BTME 2016 next January is shaping up to be the biggest yet as the industry looks forward to the annual new year gathering in Harrogate – and pre-registration for the exhibition is open at www.btme.org.uk
Organisers BIGGA have listened to visitor research and exhibitor feedback and updated BTME’s hours with the exhibition now open from 8.30am-5pm on Tuesday 19 January 2016, 8.30am-5.30pm on Wednesday and 8.30am-2.30pm on Thursday.
The exhibition covers five Halls with Hall Q of the Harrogate International Centre complementing the other four Halls which will again be packed with exhibitors from every corner of the turf management industry.
This year also sees a momentous partnership with the Golf Business & Industry Convention (GolfBIC) presented by the UK Golf Course Owners Association (UKGCOA) and the Organisation of Golf & Range Operators (OGRO). This is a well-established and popular annual event attracting top presenters and a wide range of delegates from every corner of the golf industry.
Previous GolfBIC events have covered a diverse range of subjects from social media in the golf industry to recruiting golf professionals, and have included in-depth panel discussions on crucial industry issues. A centrepiece of GolfBIC has traditionally been the networking dinner and it is intended to hold this on the Wednesday evening.
BTME will again feature the best education the turf management industry has to offer with another range of fantastic speakers gearing up to present at Continue to Learn 2016, which runs from Sunday 17 January to Wednesday 20 January.
Last year’s programme broke all records, delivering 215 hours of education to nearly 3,000 delegates, and hopes are high of exceeding these numbers again. An unrivalled range of workshops, session and seminars are planned with speakers including Beth Guertal, Professor of Turfgrass Management and Soil Fertility at Auburn University, Dr John Kaminski, Turfgrass Management Professor from Penn State University and Mike O’Keefe, Global Placement Manager at Ohio State University – plus dozens more.
Continue to Learn again incorporates the increasingly popular Turf Managers Conference, which has outgrown its original venue of the Crown Hotel and will be held in the HIC’s Royal Hall. For the first time, Continue to Learn will also feature a half day educational conference in association with the IOG focusing on groundsmanship related content. The full programme will be released in October so keep an eye on the BIGGA website www.bigga.org.uk and www.btme.org.uk for booking details.
The social scene in Harrogate is also bound to be buzzing with the Welcome Celebration sponsored by BIGGA Partner Jacobsen toasting the achievements of BIGGA members over the past 12 months. This will be held in the Royal Hall on the Tuesday evening and will feature the unveiling of the winners of the inaugural BIGGA Awards.
The three categories are BIGGA Young Greenkeeper of the Year sponsored by Jacobsen, the BIGGA Greenkeeping Achievement of the Year sponsored by Pitchcare and BIGGA Championship Greenkeeping Performance of the Year. You still have until 30 September to nominate a deserving winner at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BIGGAawards2015
BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton said: “We’re hugely excited about BTME 2016 as thoughts turn to our flagship annual event. We’re particularly delighted to be hosting GolfBIC and this is another signal of our clear intentions to drive more and more of the industry’s key decision makers to Harrogate.
“This means thousands of influential figures from across the turf management industry will fill the Halls throughout the week ensuring high quality enquiries and conversations for our exhibitors.
“Hall Q is open for the first time in several years to accommodate more and more visitors and exhibitors. The change in opening hours is in response to visitor and exhibitor feedback. There is so much going on during the week that we need to strike the correct balance between the exhibition, education and networking and these new hours reflect that.
“The Continue to Learn programme has gained a fantastic reputation within the industry and we’re again intending for it to cater for all levels of greenkeeper. We’re thrilled our friends at the IOG are working with us to provide a groundsmanship focused element this year which reinforces our aim to ensure a huge range of delegates from across all facets of the turf management industry.
“I’m already looking forward to seeing our exhibitors, members and all of our friends from across the industry at BTME 2016.”
Pre-register now at http://goo.gl/r1hc5G to save queuing when you arrive. You can also visit our dedicated BTME website www.btme.org.uk and for the first time, follow BTME on Twitter @BIGGA_BTME
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