Professional Bodies
Show Support for SALTEX 2015
Many of the industry's professional bodies will be supporting
condition and producing the right playing surfaces for the people
SALTEX 2015 and have confirmed their presence at the exhibition,
using them. The two associations working together backs this up
which will be held at the NEC Birmingham on the 4th & 5th of
and goes a long way to ensuring it happens.”
November.
Elsewhere in the show’s educational seminar timetable SAPCA-
The British and International Golf Greenkeepers' Association
badged sessions will include: Standards for outdoor sports
(BIGGA) and the Amenity Forum will join the Sport and Play
surfaces, presented by Mark Harrod; the maintenance of synthetic
Construction Association (SAPCA), the Arb Association, the Sports
sport and play surfaces, by Gary Martin (chair of SAPCA’s Ancillary
Turf Research Institute (STRI), the Institute for Occupational Safety
Contractors Group); the design of multi-use games areas (MUGAs),
& Health (IOSH) and the Parks Alliance in supporting SALTEX
by Neil McHigh (chair of SAPCA’s Professional Services Group) and
2015's LEARNING LIVE education programme.
the design and construction of bases for synthetic sports surfaces
BIGGA-badged seminars will include 'Improve Turf Quality
by Dr Colin Young (a member of SAPCA’s Technical Committee).
through Measuring, Analysing and Effective Planning', presented
John Moverley OBE, independent chair of the Amenity Forum, will
by Steve Gingell, agronomy manager at the Sports Turf Research
also be taking to the stage to present a seminar entitled ‘Is there
Institute (STRI). While an overview of Primo Maxx, the successful
a future for pesticides?’ in which the Forum will be discussing
plant growth regulator and its use in sportsturf, will be presented
the issue of the decreasing range of pesticides available to the
by Daniel Lightfoot MG, UK business manager for Syngenta and
sector and the implications. John will also be chairing a separate
Henry Bechelet, technical sales manager for Everris.
Question Time style session in which an invited panel will seek to
BIGGA's educational seminars have always been well received
at SALTEX and Jim Croxton, BIGGA's CEO, revealed why the
organisation is engaging again this year.
"We know that a lot of greenkeepers like to attend SALTEX
because there is some cross over in exhibitors that are at both
answer questions on all matters relating to weed, pest and disease
control.
The Amenity Forum has participated at a number of SALTEX
exhibitions over the years and John believes that it is absolutely
vital that the organisation has a presence there.
SALTEX and BTME. There is also a cross over for people who know
“There are many people in the industry that work really hard and
groundsmen and are interested in going to catch up with friends
care passionately about the work they do. I think SALTEX presents
and network. Putting education on at SALTEX is the logical next
them with a great opportunity to come together to talk and learn
step. Not everyone can get to Harrogate and we feel it's a benefit
more. If they come and talk about weed, pest and disease control
to our members to have education on wherever we can present
as part of that then that is why we need to be there,” he said.
it," he said.
Other professional bodies supporting the show include: The
With the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) also having a frequent
Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA), the Association of Play
presence at the BTME exhibition, BIGGA’s head of member
Industries (API), the Crop Protection Association (CPA) and the
development Sami Strutt believes that the relationship between
British Agricultural & Garden Machinery Association (BAGMA).
the two organisations is great for the industry.
“I think the IOG and BIGGA working together and presenting a
united front for the turf industry as a whole, is very important.
BIGGA is quite specific to greenkeeping but there is a much wider
sporting industry out there that is reliant on turf being in the right
92 Landscape & Urban Design Issue 15
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