I arrived back yesterday from Louisville, Kentucky where I was visiting the GIE-EXPO outdoor powered equipment trade show.

And wow. What an eye-opener.

As a first time visitor the initial aspect which hits you is the sheer scale of the endeavour. The Kentucky International Expo Centre is a vast place and GIE-EXPO takes up a good proportion of it. 

One of the things which makes this show so special is the perfect combination of indoors and outdoors space. That's what keeps the crowds and the exhibitors coming back year on year - there's certainly no debate over there regarding whether the show should take place every other year!

In fact the show organisers have told me that they are actually looking to expand next year, such is the desire for more exhibitors to join the party. It's getting to the stage where the town of Louisville itself is busting at the seems at the influx of visitors. Although apparently ground has been broken on a couple of new mega-hotels downtown, which should help matters in subsequent years.

An innovation which the organisers brought in a couple of years ago of the show's first day being a Dealer Exclusive Day, is a wonderful concept for the dealers. The atmosphere on the show floor on Wednesday was relaxed, but with serious business being done - with a smile. It was busy but not over crowded, with dealers being able to walk up to the teams of manufacturers' reps and talk to them freely and at length.

When the doors were opened to the contractors, groundsmen and other turf professionals on Thursday the show floor and the demonstration ground was suddenly packed to the rafters. A much more hectic atmosphere prevailed. 

And what the turf professional guys clearly appriciated, and what brought them to the show in their vast numbers, clearly was the prospect of getting hands-on with the machines. Indoors was by no means quiet on the two days where the show was open to all, but it was the outdoor space which was postitively bustling!

Most manufacturers had two stands - one indoors where new machines could be explained and introduced with fancy visuals and displays. And one outdoors for turning the machines on and getting a feel for what they an do.

Again, simliar to Dealer Day, when the turf pro guys were on site there was an atmosphere of deals being done, and of equipment being sold. In an industry which over there certainly feels like it has the wind behind it.