Back from BTME/BIGGA

By Seth Jones| January 26, 2016 0 Comments

A view of the main conference hall — Deere in the foreground, Toro in the middle, Jacobsen in the distance.

Last week I had the pleasure of flying over to England and attending the British Turfgrass Management Expo (BTME) hosted by our friends at BIGGA.

It was my second time attending the show, so I was a little less awestruck at the idea of being there (but still happy to be there, don’t get me wrong.) The expo hall has a maze-like feel to it, as it’s several smaller rooms interconnected. The main room hosts all the big three — John Deere, Jacobsen and Toro — and is about the size of a football field. So all three are conveniently next to each other. (I tried to capture this in the photo… taken from the John Deere booth, you can see Toro next door, and in the background, Jacobsen.)

Getting an eyeful of the beautiful York Minster.

I got a few interviews done for Golfdom TV, which I’ll have produced and posted to the site soon. I got a first look at new equipment from John Deere, Jacobsen, Turfco and a new app in the works from Syngenta. I’ll report on all of these in the next issue of Golfdom, which will be in readers’ hands right around time for the Golf Industry Show.

Me and the guys at the Guy Fawkes Inn in York.

Highlight of the trip: a quick stop-over in York, where we visited York Minster, then right across the street, the Guy Fawkes Inn, birthplace of Guy Fawkes, for a few locally made cask ales.

Lowlight? Forgetting I had my Canon 60D camera on my shoulder, and spiking it right on the ground upon entering the trade show. Battery shot right out the back! How I didn’t break it, I don’t know. My CEO just gave me a look that said, “yeah, you’re pretty smooth, aren’t ya?”

And yes… yes I am.

Photos: Golfdom