My body clock is just starting to readjust following a visit to the States last week and my trip to GIE+EXPO!

I must reiterate once again what a truly great show the OPEI put on in Louisville. It was also one which had a palpable buzz about it. A buzz which emanated from the crowds trekking around the showfloor and demo areas, the exhibitors on their stands and from the organisers themselves.

Everyone I encountered seemed enthused and energised. No one was claiming that the industry was all conquering at the moment, but the consensus seemed to be that the U.S had experienced a decent season this year, with prospects for 2020 and beyond looking healthy.

Which sounds like a decent enough position to be in. With product trends such as battery equipment and robotics clearly in the ascendancy, plus petrol products (or gas as our Amercian cousins are want to call them) not going anywhere anytime soon, I came away feeling mightily positive about the industry in general. 

And now I'm very much hoping these good vibes will find their way over to the NEC at Birmingham next week, with the IOG's SALTEX show running across Wednesday and Thursday.

It's unfair to directly compare the two shows because of the differences in scale, so I won't do that. What I genuinely believe though, is that SALTEX has greatly improved in recent years compared to its final editions at Windsor. It was a brave move by the IOG to upsticks and change up the format - and after some initial misgivings and grumblings from certain quarters, I think the show has really found its feet. As such I'm very much looking forward to seeing what's on offer to visitors next week.

One thing that I do know will be there is Service Dealer! We have a stand at M181, so any readers in attendance, please drop by and say hi.

There could be a certain frisson in the air too what with it being both Halloween and the day we've been told we're leaving the EU come what may (but let's not get into that!).

The organisers boast that 2019’s edition will feature over 300 exhibitors. The two-day event, say the IOG, will offer visitors "an opportunity to experience the latest industry trends and innovations, enhance their education and learn from industry experts".

Features which the organisers hope will get the crowds turning up in their droves this year include:

• Eco Village – New for this year, live demonstrations purely dedicated to environmentally-friendly products.
• Learning LIVE - SALTEX’s free educational programme.
• Pathology and Soil Science LIVE – a look in detail at the symptoms of turfgrass fungal disease problems.
• SALTEX Innovation Award – celebrating the best in new groundscare technology.
• Ask the Expert - free face-to-face turfcare advice.
• Outdoor Demonstrations – the latest products in action in an area directly outside halls 6,7 and 8.
• SALTEX College Cup - land based colleges compete in an academic test of turf management knowledge.
• Lawn Care Legends LIVE – a networking opportunity for landscapers and gardeners.
• Job Clinic – free one-to-one sessions covering CV writing to interview techniques.

Looking through the listings for the educational sessions, a couple of presentations catch my eye as being of interest to our independent dealer readers. Firstly on Day 1, in Theatre 4 from 10.00am to 10.30, Keith Christian, director of BAGMA, is doing a talk entitled 'Recruit For The Future'. Described as being about why more technicians are needed to support the sports turf industry and why problems associated with the current lack of recruitment must be addressed, I'm sure Keith will have plenty to say of relevance to our readers.

Also on Day 2 in Theatre 4, Sara Hay, who readers will know from her appearances at the Service Dealer Conference and her regular column in the magazine, is presenting on the subject of 'How To Motivate Your Staff'. Sara says she'll be offering advice on ways to motivate and retain your team members in order to produce a positive return on your investment in time, energy and money. All very pertinent to specialist dealers.

As well as this of course, the stands will no doubt be packed with new products worth checking out - and the value of the networking opportunities afforded by spending time with both suppliers and fellow dealers should never be overlooked. If, of course, you can spare the time away from your workplace for a day or two!

If you can, I hope you gain as much as possible from a trip to SALTEX next week. It will be very interesting to take the temperature of the UK industry following what's been described by many as an up and down season.