The Sports, Amenities, Landscaping Trade Exhibition’s (SALTEX) move from an outdoor environment into the halls of the NEC Birmingham on the 4 and 5 November 2015 has been met with support from both exhibitors and visitors alike. A packed exhibitor list along with new exciting features has ensured this year’s SALTEX is set to be the biggest to date.

The new, centrally located, national exhibition venue and the more convenient time of year has attracted more than 200 exhibitors representing sectors ranging from forestry, play and groundscare to machinery, artificial surfaces, natural turf and landscaping products. Show organisers had to extend the show footprint by adding an extra hall to accommodate the increased interest.

SALTEX is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year and will feature a comprehensive programme of free educational seminars and will, for the first time, combine with the Institute of Groundsmanship’s (IOG) annual Industry Awards dinner. Visitors can attend any of the 47 educational seminars on the show floor, hosted by partner associations and industry experts, within the two-day Learning Live programme – many of which has CPD points connected to them.

Mark Saggers, journalist and radio presenter on talkSPORT will host the ‘Gaining Ground’ turf management debates. The Gaining Ground theatre will offer visitors the opportunity to choose from a range of informative seminar sessions presented by some of the industry’s national and international experts including Mark Pover, national facilities manager at the FA; Lee Jackson, head groundsman at Manchester City; Chris Wood, pitch consultant for the ECB and Simon Winman, head of club development at Rugby Football Union.

Other professional bodies supporting the show and contributing to the Learning Live programme include: The Agricultural Engineers Association, The British and International Golf Greenkeepers’ Association, The Amenity Forum, The Institute for Occupational Health, and Safety, British Agricultural & Garden Machinery Association and the Sports and Play Construction Association (SAPCA). The Chartered Institute of Horticulture will also host its annual conference at SALTEX.

From an international perspective the Learning Live programme will feature an in-depth look at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in New Zealand – the world’s only natural turf playing surface under a permanently fixed roof – by STRI’s Dr Richard Gibbs. Phil Sharples, currently the director of pitches for Gabala FC in Azerbaijan, will focus on some of the challenges he has faced while working overseas. Bertrand Picard from Natural Grass will offer a French perspective on turfcare, while Ian Craig, regional agronomist for STRI, will relay the bizarre turf management experiences he encountered while working at the Africa Cup of Nations 2015.

Hosted on the evening of the first day (4 November), the IOG Industry Awards at the Hilton Metropole is set to be a celebration in groundsmanship; with 19 awards up for grabs, Alistair McGowan providing the after dinner entertainment and talkSPORT’s Mark Saggers hosting the event.