Last week I attended GroundsFest at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, now into its third year.

Myself and Steve Gibbs, editor of our sister title for the independent dealer network Service Dealer, were greeted by Chris Basset and Chris Bennett two of the show’s organisers on our entrance to the show at 9am.

The weather was being kind with a ray of autumn sunshine shining over the showground, creating a buzz of excitement among many of the exhibitors.

My first thoughts on walking around the show was that it was a much bigger layout than the previous two years - not surprising with over 300 exhibitors wanting to show off their wares.

The show continues to be a two-day event, featuring a mix of indoor and outdoor zones, hands-on equipment demonstrations, Lantra-approved training, a dedicated Landscape Zone, and a live music festival at the end of the first day.

I personally enjoyed my two days at the exhibition; it reminded me of the halcyon days of the old Windsor show that always seemed to have the sunny weather and a buzz about the place.

You could feel a positive atmosphere at this year’s show, as it continues to grow into a show that the industry desires. Virtually everybody I spoke to, both exhibitors and attendees, agreed it was becoming the place to be seen.

Several visitors did say they would like to see some of the larger manufacturers at the show – however, there was so much to see in terms of machinery, everywhere you looked there was a plethora of mowers, tractors, robots and hand tools.

In fact there was further explosion of robotic machines on show this year, with the likes of Navimow, Husqvarna, Ego, Agrovista and many others bringing an array of robotic devices to the marketplace.

I was amazed at the range of robotic devices Agrovista had on display, for example, offering a wide range of mowers, linemarkers and leaf collectors.

I called onto the EGO stand to see that they are launching a range of new robotic mowers for 2026 along with their many new ProX products that feature mowers, hand tools and blowers. These new robotic mowers the Aura-R2 models feature what the company is calling Path IQ - combining the use of RTK and a camera capable of depth perception to guarantee continuous navigation. The three units which can cut 1500, 3000 and 6000 square metres, will be fully supported for dealers with in-store P.O.S, I was told.

I also caught up with Chris Gibson, who on the PSD stand showed me their latest remote / autonomous mower option, the SABO Mowit Pro - a battery powered large area mower. This comes with a choice of mowing decks – 120cm discharge deck or 132cm mulching deck - offering a cutting height of 40-120mm.

I also caught up with Guy Overton who was entertaining a couple of Americans who represent one of their new products on show, Overton are marketing the Encore range of mowers - a reliable, well-built mower that offers both fuel and battery powered models. They are robust machines, competitively priced, suitable for contractors, schools and local authorities.

Overton also sell a radio-controlled rotary mower that can collect clippings, ideal for use on banks.

As always STIHL had an impressive stand that showed off their complete range of fuel and battery powered products, with live demos of their chainsaws in action.

I also enjoyed watching the lawnmower racing that played its part in enhancing the atmosphere of the show.

In Hall 1 we had our own Service Dealer / TurfPro stand where I met up with industry colleagues.

I also attended several of the educational seminars - the first being a Lantra panel chaired by Professor John Moverley that talked about the issues of recruitment and retention. Guest speakers stated the difficulty of retaining staff and coming up with some suggestions of how we as an industry can encourage and welcome the next generation to come and work in our diverse amenity industry.

One speaker stated we need to change the way we think about our sector and relate it to the wellbeing of our planet. The younger generation would then be more likely to want to get involved with jobs that essentially maintain our green infrastructure and environment.

I also attended a BASIS seminar where their new CEO Corrina Urquhart spoke about the vital role the amenity sector plays in managing public spaces, enhancing biodiversity, and supporting sustainable land-use practices. From parks and sports grounds to highways and cemeteries, amenity professionals are environmental stewards on the front lines of climate challenges, regulatory change, and evolving public expectations.

She said BASIS recognise that this sector is unique. It faces growing demands for professionalism, transparency, and innovation, all while contending with limited resources and increased scrutiny. That’s why the organisation is taking proactive steps to ensure that BASIS services are fit for purpose and responsive to the needs of sector.

More on this initiative can be read here today.

As a Basis qualified professional myself, I was pleased to hear the changes being made to improve the service provision and where BASIS sees itself in the coming years to meet the demands of our industry.

Since joining BASIS, Corrina has prioritised listening to contractors, advisors, manufacturers, and organisations across the amenity spectrum. These conversations have been open, honest, and constructive. BASIS is already acting on the feedback received. Input from the amenity sector is helping to shape the way BASIS supports individuals and businesses alike.

I felt that as you walked around the showground last week, there was positive buzz on all the stands. The Landscape Zone was much busier than last year and compliments the show well. As time goes by, I can see this area becoming more of a feature. I think there’s no reason not to include a skills-based competition here, where colleges can show off their landscaping design skills and build a show garden during the show. And maybe we could even have a flower show?

All in all, I feel this was an enjoyable, well organised show. Hats off to Chris Bassett and his team for putting on commendable show. This format of both indoor and outdoor exhibition space, combined with the economic costs, makes it a good formula for success.

It certainly helped that the weather played its part - at least until the show was almost over! But whilst the sun shone, the value of an outdoor exhibition couldn't have been more clearly illustrated. The organisers were pleased to inform us that a total of 9037 visitors attended the show and how they were incredibly proud to see the show grow significantly again for the third year running.

We’re all now looking forward to seeing what can be brought to the table for 2026.