The package of special features and attractions taking place at IOG SALTEX from 4-6 September at the Royal Windsor Racecourse reinforces the show’s reputation as Europe’s flagship event for the turf business – indeed the entire open space industry.

This year’s event also includes a series of special feature areas and attractions designed to appeal to a wide cross-section of visitors. These include:

Being staged by the Institute of Groundsmanship in conjunction with a number of equipment suppliers, the new Sports Turf Skills Village will present back-to-basics demonstrations of fine turf care skills and expertise, focusing on live outdoor practical demonstrations with a daily programme covering: performance quality standard/assessment of surface; setting out/marking out; pre-start/post operative checks to machinery; setting height of cut; mowing; aeration; scarifying; fertiliser application, including calibration of equipment; topdressing application, including calibration of equipment. These demonstrations will be supported by IOG training instructors and industry experts, who will be available to answer any questions visitors may have.

Test your skills on Kubota’s off-road course

There’s the national final of the Advanced Level Skills Challenge Landscape Skills Competition organised by the British Association of Landscape Industries on behalf of UK Skills. This features four teams of two people given the task of completing a pre-determined seven metres by seven metres landscape project, from scratch, during the three-days.

The winners will be competing for the opportunity to progress to a further shortlisting and selection process for WorldSkills 2009 in Calgary, Canada.

An off-road 4×4 course – built, tested and marshalled by Kubota staff – will be staged by Kubota UK to enable visitors to test their driving skills.

For new pitch construction demonstrations, organised in association with Cleveland Land Services and Cleveland Sitesafe, visitors will see various stages of construction as well as the elements that make a pitch stand hard use over many years.

In addition to the outdoor events there are two specially programmed series of education seminars.

Visit www.iogsaltex.co.uk or call the Visitor Hotline on 0870 429 4524 for more information.