Second BALI Landscaping Show Declared A Success!
The sun shone through, just, for the second BALI Landscaping Show, which took place recently (19th and 20th June) at Stoneleigh Park, near Coventry.
Show organisers, Brintex, were delighted with the turnout at this year’s show, which welcomed a total number of 1,122 visitors across the BALI Landscaping Show and the co-located PlayFair Show.
Ray Baxter, event manager, said, “We’re pleased to announce that early feedback from both exhibitors and visitors has been very positive this year. The success of the show, running for the second year alongside PlayFair, demonstrates that although times are tough financially, those in the trade are willing to invest in the future. Several ‘firsts’ took place at this year’s BALI Show, including an all-new ContractorZone and the regional heats of the WorldSkills UK Landscape Gardening competition. We look forward to building on this success and progressing with the show for 2013.”
All New ContractorZone
The introduction of a ContractorZone at the show for the first time this year marked the official launch of a partnership between the National Contractors’ Forum (NCF) and BALI. BALI-NCF is a group of influential major contractors working in the landscape and grounds maintenance sector. They were welcomed to the show by Wayne Grills, BALI chief operations officer, and by their chairman Bob Ivison, who explained that the new partnership will champion the issue of getting green space higher on the political agenda and work to improve the training given and the amount of trainees coming into the industry.
WorldSkills UK Landscape Gardening Competition
The WorldSkills UK regional heats saw 13 teams compete over two days to win a place in the National Finals, which run at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham later this year (14th to 17th November). The top four placed teams will go forward.
Peter Killen, moderator and technical director of the competition along with Mitch Westwood, commented, “This challenge is devised to give trainee landscape gardeners a taste of reality – in micro! Preparing these small designs in a tight timeframe means that the teams face the key issues which real life and real gardens present – preparing the soil correctly, understanding levels, managing each other, the landscaping process and dealing with a wide range of materials to get the best from them – this will all become very familiar to them in the years to come!
“The competition has really helped to raise standards across the board since it started – it’s important for the students and colleges alike to see how others rise to the challenge!”
Exhibitor comment
Exhibitor Adam White CMLI, of Davies White Landscape Architects, and an RHS Gold Medal Winner commented, “We were delighted to see this year’s BALI Landscaping Show host the WorldSkills UK Landscape Gardening Competition. Over the two days we joined show visitors to see how the pairs of young landscapers were getting on building a garden in just six hours. We love a bit of tweeting at Davies White and we followed all the gardens and provided live updates to our followers!”
Adam added, “Combining the BALI Landscaping Show with the API PlayFair Show was a great idea and they worked brilliantly next to each other. The two shows not only attracted the right potential clients for us but also introduced us to new contractors and suppliers of some really innovative products.
“It is all very well looking at catalogues or websites, but nothing beats talking one to one with the suppliers and getting that personal contact and networking opportunity. We have already booked our stand for 2013!”
Simon Porter, business development manager of Natural Paving agreed, saying, “Once again the BALI exhibition was the ideal show for us as it attracts exactly the right type of audience. We managed to speak to contractors, landscapers and even architects. We would certainly recommend it to other businesses in the landscape industry who are thinking of exhibiting next year. Extremely well run and very organised.”
Lynn Hunter, marketing manager of James Coles Nurseries added, “We prospered on all levels this year at Stoneleigh – sunshine, sales and a stunning display of trees and shrubs! Building on last year’s first show, our larger stand was designed and planted to allow visitors to walk through an established landscape, under-planted with colour and foliage and punctuated with our larger trees. This year was bigger and better, more focused on the quality and breadth of material available to UK landscaping, and we will continue to be involved.”
Live Demonstrations and Seminars
Over in the show’s busy demonstration area visitors were able to watch and learn from industry professionals at Ransomes Jacobsen, Rigby Taylor and Bartlett Tree Experts
Tara Fraser, arborist manager for Bartlett Tree Experts commented, “It was a good chance to showcase a small portion of our abilities as a company to the rest of the nearby industries and we met some very interesting people. We are looking forward to the next BALI Show!”
On the seminar front, unsurprisingly the two very topical Olympic Park presentations drew the largest audiences, but there was plenty to learn from the other speakers whose topics covered the opportunities opening up for landscapers following new legislation; the impact landscaping may have on mitigating climate change, and detail on the new Joint Council of Landscape Industry’s (JCLI) Homeowner’s Consultancy Agreement and Landscape Contract. There was also a session on new developments in Vectorworks Landmark design software.
BALI’s 40th Anniversary Gala Dinner
The show was also part of BALI’s 40th Anniversary celebrations and BALI members past and present gathered at the Chesford Grange Hotel, Kenilworth, on the first evening of the show to renew old friendships and to celebrate 40 years of the Association. The support of headline sponsor and BALI Affiliate member Green-tech Ltd, together with sponsors Vectorworks, BALI Finance, Wyevale Nurseries and Rigby Taylor, certainly helped to make it a night to remember.
Wayne Grills commented, “This year’s show has moved on in terms of improving the networking opportunities across the landscaping industry, and acting as a national showcase for our members. We’re also happy that our co-location with PlayFair has benefited both parties and look forward to taking the show from strength to strength in the future.”