Feature areas

Hall 3

The real heart of BTME, the BIGGA stand is where our team will be based throughout the show and where you can come for help and advice on anything relating to your personal or professional development.

Chat to our regional team about getting involved with the association on a local level or sit down with a member of the Learning & Development team to learn about the exclusive career development opportunities available to BIGGA members.

You can have a chat about how you can optimise your BIGGA membership, renew or join the association, update your details, check out the career development area and get your face on the cover of Greenkeeper International.

On the stand will also be a number of approved training providers, who can guide you towards your career aspirations.

Contact our team for more information.

Hall 4

Free seminars hosted by a selection of BTME exhibitors will be taking place in the Hall 4 Seminar Theatre of the Harrogate Convention Centre.

These ‘silent’ sessions will take advantage of technology that will allow you to hear the presentations without leaving the exhibition halls and will be held on Tuesday & Wednesday.

All visitors to BTME are welcome to attend these free seminars. If you’ve never been to BTME before, they may give you an insight to the great education that is on offer at the exhibition.

No pre-booking is required, just turn up at the start time of the session you’d like to attend.

Seating is available for approximately 120 people, with standing room also available.

Tap here for more information

Hall 2

A growing number of exhibitors are exploring the opportunities presented by battery-powered and robotic or autonomous machinery and at BTME they’ll be able to showcase the latest innovative technology.

As golf facilities consider ways in which to reduce their dependency on fossil fuels, sustainable technology will come to the forefront over the coming years. Likewise, with the changing availability of resources and staffing, autonomous machinery will play an increasingly important role in the maintenance of golf facilities moving forward and so this stands to be an exciting highlight of BTME.

Andy's Man Club

Andy's Man Club is a men's suicide prevention charity, offering free-to-attend peer-to-peer support groups across the United Kingdom and online. The charity wants to end the stigma surrounding men's mental health and help men through the power of conversation. #ITSOKAYTOTALK

HR Services Scotland

BIGGA has teamed up with HR Services Scotland to provide every greenkeeper member with access to free help and advice to make your workplace a more professional and positive environment. A team of qualified advisers is on hand to assist BIGGA members with any HR problems that arise, with instant advice just a phone call away. Head to the BIGGA website for more information.

Perennial

Perennial is the UK's only charity dedicated to helping everyone who works in horticulture and their families when time gets tough. Perennial provides free and confidential advice, information and support to people working in or retired from horticulture and their families. 

Sports Chaplaincy UK

Sports Chaplaincy UK is here to help those involved in the community of sport or those who would like to help this community. There are hundreds of chaplains in the UK and Ireland, providing pastoral and spiritual care to professional and amateur sport. Sports Chaplaincy UK helps train and facilitate the appointment of sports chaplains.

Royal National Institute for Deaf People

Twelve million people in the UK are deaf or have hearing loss or tinnitus and greenkeepers are at particular risk given their prolonged exposure to loud machinery. The RNID works across health, employment, research, government and more to change life for the better. If you have any concerns about your hearing, speak to the team for help and advice.

Skcin

Skcin is the Karen Clifford Skin Cancer Charity and they work alongside BIGGA to raise awareness of the dangers of exposure to the sun's UV rays, not just in the height of summer but throughout the year. Skcin representatives can answer any tricky questions you may have about skin safety and offer advice to reduce your risk of suffering from skin cancer in future.

Hall 5

The Sustainability Hub will bring awareness of the important role sustainable and ecologically-sound practices play in the operation of a successful golf club.

The hub is intended to be a solution-focussed area where attendees to BTME can get answers to sustainability-related questions.

Headed up by a combination BIGGA, The R&A and RSPB partnership, the GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation and England Golf, it will have acknowledged experts available to discuss a range of solutions.

New this year is a presentation area on which a series of talks will take place throughout the exhibition, touching upon key topics of discussion.

Owen James of England Golf will focus upon water resilience and will be asking visitors to the stand for their help as he seeks to gain an up-to-date understanding of the industry’s water usage and reliability on potable water.

James Hutchinson and Dr Marie Athorn will be on hand to provide essential guidance on ecological matters.

GTC-BIGGA Approved Training Providers have met criteria designed to set a benchmark for quality greenkeeper education and training.

Come along and have a chat:

• to learn more about apprenticeships
• about your course work
• about end-point assessments
• about career progression
• or anything else relating to ongoing professional development

Confirmed to attend so far are:

• Askham Bryan College
• Hadlow College
• Oldham College
• Suffolk New College
• Berkshire College of Agriculture
• SRUC
• Capel Manor College
• Pershore College (no staff in attendance)