PACKED halls for BTME 2014 saw real optimism for the year ahead with nearly 9,000 visitors from across the globe at the Harrogate International Centre.

The three days saw full halls, a sold-out education programme (2,764 delegates over a week), an audience with TV’s Peter Alliss and an Edwin Budding Award win for American mower expert 77-year-old Tom Hurst of Bernhard Grinders.

Tuesday saw 3,205 visitors fill the halls – but this was surpassed on Wednesday with a 3,940 attendance. Even the traditionally quieter Thursday featured 1,606 giving a total of 8,751 - a significant increase on recent years.

 “Numbers were up by about 10 per cent even on the first day,” said BIGGA chief executive Jim Croxton. “It has been a really vibrant show and with BTME celebrating its 25^th year this has been a great event to mark the occasion.”

Outgoing chairman Tony Smith, cut a special cake at the BIGGA media event. Chris Sealey, course manager at Chippenham Golf Club, Wiltshire, became BIGGA’s new chairman.  He said “It’s been a fabulous week, and what a superb way to start the year. I’ve spoken to turf professionals from America, Australia and all across Europe which just shows the global appeal of BTME”.

Even the clash with the LAMMA show at the East of England ground, Peterborough, was no barrier to business with some exhibitors managing to do both. Harrogate exhibitors were certainly drier and warmer.

Richard Campey’s agricultural division, JC Machinery, run by son John, managed to be at LAMMA while his Turf Care Systems staff launched new machines at BTME.

A warm and off-the-cuff speech from golfing TV legend Peter Alliss touched on his family’s background in greenkeeping and his introduction to golf courses and greenkeeping characters during his childhood and teenage years. He won a standing ovation after saying golf would not exist without the skills and “dark arts” of greenkeepers.