saltex 2015 - LJN Blog Posts - Landscape Juice Network2024-03-29T01:39:11Zhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/saltex+2015Results of SALTEX Visitor Survey Revealedhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/results-of-saltex-visitor-survey-revealed2016-01-12T15:46:53.000Z2016-01-12T15:46:53.000ZFusion Mediahttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/FusionMedia<div><p>The 70<sup>th</sup> SALTEX exhibition exceeded all expectations after an independent audit confirmed the exhibition as the largest turf management event in the UK with a total of 8,714 unique individuals attending. Now, the visitor surveys have been flooding in – revealing a fascinating and in-depth insight into the visitor profile of the show.</p><p>With visitors travelling from every corner of the UK as well as every continent around the world it was encouraging to see that <b>over 70% of the visitors rated their overall SALTEX experience as being good, very good or excellent.</b></p><p><b>Over 65% of visitors said that they attended SALTEX to source new products, services or suppliers</b>, while 20% wanted to make the most of the free educational LEARNING LIVE seminars and to receive one-to-one advice through the IOG’s Ask the Expert feature. With so much on offer at SALTEX, there was something for everyone and over <b>80% said that they were successful or very successful in meeting their objectives.</b></p><p>With such a large number of visitors attending SALTEX to source new products and services; they certainly came to the right place. The exhibition is a great way to launch and showcase new products and <b>over 70% of visitors said that there was an excellent mix of products on display</b>. Below you can see exactly what SALTEX 2015 visitors were looking for.</p><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314769143?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314769143?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center"/></a> Exhibitors at SALTEX 2015 reported huge success at the show, suggesting that the visitors were a very powerful group of buyers. With deals being done there and then on the show floor, it’s no surprise to see that over <b>80% had purchasing responsibility</b>. As you can see from the table below<b>,</b> over <b>75% of all SALTEX visitors also had the ability to sign off purchases of up to £100,000.</b></p><p><b> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314766649?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314766649?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center"/></a></b>As for the type of facilities that the visitors were responsible for, it was great to see such a wide array of visitors tending to one or more of the following.</p><p> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314767922?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314767922?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-center"/></a>Visitors also found the more central location of the NEC to be more accessible with <b>70% stating that the new location was either good or excellent</b>. Within the halls of the NEC, visitors favoured the more compact setting with <b>over 70% rating the layout of the event either good or excellent.</b></p><p>Overall the visitor survey has demonstrated just how good the quality of attendees was – further enhancing SALTEX as the must attend event of the year.</p><p>SALTEX 2016 will be held at the NEC, Birmingham on 2 and 3 November 2016. For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com</p></div>It's official. SALTEX is the UK’s largest turf management eventhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/it-s-official-saltex-is-the-uk-s-largest-turf-management-event2015-12-08T11:48:34.000Z2015-12-08T11:48:34.000ZFusion Mediahttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/FusionMedia<div><p>The Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) has revealed the independently audited attendance figures for SALTEX 2015. Significantly exceeding expectations, the figures confirmed that SALTEX is the largest turf management exhibition in the UK.</p><p>The independent audit, conducted by BPA Worldwide, confirmed that a total of 8,714 unique individuals made 10,112 visits to SALTEX 2015.</p><p>Most likely due to the NEC’s nearby international transport links, the audit also revealed that a high number of overseas visitors attended the event.</p><p>The exhibition saw attendees from 45 countries outside of the UK, which included a wide range of visitors from Europe with large numbers coming from the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany and Denmark. Attendees from the United Arab Emirates made up the majority of visitor numbers from the Middle East while individuals from Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Iran also made the journey over to Birmingham. African visitors from Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa were in attendance and visitors from Chile were the majority representing South America. From Asia, visitors from India, China and Hong Kong, while a number of visitors from the USA also made an appearance.