The IOG has agreed a three-year partnership with Rigby Taylor in association with its seed-breeding partner Top Green as headline sponsors of the IOG Industry Awards and IOG Young Groundsmen’s annual Conference.

The agreement commences with this year’s events - the IOG Industry Awards take place at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel on Wednesday November 4, the opening day of the SALTEX exhibition at the Birmingham NEC - and continues into 2016 and 2017.

Rigby Taylor and Top Green will provide enhanced sponsorship of the Awards as well as further support to the professional development of tomorrow’s groundsmen via its sponsorship of the Young Groundsmen’s Conference, which will also be held during SALTEX.

The IOG Industry Awards, now in their seventh year, highlight the high standards of volunteer and professional groundsmanship, from grass roots to professional stadia level. This year’s Young Groundsmen’s Conference, the second in the series, is a major educational initiative that enlightens young people about the benefits of a career in groundscare as well as brings head groundsmen up to date with advice on how to attract youngsters into the industry.

Commenting on the agreement, Rigby Taylor’s marketing director Richard Fry, said, “This is an exciting opportunity to provide support to a key industry association and its membership, and is an extension to the support we’ve provided in the past.

“Most recently, in 2014, the company sponsored the inaugural IOG Young Groundsmen’s Conference at SALTEX and has supported the IOG-led Grounds and Natural Turf Improvement Programme by financing the purchase of technical tools for each of the programme’s nine regional pitch advisors.

“This latest sponsorship is a mark of the confidence we have in the forward-thinking strategy being adopted by the IOG and, through such sponsorship, it is our intention to provide increased support and assistance.”