Not only is Peter one of the most recognisable and authoritative voices in all sport, he is a fascinating and amusing speaker with over half a century of anecdotes and opinions to draw upon – and you can catch a typically humorous keynote speech from him on Tuesday 21 January. Entry is free to BIGGA members and BTME visitors.

Beginning immediately after the first day of the exhibition, the evening will be a true celebration of some of the industry’s finest moments during the past 12 months.

BIGGA will be acknowledging the achievements of some of their members during 2013, honouring greenkeepers who have excelled in educational, professional and golfing capacities and toasting success in the wider turf management industry.

To attend, just head to the Royal Hall at the Harrogate International Centre at 5.30pm.

BIGGA Chairman Tony Smith said: “BTME is the biggest gathering of BIGGA members in the year and we’re looking forward to celebrating the terrific achievements of some of those members over the past year.

“We’re also tremendously excited to welcome Peter Alliss to BTME and I can’t wait to hear what he has to say. He’s been a long-term supporter of the greenkeeping industry and has played a major part in raising its profile through his TV commentaries. It should be a terrific event and I hope to see you all there.”

Commenting on his company’s support for the Welcome Celebration, Jacobsen’s President David Withers said: “We have been Gold Key supporters of BIGGA for many years and our commitment to the organisation has been consistent since 1999. We totally believe in the motivation that Continued Professional Development (CPD) brings to BIGGA members and we have provided almost £300,000 in scholarship funding to help members progress through further education programmes.

“We also sponsor BIGGA’s new professional development programme for young greenkeepers – the Future Turf Managers Initiative (FTMI). This targets today’s generation of greenkeepers who demonstrate the ability and drive to become leaders of their profession in the future.

“The latest support for a BIGGA event again highlights our commitment to the organisation and its members. I’m sure Peter Alliss will delight us all; he is a raconteur par excellence!”