</p><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314737112?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314737112?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-center"/></a><br/> <br/>From a national perspective, SALTEX visitors came from every corner of the UK – confirming it as the UK turf management exhibition with the largest geographical reach.</p><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314735123?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314735123?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-center"/></a><br/> <br/>SALTEX visitors proved to be a very powerful group of buyers, with visitors coming from a number of various sectors from both private and public organisations.</p><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314734448?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314734448?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-center"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314735063?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314735063?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-center"/></a>The widespread array of international and national visitors, combined with the new November date, certainly appeared to mark an increase in quality leads – and exhibitors were quick to acknowledge this.</p><p>"Tildenet had a really successful SALTEX this year and I was really struck by the dramatic increase in footfall at the new venue. We got some great leads and I'm already planning for next year's show," said Richard Jones, commercial manager for Tildenet.</p><p>Emyr Jenkins from Jenkins Garden Machinery also saw a significant increase in solid enquiries: “The show was very good for us and surpassed our expectations where we generated over twice the leads we were expecting,” she said.</p><p>Holly Jones, marketing manager for Lely Turfcare - the UK’s official distributor for Toro, gave similar feedback. “Overall we found the new SALTEX show really busy which generated more enquiries than previous SALTEX shows.”</p><p>Abbey Barnard, sports marketing co-ordinator at Harrod UK, was also impressed with the quality of the visitors. “The central location clearly made the event more accessible as we were able to network with customers who had not previously attended, during the two day show.</p><p>“The calibre of visitors across both days was extremely high with decision makers from each sector of the industry attending,” she said.</p><p>With many new products and services being launched at SALTEX, as well as 1,655 minutes of free education seminars through LEARNING LIVE, there was plenty on offer for visitors.</p><p>“It was absolutely excellent. We were always put off travelling to Windsor for previous SALTEX exhibitions but now at the NEC it’s a lot more central. We got a train which was great because we can go straight from our doorstep to SALTEX. The exhibition is fantastic for the industry – it was good to get there and have a look at what was available. We gained some great ideas and we purchased a few new products.</p><p>“The atmosphere was excellent and it was a great chance to network - we’ll definitely be returning next year,” said Phil Kime - head groundsman at Lincoln City FC.</p><p>SALTEX 2016 will be held at the NEC, Birmingham on 2 and 3 November 2016. For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com</p><p>Follow SALTEX on Twitter @IOG_SALTEX and Facebook – www.facebook.com/IOGSALTEX</p></div>New SALTEX is Resounding Successhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/new-saltex-is-resounding-success2015-11-18T11:37:46.000Z2015-11-18T11:37:46.000ZFusion Mediahttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/FusionMedia<div><p>SALTEX (Sports Amenities Landscaping Exhibition) celebrated its 70th anniversary in style as the UK’s largest turf care event proved to be an unprecedented success at its new NEC Birmingham home - with over 270 exhibitors and more than 8,000 attendees showing their support.</p><p><b>PLEASE NOTE: As one of the only shows within this industry to have an independent audit on show visitor figures, we are still awaiting confirmation from the auditors on the exact number before we can release this. Hopefully this should be within the next 14 days.</b></p><p>As anticipated, the move to the NEC, at a later and more convenient date for many in the industry, not only attracted visitors from across the UK but also a high number of overseas visitors from Europe, Asia, America and Africa – due to the venue’s nearby national and international transport links.</p><p>The new show format and venue also encouraged serious business leads and significant sales, with exhibitors reporting that a substantial number of visitors were high-quality buyers with serious intent.