I attended a trade show in London this week that I always enjoy popping along to - even though over the years I have seen the number of machinery exhibitors who our dealer readers will be familiar with, dwindle. 

Called The Garden Press Event, it's held at the Business Design Centre in Islington and isn't open to industry members or the public. It's targeted specifically at journalists who cover the horticultural sector. 

Now, I use the word journalist, with reservations. Traditionally this event has been used by the exhibitors to place their products and services, not so much in front in writers for trade publications like myself, but to position themselves in the sights of journos who work for the consumer-facing press. The aim would be achieve column inches in the gardening pages of the likes of The Sun or The Guardian, or within the covers of newsstand gardening magazines.

However, from speaking to the machinery exhibitors who were there this week, old-school dinosaurs like me (who carry around an actual pad & pen and take photographs with a camera rather than a telephone), aren't perhaps their primary focus for attending anymore. No, the word I kept hearing on Tuesday was influencers.

Of course there is still an interest in gaining the attention of the legacy media, but it did strike me as significant the number of times I heard the i-word mentioned when I asked why each machinery exhibitor had chosen to take a stand. It seemed as if this event in particular, presented itself as an opportunity to speak to some different faces than which they might ordinarily encounter at a more traditional trade show. I felt this clearly demonstrated the importance that some of your suppliers are now placing on building relationships with this new generation of communicators.

And even from my perspective of an old man from the past with an actual pen, I can understand why. Thinking specifically about your customers for domestic machinery, before making a purchase they will inevitably research extensively online, possibly watching YouTube reviews, scrolling through Instagram posts, and engaging with these expert influencers through a variety of social media. All before (hopefully) visiting your dealership.

Influencers, if they are effective within their niche, can carry credibility and trust. Their real-world experience, hands-on product demonstrations, and honest reviews can have a significant impact on your customers' decision-making process. If your supplying manufacturers are investing time and effort into influencer marketing, there must be a decent chance that their products are likely to be recognised, trusted, and in demand when customers walk through your doors or visit your website.

It's a form of marketing that will surely only grow ever more integral and, dare I say, influential.

And what were the machinery people saying and showing at the Garden Press Event this week?

STIHL told me the show was at the right time of year to be getting their messaging out to the influences and press, with the latter group becoming an increasingly vital part of their marketing mix. On their stand they were promoting solely battery-powered machinery including new items from the both the AS and AK ranges. A new AS compressor was proving popular amongst dealers I heard, whilst the new RCA 20 cordless handheld pressure washer had apparently been gaining plenty of attention since it had been recently announced on YouTube. They also had on show two new iMow robots, the 3 and 4.

BARRUS were also promoting robotic mowing solutions with the latest addition to the Segway range, the X3 Series. I was told how these units had recently been successful picking up several prizes for innovation at the huge Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. These new robots can do more across rough terrain and are able to cope with slopes of up to 50% the company were keen to stress. They also said the recognisable Segway name had encouraged more dealers to sign on with them, but that they are still interested in finding more.

STIGA also had robotics prominently on show on their large stand. They spoke about how their range has expanded greatly in recent times, including with new entry-level consumer models that can be self-setup by the homeowner - and they seemed keen to work with influencers in promoting these technologies. They also had an example of their core ride-on range on show, which highlighted new developments for user comfort including improved seats, steering wheels and storage - all of which, I was told, had resulted in positive feedback from their dealer network.

HUSQVARNA very much had a residential, lifestyle focus to their stand which they co-held with the company's Gardena and Flymo brands. They had three sizes of Automower on display, including the new 405XE which can deal with lawns up to 600 m². They also did not feature any petrol powered machines as they were promoting the notion of sustainability in their products to the press and influencers. The stand also included a new shredder as well as hand-held examples from their Aspire range.

MAKITA had plenty of new battery powered products on their stand from snow blowers to pressure washers to chainsaws. I was told that a new lightweight pole saw that they had on show, which could break down into three sections, had taken them by surprise recently with its popularity. Also proving popular were a range of lighting solutions that, amongst other users, had been finding favour with police forces - as, I was informed, had equipment for cutting protestors free who had stuck themselves to roads!

The only other machinery companies on show in Islington this week were the more mass-channel brands of Bosch, Yard Force and EINHELL. Although interestingly, the latter were telling me they are bringing out a professional range of grounds maintenance tools later this year that they may be interested in seeing within the dealer network.

All-in-all, the Garden Press Event was another decent, low-key show and one which I hope the manufacturers who attended found some tangible benefit from exhibiting at. If that benefit turns out to be some coverage on blogs, vlogs, 'grams or podcasts (I know all the modern words), then hopefully that can be turned into increased footfall or web traffic for dealers.