Show organisers have listened to visitor feedback from last year’s event to ensure that SALTEX 2016, taking place on 2 and 3 November at the NEC Birmingham, will offer even more reasons to attend – from FREE car parking for IOG members and outdoor demonstrations to an extended, free-to-attend seminar programme and new show attractions.
Last year’s SALTEX (Sports, Amenities, Landscaping Trade Exhibition) was an unprecedented success with over 260 exhibitors and 8,714 unique visitors spanning 45 different nations. Building on that success, SALTEX 2016’s improved show features and unrivalled industry support are set to work together to create the most exciting groundscare event to date when the doors to halls 6, 7 and 8 open at the NEC, Birmingham on November 2 and 3.
There are a number of reasons why SALTEX 2016 should be firmly in your diary…
More exhibitors
Over 280 exhibitors from a diverse range of grounds management sectors have confirmed for SALTEX 2016. The exhibition will see a plethora of exhibitors representing the likes of forestry, play, groundscare machinery, artificial surfaces, natural turf, landscaping products, pest control, line marking, waste management, sports equipment and many, many more. SALTEX is the only event of its kind to showcase such a wide array of products, services and advice which could significantly improve the daily operations for all those involved in grounds management.
Increased education opportunities
Show organisers have commissioned an extra seminar theatre for SALTEX 2016 in order to expand the number of presentations across the two days. Learning LIVE will now see four purpose-built seminar theatres with state-of-the-art sound systems and screens featuring a greater depth of content and quality.
There will be a number of expert speakers from the UK and abroad focusing on issues that surround the industry and visitors can expect to hear from the likes of Alan Ferguson (St George’s Park); Darren Baldwin (Tottenham Hotspur FC); Dougie Robertson (West Ham United FC); David Roberts (Liverpool FC); Jonathan Calderwood (Paris Saint-Germain FC); Tony Stones (Stade de France); Reece Watson (Arsenal FC); Weston Appelfeller (Major League Soccer team Columbus Crew); Jim Dawson (BT Murrayfield); Keith Kent (Twickenham); Neil Stubley (AELTC – Wimbledon); Steve Chappell (PGA Centenary Golf Course at the Gleneagles Hotel) and many, many more.
It has also been confirmed that journalist and talkSPORT radio presenter will be reprising his role as host for Seminar Theatre Two.
NEW for 2016 – Outdoor Demonstrations
Based on SALTEX 2015 post-show feedback surveys, show organisers have made the decision to bring back outdoor working demonstrations, which will take place on a grass area directly outside the SALTEX halls 6, 7 and 8 and will provide visitors with an opportunity of seeing a number of products in action.
NEW for 2016 – The SALTEX College Cup
The SALTEX College Cup, sponsored by Ransomes, is a brand new national student-led sports-turf challenge that will take place on the first fay of SALTEX. It is an academic test of turf management knowledge for student competitors in teams of four who are enrolled at colleges throughout the UK on relevant courses of study. The 2.5-hour competition consists of paper-based multiple choice and short answer questions on turf management plus a case study with a long written answer. The winning college team will not only get their hands on the trophy but will receive a generous cheque from the competition sponsor – Ransomes, a cash prize and the chance to be volunteer groundsmen for the 2017 FA Cup final pitch preparation at Wembley Stadium.
NEW for 2016 - Pathology & Soil Science LIVE
The Pathology & Soil Science LIVE area will be located on the IOG Hub (stand number C180) from 11am to 1pm each day and will allow visitors to look in detail at the symptoms of some common turfgrass fungal disease problems, as infected plants are magnified and displayed on a large screen. Turfgrass roots that are infected with plant parasitic nematodes will also be shown in order to demonstrate the way in which these parasites can affect root development and function. During this informal demonstration, short video clips will also be shown to allow visitors to see both fungi and plant parasitic nematodes in greater detail.
Pathology & Soil Science LIVE will be hosted by renowned turf consultant Alex Vickers and MD of the Turf Disease Centre Kate Entwistle.
The latest innovations
The Young Groundsmen’s Conference
2016 will see the Young Groundsmen’s Conference, sponsored by Rigby Taylor/Top Green and organised by the (Institute of Groundsmanship’s (IOG) Young Board of Directors, integrated into the Learning LIVE programme on the show floor. The conference will be an ideal opportunity for young people looking to advance their career in the groundscare industry, and will offer information on educational opportunities, a guide to what some of the top grounds managers are looking for in a young recruit, and the chance to hear from industry professionals working at some of the most elite venues in the world.
Never before has there been an exhibition where groundscare students and aspiring groundsmen can network with leading companies, view the latest technology and learn more about pathways into the industry – all within one easy-to-access location.
Help is at hand through Ask the Expert
Feedback from SALTEX 2015 post-show surveys revealed that the exhibition’s Ask the Expert feature was hugely popular enabling many visitors to overcome a variety of obstacles they had been experiencing. This year, Ask the Expert is back in style with nine IOG regional pitch advisors based on the IOG Hub throughout the event to offer valuable and free pitch care advice.
The IOG Industry Awards
SALTEX will once again be combined with the IOG’s annual Industry Awards dinner. Held on the evening of the first day (2 November) at the National Motorcycle Museum, which is near to the NEC, the event will be hosted by talkSPORT Radio’s Mark Saggers.
The Oscar-style presentation ceremony is the UK’s biggest celebration in groundsmanship; with 20 awards up for grabs. After-dinner speaker, Simon Brodkin, aka Lee Nelson, the renowned stand-up comedian and actor, will be entertaining the hundreds of groundscare experts and sports industry dignitaries attending.
SALTEX is incredibly easy to get to
SALTEX 2015 attendees from across the UK and abroad said that the venue, and convenient dates were key reasons behind their decisions to attend the FREE event. Located in the centre of the UK, whether you are travelling from overseas or within the UK, the NEC is easy to get to by car, rail or air.
The NEC is situated eight miles east of Birmingham city centre; its central location ensures it is at the hub of the UK motorway network. Visitors from any direction can travel to The NEC site directly using the following motorways - M1, M5, M6, M6 Toll, M40 and M42.
Please note that FREE parking is available for IOG individual members – simply visit the IOG Hub (stand number C180) to collect a voucher.
If you wish to travel by rail, you can get a great 25% discount travelling to the NEC with Virgin Trains. Birmingham International rail station is located right next to the NEC, in fact you can reach the hall without even having to step outside. The NEC entrance is on the right hand side as you exit the station. It’s only 1 hour 10 minutes from London Euston and 1 hour 46 minutes from Manchester Piccadilly!
The NEC is just minutes from Birmingham International Airport. Once you've landed you can either walk and follow signs to the SkyRail Link, which is free and has a travel time of 90 seconds, or get a taxi which you will be able to find outside of the passenger terminals.
The full programme of SALTEX events will be regularly updated via www.iogsaltex.com.
Visitor registration to SALTEX 2016 is free. To confirm your attendance visit www.iogsaltex.com
Follow SALTEX on Twitter @IOG_SALTEX and Facebook – www.facebook.com/IOGSALTEX