</p><p>“I found the show to be very, very good and the indoor venue of the NEC was much better than Windsor. The show was well attended and busy with the right people all showing a lot of interest. We’ve made a number of sales on the stand and have a huge amount of demonstrations lined up off the back of SALTEX,” said Mike King, sales and marketing manager for Vitax Amenity UK.</p><p>Stuart Archer, managing director at Post Pullers UK agrees: “I was really pleased with the new SALTEX venue, it worked well for us, resulting in a very busy stand on both days. We did a tremendous amount of business on the stand and have some positive leads to follow up on.”</p><p>David W Jenkins, managing director at DJ Turfcare Equipment gave similar feedback: “Windsor had always been successful for us but I have to say that we had double the amount of serious enquires as we would have expected in previous years.”</p><p>Groundsman Industries also found the show to be extremely worthwhile after picking up an order for 10 four-wheel drive sod cutters on the first day and managing director Billy Warke was impressed with the geographical range of people that visited the stand.</p><p>“Overall, we are very pleased with SALTEX at the NEC and I was happy to greet visitors from Iceland, Italy, Belgium and the Czech Republic on our stand,” he said.</p><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314786664?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314786664?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-left"/></a>Branson Tractors chose SALTEX 2015 for the official launch of their range of compact tractors, and managing director Nathan Walker believes that the exhibition proved to be the ideal platform to reach the UK market.</p><p>“I was really buoyed by the exhibition because we had a lot of positive enquiries, both from dealers and from end users as well. We even signed up our first official dealer on our stand,” he said.</p><p>Abigail Fordham, marketing assistant at Duralock Performance Fencing, commented that SALTEX “was definitely our most successful exhibition of the year” while Derek Smith, sales and marketing manager at DLF & Johnsons Sports Seeds, said: “There was a real buzz about the event! I lost track of how many new faces we saw. As well as picking up several new accounts there were some really informative educational presentations on the show floor.”</p><p>It wasn’t just the thousands of products and services on show that appealed to the masses – SALTEX visitors also benefitted from attending the LEARNING LIVE programme over the two days.</p><p>Mike Cartwright, a greenkeeper at the Highcliffe Castle Golf Club in Bournemouth, made the three-hour journey to Birmingham and believes that the LEARNING LIVE programme was a great addition to the show.</p><p>“I was interested in the extensive range of seminars on offer and also attended the show to see what was happening in the grounds care market. We only work with four or five suppliers so it’s nice to see what else is out there. Our trip turned out to be half a buying day and half an educational day. I didn’t know what to expect, but next year I’ll be going to both days so that I can attend more seminars.”</p><p>“The time of the year is so much better for us greenkeepers - you can actually afford to take the day off whereas it was quite difficult to do that in September [the previous SALTEX date]. I thought SALTEX this year was slicker and more professional in the way that it was set-up. At Windsor you’d find that you were always rambling around a bit because it was such a large area. This year’s event was nice and compact and you can visit a lot more stands than you’d normally do,” he said.</p><p>SALTEX proved the ideal platform for the Institute of Groundsmanship [IOG] to reinforce its encouragement of bringing young people into the industry. The Rigby Taylor and Top Green sponsored Young Groundsmen's Conference offered a fantastic opportunity for those looking to develop a rewarding career in groundsmanship.</p><p>Luke Devlin, 26 from Weybridge Surrey, made the journey to SALTEX 2015 with the sole intention on attending the conference – and he wasn’t disappointed.</p><p>“I’ve been in the industry for two years now and I came to SALTEX to meet the IOG Young Board of Directors and find out a bit more about what they do. I definitely took a few things away from the conference. I’m ambitious and would like to think that in a few years’ time I could be running my own site. So the motivational talk and the discussion on morale was particularly helpful.”</p><p>Advice was in abundance at the new look SALTEX and hundreds of visitors also benefitted from Ask the Expert. Situated at the IOG Hub on the show floor, the IOG’s regional pitch advisors were on hand throughout the event to offer free pitch care advice.