK but also Europe.
RE: outside to inside. It is widely known that many of the demonstration plots at SALTEX Windsor do not carry any demonstrations - exhibitors take advantage of the demonstration stand discount. I know that having spoken to some of our other clients in the industry that they can not effectively demonstrate machinery at SALTEX - the space is too small and once you demonstrate the machine in your space, then you can not effectively show it again. They would always go out, after the show and demonstrate the machinery at the interested party's place of work. With the internet - this site and YouTube, many manufacturers take advantage of being able to show the equipment 'on-screen'.
The majority of groundscare and landscaping shows in Europe, and in fact the ones in America and Australia are all held indoors.
SALTEX 2015 will be much more than just an exhibition - a place for education, Ask The Expert clinics, National Conference and Industry Awards, a place to network, see new products as well as the exhibition itself - hopefully it will bring the industry together, given a chance.
If you have any further concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us - we'd be happy to receive any feedback.
Change of date and making it in-doors really works for me however a trip to the NEC, I'm not too sure will make the judgement call nearer the time. However I am sure this years show will be a success if the weather holds out.
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