SALTEX returns for its 78th edition

By Alistair October 7, 2024 09:26

SALTEX returns for its 78th edition on 30th-31st October at the NEC Birmingham, under the theme “Uniting the Industry, Powering Progress.”

Featuring over 400 brands, the event will attract thousands of visitors from the grounds care industry.

The revamped Clubhouse offers a bar and networking space for professionals and volunteers to share ideas. The Trophy Room provides a private meeting area for focused discussions. The GMA Hub will host expert advisory sessions, while National Governing Bodies like the Football Association and Rugby Football Union will engage with attendees.

The Community Sports Zone, after its successful debut, returns with more machinery and a dedicated Learning LIVE stage. Ten sessions will focus on practical solutions for grassroots clubs with limited resources. SALTEX 2024 will also showcase exclusive product launches, including KAR UK’s Hunter Industries Wireless Valve Link and Kersten’s Zasso ZAP Weeder.

The renowned Learning LIVE programme will feature over 50 experts across three stages, offering CPD points and discussions on key issues. UEFA’s Stadium Operations Expert, Lee Guerriero, will deliver a highlight talk.The event will also celebrate the retirement of ‘Mr SALTEX’, Derek Walder – its long-standing operations manager.

He will step down following SALTEX 2024 on the 30th and 31st of October at the NEC Birmingham, marking his 42nd and final exhibition.

Derek’s career spans more than six decades, beginning in the early 1960s in horticulture as a gardener on a private estate in Sussex. His love for working on lawns then led him to become Assistant Head Greenkeeper at a golf course in Hertfordshire. In 1970, he became the grounds manager at a major sports field complex in south-west London, famously used as the training ground for Wimbledon FC during the ‘Crazy Gang’ era.

His involvement with the Grounds Management Association (GMA) dates back to 1969 when he joined the then-National Association of Groundsmen. His first engagement with SALTEX came as a volunteer when the show was held at Motspur Park, south-west London. After eight years of volunteering, Derek took on the role of Operations Manager when the exhibition moved to Windsor Racecourse in 1979. Over the decades, he has watched SALTEX evolve first-hand, overseeing its tenancies at Windsor, Peterborough, and the NEC, Birmingham.

During his time with the GMA, Derek has held positions of General Secretary and Chairman and his dedication to the industry has been widely recognised, earning him a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 1988 for services to groundsmanship. In 2014, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the GMA Industry Awards and, in the same year, he was awarded up the ‘Unsung Hero’ award by the Association of Event Organisers. Derek was subsequently inducted into the GMA Hall of Fame in 2021 as an acknowledgement of an illustrious career in the industry spanning more than half a century.

Speaking on his upcoming retirement, Derek said: “Looking back at SALTEX, I never imagined that on a cold autumn day in 1979, when we arrived at Windsor Racecourse for the ‘Windsor Exhibition’, I’d still be involved 42 years later. Over those years, we have seen so many changes in the industry of which the exhibition has adapted to, and for 56 of those years I was in the profession so I could appreciate what needed from a visitor perspective. Even now, I still get the same buzz when the doors open as I did in 1979.”

Geoff Webb, CEO of the GMA, said: “Derek’s dedication to SALTEX and the grounds management industry has been remarkable. His expertise and leadership have played a vital role in shaping the exhibition into the premier platform it is today. His legacy extends far beyond the various roles he has held within the GMA – he is embedded in the culture of grounds management, having served most notably with the ‘Crazy Gang’. Over the years, what has stood out to me is Derek’s passion for SALTEX, which he has developed as a personal commitment. His work has provided the GMA with a strong foundation for the future. What many people may not know is the incredible amount of voluntary work Derek has done for both the association and SALTEX, of which we are grateful for and wish him all the best in his retirement.”

SALTEX 2024 will be an opportunity for the industry to celebrate Derek’s contributions and to honour his dedication not only to the exhibition but to the industry as a whole.

Over the next few days we’ll be previewing some of the exhibits that major companies will be having on display.