</p><p>Just as SALTEX 2015 was a resounding success, so too was the annual IOG Industry Awards which was held on the evening of the first day at the exhibition. The awards saw a record attendance with over 640 of the UK’s and Europe’s leading grounds care experts from both the professional and volunteer sector. It was the first time the awards had been part of the exhibition and Karl Standley, assistant head groundsman at Wembley Stadium, thought it was a job well done.</p><p>“I would like to say just how fantastic SALTEX and the IOG Awards were this year - I think the IOG thoroughly pulled it off. It was a fantastic show over two days and also an incredible awards. It just shows how proud the groundsmen of the United Kingdom really are.”</p><p>SALTEX 2016 will be held at the NEC, Birmingham on 2 and 3 November 2016. For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com</p><p>Follow SALTEX on Twitter @IOG_SALTEX and Facebook – www.facebook.com/IOGSALTEX</p></div>SALTEX 2015 LEARNING LIVE Education Programme Revealedhttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/saltex-2015-learning-live-education-programme-revealed2015-09-22T09:07:22.000Z2015-09-22T09:07:22.000ZFusion Mediahttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/FusionMedia<div><p>LEARNING LIVE, an all-encompassing education programme designed for all sectors of the groundscare industry, has now been finalised and is set to be a major attraction at SALTEX 2015 on the 4 and 5 November at The NEC, Birmingham.</p><p>Organised by the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG), this year’s LEARNING LIVE programme is set to be five times bigger than the education offered at previous SALTEX exhibitions with 49 seminars now confirmed. It will provide grounds and open space practitioners across all disciplines, volunteer as well as professional, with a daily feast of FREE knowledge-gathering sessions in one, easy to access, location.</p><p>The sessions will take place in three dedicated LEARNING LIVE seminar theatres on the SALTEX show floor, plus the Young Groundsman’s Conference, in Gallery Suites opposite the SALTEX entrance. These will all feature industry-leading experts and some of the top names in European groundsmanship.</p><p>The IOG Gaining Ground theatre, found on Stand A180, will be hosted by journalist and talkSPORT radio presenter Mark Saggers. These sessions are based around the content at the IOG’s traditional annual conference event.</p><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314723665?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314723665?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-left"/></a>Those involved in cricket may well put the Pitch Perfect seminar at the top of their agenda which features experts such as ECB pitch advisor Chris Wood, and head groundsmen Mick Hunt, Lords and Gary Barwell from Edgbaston discussing best practices in cricket groundsmanship. Other sessions include the challenges faced by the Manchester City grounds staff when they moved from their Carrington training ground to one of the world’s most prestigious sporting complexes – the City Football Academy. Offering a post Rugby World Cup focus, A day in the life of a Rugby World Cup Groundsman - with Keith Kent and Ian Ayling from Twickenham, is expected to be widely attended.</p><p>Park keepers, rangers, contractors, gardeners, horticulturalists, plus groundsmen who have responsibility for the upkeep of play equipment will benefit from attending seminar sessions in the Parks Play and People theatre on Stand A010. Seminar highlights in this theatre include; Darren Share, head of parks for Birmingham City Council, who will highlight how he and his team are providing opportunities to increase activity levels in Birmingham’s local communities; Mark Harrod, SAPCA/BSI Technical Committee for sports equipment providing an expert view of the critical factors involved in making sports facility equipment safe and fit for purpose and The Parks Alliance will also be addressing the serious funding crisis in the sector and focusing on the next steps in this important campaign.</p><p>Sessions within the Technically Turf & New Product Pitches theatre, Stand K180, will provide visitors with invaluable technical advice on Irrigation control systems and what makes them tick and How to work out a fertiliser plan from soil test results and growth requirements. In addition, The PITCH sessions will showcase SALTEX exhibitors’ products and services or new product launches in an exciting quick-fire approach which will help visitors better understand key features and how these may fit into their working environment. Current exhibitors who have signed up to The PITCH include Avant Tecno; Bosch Lawn & Garden; InTurf; John Deere, LANTRA; Lely-Toro; Major Equipment and Proludic.</p><p>The Rigby Taylor and Top Green-sponsored Young Groundsmen’s Conference, which has been organised by the Institute of Groundsmanship's Young Board of Directors will be held in the Concourse Gallery Suites 17 and 18, and will offer a fantastic opportunity for those looking to develop a rewarding career in groundsmanship.