THE weather is set fair and there will be a whiff of nostalgia in the air as IOG SALTEX bids to depart from Royal Windsor Racecourse next week – presumably for the last time.
The feedback we have received from the trade and from those in the turf care industry since last week has been predictably mixed. Some love the idea of moving to the NEC with its enhanced facilities, others mourn the loss of an outdoor show with the grass beneath the feet.Exhibitor response will ultimately determine the success of the event, although a scaled down two-day rather than three-day show sharing income with their annual Awards at a single venue may well stack up for the IOG
Which would be all very well, if there wasn’t another ‘near-as-damn-it’ show taking place within a few weeks in Harrogate!
Almost without exception, exhibitors want to support the aims, ideals and work carried out by both IOG and BIGGA. They want the membership associations, representing their customers, to be strong, vibrant and effective. But now they have to make choices.
Let’s face it, if we were starting with a clean sheet of paper, we would not be in this position. The danger is that IOG and BIGGA could open the door for a serious contender to come up with a show proposal that could really fly.
The over-riding feeling is that here was a lost opportunity. Not by one party or another – but by the industry as a whole.
Meanwhile I have to admit that having attended Hurlingham (once in short trousers), then Motspur Park and for many years, Windsor – there won’t necessarily be a tear shed, as much as a nod of appreciation and thanks to all those who made the show happen, often against the odds, year after year.
Chris Biddle
Publisher Turf Pro
