BTME returns to Harrogate next month – and it will be BIGGA than ever

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During BTME 2018, arguably already the largest event in the calendar for the golf course industry in the UK, the event host, the British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA), revealed that the annual exhibition would be drastically transformed for 2019. A whole host of innovations and new offerings were coming.

And now we know what they are. The event that has expanded by 25 per cent and will feature a host of new conferences, forums, exhibition platforms and more opportunities than ever to network and gain valuable knowledge and experience.

Utilising a new hall layout at the Harrogate Convention Centre, BTME will feature 4,800 square metres of exhibition space and feature Golf Course Construction Live!, a golf simulator competition, a new product and innovation area and a TED Talk-style theatre, where short presentations will be delivered by some of the leading names in the industry.

Continue to Learn will kick off the week, with the education programme evolving to better suit the needs of BIGGA members. Taking place from Sunday 20 to Wednesday 23 January, the association’s Learning & Development team has put together its largest-ever package of education with more than 250 hours of education.

There will be a Deputies’ Conference, a Links Forum, an Ecology and the Environment Forum and a panel discussion looking at The R&A’s Golf Course 2030 plan.

Other workshops will discuss Gadgets & Gizmos, The Disturbance Theory: 10 years on, work-related stress, while regular favourites such as the Turf Managers’ Conference and the Young Greenkeepers’ Conference will also return.

BTME 2019 itself begins on Tuesday 22 January with the Welcome Celebration taking place on the opening evening. Housed in a new location in the main auditorium, television presenter Naga Munchetty will host the event, which will see a number of BIGGA members recognised for their achievements throughout the year.

Throughout the show itself, which runs from Tuesday until Thursday 24 January, there will be an increased offering for members, including more social space for networking and a larger BIGGA stand featuring a Wellness Area where skin cancer screening, hearing screening and mental health advice will all take place.

BIGGA chief executive Officer Jim Croxton said: “The expansion of BTME arose due to the exhibition’s incredible popularity among our exhibitors, of which in 2018 there were more than 140. In providing more space, we were presented with an incredible opportunity to create a greatly improved visitor experience, further enhancing BTME’s position as the premier turf management exhibition in Europe.

“We anticipate BTME 2019 being our most popular event ever. It promises to be an historic event for the greenkeeping industry.”