</p><p>Head groundsmen; Neil Stubley from Wimbledon, Alan Ferguson from St George's Park; young IOG director Stuart Mackley from Reading FC and Dan Prest, the IOG’s new education and training manager will all be providing invaluable advice on what is expected from you if you want to progress in the turf industry. The How to Get Young People Involved in your Work Place seminar will see Tony Stones from Wembley Stadium; Richard Ayling from Merchant Taylors' School and young IOG director James Pope from St Paul's School reveal how they engage, motivate and develop young people in the industry. Steve Woolland, a leading people development consultant will encourage delegates to get a head start in his The Art of Good Leadership and Management presentation while the IOG Young Board of Directors will be available for one-to-one question and answer sessions.</p><p>Many of the LEARNING LIVE seminars have CPD points connected to them. No pre-booking is required - simply ensure that you arrive promptly to make sure you get a seat.</p><p>To view the full LEARNING LIVE programme visit http://www.iog-saltex.com/content/visiting/free-seminars.aspx</p><p>Visitor registration to SALTEX 2015 is free. To confirm your attendance visit www.iogsaltex.com</p><p>Follow SALTEX on Twitter @IOG_SALTEX and Facebook – www.facebook.com/IOGSALTEX</p></div>Get Ready To Love SALTEX 2015!https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/get-ready-to-love-saltex-20152015-09-02T11:29:03.000Z2015-09-02T11:29:03.000ZFusion Mediahttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/FusionMedia<div><p>A number of industry professionals have started to show their support to SALTEX 2015 by embracing the new ‘GET READY TO LOVE SALTEX’ campaign.</p><p>2015 marks the exhibition’s 70th anniversary and as the UK’s biggest exhibition of groundsmanship products and services, SALTEX (4-5 November at NEC Birmingham) showcases a wide range of exhibitors from every sector and offers educational opportunities at every turn.<br/>Over 230 exhibitors have now signed up to the exhibition and visitor registration is at an all-time high with three months still remaining until the show.</p><p>Overwhelmed by support from the industry, the SALTEX 2015 image – a heart formed of grass, has prompted industry professionals and volunteers to publicly show their support to the industry and SALTEX by forming a heart shape with their hands.</p><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314781362?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314781362?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-left"/></a>Professionals who have already embraced the campaign include Nathan Chapman – Charlton Athletic FC, John Ledwidge – Leicester City FC, Jim Dawson – Scottish Rugby, Joe Wallace – Falkirk FC, Greg Bolton – Fulham FC, Neil Stubley – AELTC, Ryan Golding – Leeds Rhinos, Matt Rainey – Forest Green Rovers FC and Chelsea FC’s grounds staff.</p><p>Commenting on his support for the show, John Ledwidge, head groundsman at Leicester City FC said: “For me, SALTEX is a show that I’ve always attended because it’s a great chance to meet other groundsmen and likeminded people. It’s especially good for those who are involved at grassroots level or are at clubs in lower leagues because they get the opportunity to ask questions to those who are working at the top.</p><p>“The Young Groundsmen’s Conference this year will also be great because it’s important to get the next generation in and find out about what the IOG are doing to ensure a good future for the industry.</p><p>“SALTEX is such a versatile show. It is a one-stop shop for all different sectors and shows ideas from people all over the country and across the world that can really help you in your career. It really offers something for everyone and it’s a fantastic representation of the industry we love,” he said.</p><p>The SALTEX HEART CAMPAIGN is now well underway and the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) is encouraging everyone to show their support by sharing photos of themselves forming the heart shape. Two FREE tickets to the IOG Industry Awards, which will be hosted on the evening of the first day of SALTEX (4 November), at the Hilton Metropole, Birmingham will be up for grabs for the best photo. This event is the UK’s biggest celebration in groundsmanship; with 19 awards, Alistair McGowan providing the after dinner entertainment and talkSPORT’s Mark Saggers hosting the event. The prize also includes a three course dinner, complimentary drinks and accommodation for the night.