Karl Hansell on why the BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME), returning to Harrogate this month, is an unmissable opportunity for turf professionals and buyers from across Europe.
To maintain your position as the leading company or service provider in your area you can’t stand still. You must continually evolve, adapting to changes within the industry and consistently offering new innovations and improved services.
When you find yourself at the top of your profession, making changes can be a risk. But the rewards can be incredible, helping change the industry landscape as you embrace new challenges and rise to the occasion.
So it is that BTME, the premier turf management exhibition in Europe, has undergone an evolution ahead of its hosting in 2019, due to take place from Tuesday 22 to Thursday 24 January.
Utilising new exhibition halls, the show has been reoriented to centre around the Harrogate Convention Centre’s main auditorium and provide a more expansive, engaging and modern visitor and exhibitor experience.
By increasing potential stand space by around 25%, BIGGA has provided more opportunities than ever for exhibitors to engage with visitors to the show in new ways.
2019 will also see a greatly improved visitor experience, with new opportunities to engage with the event through innovations such as Golf Construction Live, a short format presentation area and a New Products Area. A Member Wellness Area will provide attendees the opportunity to get help and advice on hearing aid, skincare and mental health awareness.
BTME is hosted by BIGGA, the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association, but with such a close relationship between golf course maintenance and other amenity sectors, the event is a must-attend for those in the professional landscaping industry. Over 4,500 turf management professionals attended BTME in 2018.
Recognising the importance of BTME to the wider industry, major product manufacturers and dealers build their annual campaigns around the timing of BTME, perfectly timed for when greenkeepers and grounds professionals are planning their activities for the coming year.
As always, BTME will feature a number of products never seen before in the UK and European turf maintenance industry. Furthermore, industry representatives wholeheartedly embrace the opportunity to meet with a huge number of potential customers and interested parties, spreading the word about their latest innovations.
Karen Proctor, Director of Global Marketing, Textron Golf, has supported BTME for many years and she explains the role the show has played in their continuing success.
“As one of the industry leaders in our field, it is a fantastic opportunity to showcase new products, talk to members of the press about these products and network with our customers, dealers and industry professionals,” she says.
“The staff at BIGGA do a great job ensuring BIGGA goes from strength to strength each year. The education, the exhibition and the coming together of our industry is a joy to be a part of and Jacobsen look forward to supporting BTME each year.
“Harrogate is an ideal venue for BTME. There are plenty of hotels, restaurants and bars within the vicinity of the exhibition centre, which means that networking and after- show events are easily accommodated. BTME is more than an exhibition, it’s a feeling of community.”
As usual, Continue to Learn will kick-off the week, beginning on Sunday 20 January. With an extensive programme across more than 250 hours of education, the new exhibition hall composition will place Continue to Learn at the very heart of the BTME experience.
In addition to regular favourites such as the Turf Managers’ Conference and the Young Greenkeepers’ Conference, new offerings will include an Ecology and Environment Forum, Deputies’ Forum and Links Forum.
BTME 2019 itself begins with the ever-popular BTME Welcome Celebration, taking place on the opening evening.
Housed in a new location in the Harrogate Convention Centre’s main auditorium, television presenter Naga Munchetty will once again host the event, when a number of BIGGA members will be recognised for their achievements throughout the year.
During the BTME Welcome Celebration, the winners of the BIGGA Awards 2019 will also be announced. Revamped to coincide with the new exhibition structure, three awards will be handed out. The new categories are:
- Outstanding Contribution of the Year sponsored by Jacobsen
- Championship Performance of the Year sponsored by Rigby Taylor
- Greenkeeping Project of the Year sponsored by Baroness
Harrogate is ideally placed for easy travel to the event, with Leeds Bradford International Airport just 10 miles away and excellent rail links to London and further afield. The historic spa town also has excellent hotel accommodation within a short distance of the convention centre.
- BTME takes place at the Harrogate Convention Centre from Tuesday 22 to Thursday 24 January 2019.
For more information visit http://btme.org.uk