What a year we have had to say the least!

We have had one of the most challenging weather fronts for many years, with a very wet and cold spring , followed by a substantial hot and dry summer - it will be interesting to see what our autumn season brings. Hopefully in the next few weeks we should see some much-needed rain to soften up the ground conditions. This will help enormously, especially with sports clubs that are now implementing their end of season renovation work.

With the football and rugby playing seasons now under way, I am not sure whether I personally would want to play rugby or indeed football on many of the existing bone hard pitches until we have had enough rain to soften them up.

I am sure these pitches will recover quickly as soon as there is adequate moisture back in the soil profile. However, it would pay to invest in some renovation work to help their recovery, particularly taking the opportunity to clean out any dead material, undertaking some aeration work and overseeding.

I personally enjoy this time of the year, as you get the chance to reflect on what you have achieved during the main growing season and plan your winter work.

I also believe it is important to catch up with fellow practitioners and more importantly make an effort to attend our annual industry shows SALTEX and the BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME) Harrogate.

Two fantastic sports turf industry shows, SALTEX this year will be held on Wednesday 31st October and the Thursday 1st of November at the NEC Birmingham, while BTME Harrogate will be held in January 2019 for three days 22nd, 23rd and 24 January.

SALTEX offers you a world of opportunities to discover the latest industry trends and innovations, enhance your education and learn from industry experts over two days for free.

BTME 2019 will feature over 250 hours of education including the Turf Managers' Conference, over 100 exhibitors showcasing the latest products and innovations plus superb networking opportunities. Last year's exhibition saw nearly 9,000 turf managers, golf club owners, managers and industry decision-makers pack into the Harrogate Convention Centre.

Both of these shows are, in my opinion, a must visit. Both offer a different show experience, both have in recent years focussed on the importance of education and training and provide a wealth of education platforms and workshops to attend. However, for me, their true value is the opportunity they afford to see the latest machinery, products and services on offer and tap into the wealth of knowledge these exhibitors bring to the shows. Without out their support and the fact they pay for the privilege to attend these events, the shows would not exist.

Steve Gibbs who edits our sister title, Service Dealer, agrees with me that there is great value in heading off to Birmingham and Harrogate each year. He said, “Of course any time away from your place of work can be difficult – but finding a couple of days every 12 months really can be invaluable. It’s hard to a place price on what a visit can gain you in terms of sharing ideas and knowledge with the wider industry – plus the social interaction side to the events can often prove to be one of the most productive aspects to your visit.”

I firmly believe all of us who earn a living working in this great industry should support these shows and make the effort to attend. We should also try and encourage our line managers, school bursers, headmasters and any local authority managers to come and see what our industry has to offer.

There are literally thousands of us who earn a living from working in this industry, however collectively only a proportion of some 18,000 actually make an effort annually to attend.

I also see no reason why we should not be encouraging more schools, colleges and universities to attend the shows, thus enabling the opportunity for their students to be introduced to the professionalism of our industry and the wide range of potential careers that exist within it. We also need to recruit new blood into our industry. Having said that, many of sports turf colleges do a sterling job and over the years have brought some outstanding students into the industry. I just think there is greater potential to bring a wider audience to our industry.

I am always blown away by collective knowledge and skills we have on offer and the vast diversity of our industry. Career opportunities are endless. Both shows have in recent years captured a lot of overseas interest and we are seeing more and more business opportunities abroad. These shows are our shop window, we all should take the effort to attend and support our industry. So next time you attend make sure you take the time to speak to many of the exhibitors as you can. You will be surprised, what you can learn from speaking to these dedicated people.

You may even find an opportunity to further your own career, that may take you on another interesting journey within this remarkable turf grass industry.

As for the future of our industry shows, there has been a fair amount of debate from a number of interested parties on whether we should have only one single show each year?

In their current format I do personally enjoy attending both events as they offer the opportunity for me to meet and connect with many aspects of our vibrant industry.

However, I do firmly believe there will come a time when we as an industry must consider the benefit of combining these two shows, while at the same time bringing on board some other major organisations, such as the RHS, APSE and BALI to enhance the show and bring in a bigger international audience.