Despite more than three weeks of ice and snow at the end of December and beginning of January the weather relented in the week leading up to the LAMMA Show to make the Show days cold but dry.
As organisers we were very concerned, three weeks ahead of the Show, that the weather would make it difficult to provide safe conditions for both the exhibitors, during set up, and visitors on the show days. However, we were determined that the Show would go ahead and so we had staff on site 24-7, for the ten days leading up to the Show, to remove snow from the roads and car parking areas and treat the internal roadways each night.
On the Show days the weather smiled upon us and another record number of visitors, in the region of 36,000, crowded the more than 600 stands. In contrast to the previous year’s event, traffic congestion around the site was kept to a minimum, despite the closure of the A1 throughout the first day due to an incident to the north of Newark.
The improvement in traffic flow near the site was the result of comprehensive traffic management and contingency plans drawn up as a result of co-operation between the Organisers, the Highways Agency, District and County Councils, Police and the Newark Showground. The situation was also helped by the many visitors who took advantage of the opening of the car parks at six o’clock in the morning and the offer of a subsidised early breakfast. This naturally made the restaurants on the site a very popular first port of call for many of them.
For visitors, the volume and range of equipment on display was very impressive, with many new products making their debut on the UK market. In addition, the organisers’ policy of keeping exhibition rates low, in comparison with other events, gave many small manufacturers and service providers the opportunity to display their products to a national and rapidly growing international audience.
In all there was something to interest arable, livestock and mixed farmers alike and reports from many exhibitors indicate that good business was done on both days and many more leads for future follow-up were collected.”
The increasing popularity of the LAMMA Show indicates that it is now placed high on the list of favourite exhibition events for the agricultural and associated industries. We look forward to welcoming our regular visitors and, of course, we extend an especially warm invitation to those who have yet to enjoy the LAMMA experience.