APRIL | IN FOCUS
shows, including the All Breeds All
Britain Calf Show, the Massey Ferguson
Diamond Tour Roadshow, UK Produce
Industry Fair 2018 and half a dozen food
and produce festivals.
In addition to hosting agricultural
events, the East of England Arena also
plays host to Food and Farming Day, the
annual agricultural educational festival
for younger children, in June every year.
The event welcomes 4000+ children
from schools in the region for a fun day
of stimulated learning about food and
where it comes from. It’s the headline
feature of the Agricultural Society's
12-month schedule of educational
outreach events, developed seven years
ago in conjunction with local schools
and council bodies to meet Key Stage
One and Two national curriculum
teaching goals.
Kent Event Centre
Ellie Pannell, deputy event centre
manager at Kent Event Centre tells
Access that agriculture is at the heart of
everything Kent Event Centre does
Kent Event Centre is the commercial
arm of the Kent County Agricultural
Society, an agricultural charity
established in 1923 and all profits from
our dedicated conference and events
venue go into the charity.
The society aims to improve
and promote agriculture, forestry,
horticulture, allied industries, rural
crafts and the breeding of livestock,
across Kent. In addition to making
several awards each year, the society is
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East of England Arena and Events Centre
"Our history as an agricultural showground
has gone a long way to providing us with the
experience and facilities needed to make them
a success"
best-known for organising the annual
Kent County Show but also the Heritage
Transport Show and Living Land, a
free one-day event aimed at educating
young children in the areas of farming,
agriculture, countryside and healthy
eating. Also Farm Expo and Biddenden
Tractorfest.
With 200 acres of outdoor space
and parking for over 10,000 vehicles
agricultural events of all shapes and
sizes work well at our venue. We are no
stranger to hosting large amounts of
livestock as well as heavy machinery
such as tractors and combine
harvesters that often come with these
types of events and all the challenges
that they bring.
The Heritage Transport Show has
on display over 1000 vehicles including
motorbikes, cars, tractors, commercials
and many more.
The South East Bus Festival also join
us, proving to be one of the highlights
of the Show. The Festival is a firm
favourite at the Show featuring a
display of over 125 buses and bus related
trade stands. Visitors and exhibitors can
take advantage of as many free vintage
bus rides around the Showground as
they like.
Biddenden Tractorfest is an annual
event, now entering its 8th year.
New to the Kent County Agricultural
Society, we will be working with a
team of volunteers from all walks of
life and occupations who are dedicated
to making the event both fun and
affordable for all the family.
The event is keen to support and
welcome local crafts and businesses and
this helps to boost the friendly, easy-
going nature of the show.
While tractors remain central to
the attracting visitors, the essence of
Tractorfest is the provision of a gentle
summer day out in a Countryside
Fair setting with nostalgic sights and
sounds. Tractor rides, numerous arena
displays such as dog shows, falconry,
working horses, craft stalls, children’s
entertainment, enticing local artisan
food and drink and fantastic live music
are just some of the attractions.
Farm Expo offers machinery, supplies,
and services for the agricultural
industry. With trade stands, seminars,
debates, and networking opportunities,
Farm Expo looks towards the
future of farms, farming, and rural
enterprises. Organised by the Kent
County Agricultural Society and free to
attend, Farm Expo is a key date in the
agricultural calendar.