</p><p>What’s more, the halls of SALTEX 2015 will be decorated with the pictures of those who send in their pictures. So if you love the industry you work in and would support SALTEX 2015’s move to a new location and new date then send your pictures via twitter to @IOG_SALTEX, Facebook – www.facebook.com/IOGSALTEX or by email to the SALTEX Press Office – chris.bennnett@fusion-media.eu</p><p>SALTEX is for absolutely everybody within the groundcare industry, so no matter what your position, your sector or your age – send your pictures in! <br/>Visitor registration to SALTEX 2015 is free. To confirm your attendance visit www.iogsaltex.com</p><p>Follow SALTEX on Twitter @IOG_SALTEX and Facebook – www.facebook.com/IOGSALTEX</p></div>Professional Bodies Show Support for SALTEX 2015https://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/professional-bodies-show-support-for-saltex-20152015-08-04T09:45:27.000Z2015-08-04T09:45:27.000ZFusion Mediahttps://landscapejuicenetwork.com/profil/FusionMedia<div><p>Many of the industry's professional bodies will be supporting SALTEX 2015 and have confirmed their presence at the exhibition, which will be held at the NEC Birmingham on the 4 & 5 November.</p><p>The British and International Golf Greenkeepers' Association (BIGGA) and the Amenity Forum will join the Sport and Play Construction Association (SAPCA), the Arb Association, the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI), the Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (IOSH) and the Parks Alliance in supporting SALTEX 2015's LEARNING LIVE education programme.</p><p>BIGGA-badged seminars will include 'Improve Turf Quality through Measuring, Analysing and Effective Planning', presented by Steve Gingell, agronomy manager at the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI). While an overview of Primo Maxx, the successful plant growth regulator and its use in sportsturf, will be presented by Daniel Lightfoot MG, UK business manager for Syngenta and Henry Bechelet, technical sales manager for Everris.</p><p>BIGGA's educational seminars have always been well received at SALTEX and Jim Croxton, BIGGA's CEO, revealed why the organisation is engaging again this year.</p><p>"We know that a lot of greenkeepers like to attend SALTEX because there is some cross over in exhibitors that are at both SALTEX and BTME. There is also a cross over for people who know groundsmen and are interested in going to catch up with friends and network. Putting education on at SALTEX is the logical next step. Not everyone can get to Harrogate and we feel it's a benefit to our members to have education on wherever we can present it," he said.</p><p>With the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) also having a frequent presence at the BTME exhibition, BIGGA's head of member development Sami Strutt believes that the relationship between the two organisations is great for the industry.</p><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314745108?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3314745108?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-left"/></a>"I think the IOG and BIGGA working together and presenting a united front for the turf industry as a whole, is very important. BIGGA is quite specific to greenkeeping but there is a much wider sporting industry out there that is reliant on turf being in the right condition and producing the right playing surfaces for the people using them. The two associations working together backs this up and goes a long way to ensuring it happens."</p><p>Elsewhere in the show's educational seminar timetable SAPCA-badged sessions will include: Standards for outdoor sports surfaces, presented by Mark Harrod; the maintenance of synthetic sport and play surfaces, by Gary Martin (chair of SAPCA's Ancillary Contractors Group); the design of multi-use games areas (MUGAs), by Neil McHigh (chair of SAPCA's Professional Services Group) and the design and construction of bases for synthetic sports surfaces by Dr Colin Young (a member of SAPCA's Technical Committee).</p><p>John Moverley OBE, independent chair of the Amenity Forum, will also be taking to the stage to present a seminar entitled 'Is there a future for pesticides?' in which the Forum will be discussing the issue of the decreasing range of pesticides available to the sector and the implications. John will also be chairing a separate Question Time style session in which an invited panel will seek to answer questions on all matters relating to weed, pest and disease control.</p><p>The Amenity Forum has participated at a number of SALTEX exhibitions over the years and John believes that it is absolutely vital that the organisation has a presence there.</p><p>"There are many people in the industry that work really hard and care passionately about the work they do. I think SALTEX presents them with a great opportunity to come together to talk and learn more. If they come and talk about weed, pest and disease control as part of that then that is why we need to be there," he said.</p><p>Other professional bodies supporting the show include: The Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA), the Association of Play Industries (API), the Crop Protection Association (CPA) and the British Agricultural & Garden Machinery Association (BAGMA).</p><p>Visitor registration to SALTEX 2015 is free. To confirm your attendance visit www.iogsaltex.com</p><p>Follow SALTEX on Twitter @IOG_SALTEX and Facebook – www.facebook.com/IOGSALTEX</p></div>