BTME this week was absolutely buzzing!

Honestly, in all my many years attending BIGGA's turf maintenance show in Harrogate, I can't recall one that felt as busy. More importantly I don't remember one feeling as upbeat, optimistic and while it feels slightly odd to use this word to describe a trade show, happy.

There were smiles on faces everywhere you looked around the packed halls. Business was being done, connections were being made, hands shook on deals - all in great spirits and good humour. It was a pleasure to witness. Check out our video today for evidence of the great mood that prevailed.

On the morning of day two, CEO of organisers BIGGA, Jim Croxton was clearly delighted with how the event was going when he spoke to the trade press. He said day one "felt outstanding" and it was back to how the show used to be. Nostalgic is how he described it. Figures are not official yet, but they were thinking that something like 2500 came through the doors on Tuesday - which would be a record.

Jim said the only complaint he'd heard was that it was "too busy"! Which is of course, the kind of problem that event organisers don't mind hearing. He believed the numbers showed a genuine desire for the industry to get together in person once again.

Following the impressive turnout for LAMMA a couple of weeks ago, this trend must give the show runners of all the other dates in the industry calendar for this year, a hopeful feeling that the appetite for real-life gatherings is well and truly in place for 2023.

As well as being pleased with attendance, Jim also mentioned that behind-the-scenes talks with the AEA and GMA are on-going - but no further details on what that relationship might offer to the industry were given.

Jim's mood must have gotten even better on day two, because by mid-morning the aisles felt more packed than they had been the day before. It got to the stage where it was actually tricky to move around in certain areas - which hasn't been something we've been able to say about a trade show in quite a while.

Henton & Chattell md Peter Chaloner (centre) with Service Dealer's Nikki Harrison and Steve Gibbs

Talking to the machinery stand-holders who'd be of interest to our Service Dealer readers, they all seemed mightily pleased with the footfall they had enjoyed. I was hearing most say they'd experienced a good mix of dealer visitors and end-users. In terms of the customers who made the trip to Harrogate, I was told there might have been a few contractors and the occasional other professional sport, but it was the golf greenkeepers who were truly there in significant numbers.

As you walked around, glancing at people's name badges, you could quickly see that the vast majority were visiting from one golf club or another. BIGGA really have made this event a fantastic draw for their members, what with all the education and seminars that are on offer alongside the exhibition. This pull for the professional practioners is of course fantastic news for the exhibiting manufacturers - and in turn, their dealers.

I was talking to one pleased supplier on Wednesday who told me that by 11am they had already texted some hot golf course leads to three of their dealers. When a show delivers the right end-users, it's not only good for the exhibitors in the room, it should also be directly beneficial to dealers around the country.

Ripon Farm Service's Phil Gregg, Andrew Herring and Iain Booth from Farols and Steve Gibbs

BIGGA had made some tweaks to the show after the last couple of editions that had improved things. There was a slightly different hall configuration and rather than making everyone enter the exhibition from one end of the convention centre, there were entrances at either end. This meant there wasn't that lag of visitors getting around to stands at the end of the route that some exhibitors had complained about in recent years. What the changes did mean though was that a hall upstairs which had previously been one of the busiest, this time felt a bit forgotten and out of the way.

But that's a minor quibble. I genuinely did not hear any dissatisfaction voiced from the manufacturers on stands I spoke to, nor from the visiting dealers I bumped into on my way round the halls.

Service Dealer owner Duncan Murray-Clarke with Husqvarna's Jonathan Snowball

Some highlights from company's of interest to our readers included:

• Husqvarna featured the Ceora front and centre on their stand. I was told that supply of the robotic mower for professional use is on track for this year and golf clubs are getting on board with the concept. Similar to domestic sales of autonomous mowers where homeowners look over the fence and jump on the robotic trend if they see neighbour using one, clusters of golf courses in geographic areas are acting similarly - requesting demos of the product where they see one in action on a nearby course.
• John Deere received plenty of interest in their first walk-behind battery greens mowers from the greenkeepers in attendance. The company's Chris Meacock told the press they had waited this long to release these machines as they wanted to make sure they had the technology right.
• Ransomes, despite being located in the quieter upstairs hall, always had groups checking out their newly unveiled SLF1 ELiTE, described as the industry’s first fully electric five reel mower.
• Kubota and Baroness shared a stand once more with both companies saying how well the collaboration works for them, Both said their new stand position, located near one of the re-opened entrances had resulted in them having a great show, meeting dealers and users alike.
• Price Turfcare's stand stood out, lifting their new Ventrac 4520 compact tractor off the ground into a striking, elevated position. The new machine didn't look much different but promised a whole series of improvements ‘under the bonnet’.
• Reesink again had a large, impressive stand that always seemed busy, with the new ProCore 648s catching the eye of greenkeepers.

We will include more detail about some of the interesting new products seen at BTME in the next edition of Service Dealer magazine.

Until then, credit where it's due, BIGGA should be applauded for pitching their show just right for their greenkeeper members. When a show delivers so well for its intended audience in terms of timing, location and content, the knock-on benefits for the wider industry are clearly apparent.