GroundsFest Academy continued its commitment to supporting education across the grounds management industry with a successful Optimising Turf Performance event at Leigh Sports Village, bringing together leading industry experts and grounds professionals for a day of practical learning, knowledge sharing and networking.
Free to attend and CPD accredited, the event explored the challenges of maintaining high-quality natural turf in increasingly demanding environments. Delegates heard from specialists in grow lighting and plant nutrition while also benefiting from practical demonstrations, real-world case studies and open discussions with fellow professionals.
Hosted in partnership with TLS (Turf Lighting Solutions) Rhenac and Consolidate Turf, the event focused on the growing pressures faced by today's ground staff, including increased fixture schedules, changing weather patterns, reduced recovery time and the ongoing challenge of producing high-quality playing surfaces throughout the year.
Bradley Tennant from GroundsFest Academy explained why these educational events have become increasingly important.
"A lot of problems recently in grounds management are the fact that ground staff and greenkeepers are having to deal with much higher pressures than previously," he said. "More fixtures, different weather, changes in the conditions and expectations around playability have all affected how pitches are prepared and presented.
"It has been great to share the experience and knowledge from TLS Rhenac and Consolidate Turf. There is a huge amount of expertise between them, and it gives ground staff, greenkeepers and grounds care workers the opportunity to discover new technologies and approaches that are available within the industry."
Throughout the day, attendees explored how stadium design, shade and limited natural light affect grass growth, while learning how lighting technology, nutrition, irrigation and carefully timed recovery programmes can work together to improve turf health.
Tim Engels from TLS Rhenac highlighted the value of holding the event at Leigh Sports Village, where the company's lighting technology is already in use.
"This is one of our home grounds where we have our technology installed," he said. "It's an excellent case study because people can see everything working in a real environment. We learn most when we're in direct contact with people, when they can see the equipment, ask questions and experience it first-hand."
The partnership between TLS Rhenac and Consolidate Turf demonstrated how different technologies can complement one another to achieve the same goal of healthier, stronger turf.
Danny Patten from Consolidate Turf said: "We're trying to improve plant performance through nutrition, while Rhenac are doing it through light, so it made perfect sense to work together for this event.
"I hope we've opened the eyes of everyone who attended to different approaches to plant nutrition and turf recovery. It's a chance to step away from the day-to-day routine, gain CPD and learn from experts and fellow professionals. GroundsFest Academy is a fantastic initiative to be part of."
The event also received positive feedback from delegates, many of whom valued the opportunity to hear directly from both suppliers and fellow grounds professionals who are using the products and technologies every day.
Lee Jackson from Sheffield Wednesday praised the practical nature of the event.
"It has been really interesting hearing from both the lighting specialists and Consolidate Turf but also listening to the people who are actually using the products," he said. "You get both perspectives, which makes it incredibly worthwhile.
"This industry is constantly evolving. If you think you know it all, you don't. You have to keep learning and improving. Nothing beats being able to speak to people face-to-face, ask questions and share experiences. The networking alone makes events like this worthwhile."
Stephen Sargant from Derby County FC echoed those sentiments.
"This was a different event to the previous Academy day, focusing more on the grass itself and how we can improve it," he said. "You can never stop learning. Every event teaches you something different and helps you become better at what you do."
Neil Porter from Leigh Sports Village also highlighted the importance of bringing the industry together.
"These are the only events where you can really sit down with other grounds people, discuss what you're doing and learn from different approaches," he said. "We can all get stuck in our own ways, so sharing ideas and experiences like this is invaluable."
As GroundsFest Academy continues to expand its programme of free educational events across the UK, days such as Optimising Turf Performance demonstrate its ongoing commitment to reinvesting in the industry by providing accessible learning opportunities, practical knowledge and valuable networking for everyone involved in the maintenance of sports turf.
For more information about GroundsFest Academy, visit www.groundsfestacademy.com.
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