We kick-start the countdown to the 2020 Summit with the announcement of the first of two exclusive virtual events – and offer you the chance to win a place to this year’s Summit.

There’s now only a few months to go until this year’s Turf Business 2020 Summit, set to take place in October. At the time of print, the Summit is still planned to go ahead in beautiful Barcelona, Spain. We are, like the rest of the world, eagerly monitoring government travel advice and updates. Should we feel it’s in the best interest of our speakers, sponsors and delegates to change plans, we’ll be very quick to let you know, and we do have some top-secret contingency plans in place… No matter where or how we host the event, we’re looking forward to once again welcoming top turf talent to our panels, and having important discussions about how the pandemic has left it’s mark on the industry, among many other topics. But before all of that kicks off, we’re pleased to announce the first of two virtual events in the lead up to the summit to whet the appetite.

Register for our first digital event

We’re pleased to announce the return of this year’s Summit Focus Group, taking place at Wednesday 29th July. Lasting approximately one hour, the event will give attendees the chance to have discussions with others in the industry that will help to shape the agenda and talking points of this years’ Summit. The event is available exclusively through the Turf Business event app, available to download in July from Android and Apple stores.

Although taking place digitally this year, the event will have a similar structure to our previous Focus Group held last year at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium. This led to discussions about a range of topics impacting the industry, from grassroots up to topflight level. “The Manchester City event went really well and was well received by everyone who attended,” says Martin Smart, Turf Business Publisher. “It was, as we hoped, another fantastic opportunity to share ideas and generate more fruitful discussions about issues affecting everyone across turfcare. A key part of all our events is to encourage professionals to work together to benefit our industry as a whole.”

Returning to this year’s event is Chris Horne, Director of Research Engine, who will once again be facilitating the discussions. “Last year at Etihad there was a good attendance of turf managers, groundsmen and greenkeepers who entered energetically into the discussions,” he says. “We focused on two key topics which arose from the 2018 Turf Summit in Madrid: how we can better support grassroots sport and how to be more effective in educating all stakeholders into the importance of the profession plus the resources and skills needed to achieve the best results.”

Win a place at the Summit

Everyone who registers for and attends the Focus Group will be automatically entered into a draw to win a place at the Summit*. All you have to do is join us for the virtual event, and your name will automatically go into a draw, and the winner will be announced in early September.

Martin, who will be moderating the discussion panels at the Summit, is looking forward to welcome familiar faces and new attendees. “We’ve had tremendous success with our previous events in Madrid and Portugal, and with the cancellation of so many events throughout the first half of the year, we’re seeing even more excitement than ever from people wanting to get together and discuss the state of the industry,” he says. “We’re hoping to make a decision in the coming weeks about the location as we know people are keen to start booking travel now that things are slowly starting to reopen, and we’re grateful for everyone’s patience as we’re navigating COVID-19 whilst remaining committed to putting on another exceptional event this year.”

Made possible with the generous help of our sponsors, this year’s summit is set to be a standout event in what’s been one of the most turbulent and memorable years in recent history. For more information or to register your interest, email: sinead@turfbusiness.co.uk.