EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME
With four seminar theatres, practical sessions, and an abundance of land-based education providers in attendance, GroundsFest has a wide variety of educational opportunities.
The CPD accredited education programme is free to attend.
Seminar Theatre 1 – 10 September
| Time | Seminar Title | Speaker/s |
| 10:00 | Improving pre-season player safety, playability and turfgrass quality on a rugby pitch using ProWet Evolve (case study) | Nick Gadd, Commercial Vice President, RhizoSolutions, USA Andy Matthews, Technical Sales Advisor (SW), Turfcare, Ireland |
| 11:00 | OCR Regulations – all you need to know | The Amenity Forum |
| 12:00 | Challenges and Opportunities in the Amenity Sector | Chair, Professor John Moverley, Tom Arnold (Chair of UK Lawncare Association & owner of TopGrass UK) Jim Croxton (CEO of BIGGA) Laurence Gale (TurfPro) Alisdair Mason (Development Director, LanGuard) |
| 13:00 | How hybrid grass is powering more play in grassroots and professional sports | SIS Grass |
| 14:00 | Integrated Turf Management for Grassroots | Mark De Ath (Origin Amenity Solutions) |
| 15:00 | How to scale your small business | Robbie Lynn (Premier Lawns) |
Seminar Theatre 2 – 10 September
| Time | Seminar Title | Speaker/s |
| 11.00 | Sustainable Seed Solutions for Landscaping and Sports Turf | Stuart Yarwood (DLF) |
| 12.00 | Bowling Green Maintenance | Stuart Yarwood (DLF), Bowls England |
| 13.00 | The Future of Amenity Weed Management | Sean Faulkner – (Kersten UK Ltd) |
| 14.00 | Boost Your Turf: How Silicon Supercharges Grass Growth | Kate Williams (Orion Future Technology) |
| 15.00 | A Year in Edgbaston | Gary Barwell (Warwickshire County Cricket Club) |
| 16.00 | A Beer with Turf Business LIVE | Martin Smart (Publisher of Turf Business) and a panel of renowned guests |
Seminar Theatre 1 – 11 September
| Time | Seminar Title | Speaker/s |
| 10:00 | Improving pre-season player safety, playability and turfgrass quality on a rugby pitch using ProWet Evolve (case study) | Nick Gadd, Commercial Vice President, RhizoSolutions, USA Andy Matthews, Technical Sales Advisor (SW), Turfcare, Ireland |
| 11.00 | An Insight into The Amenity Forum and Membership Benefits | The Amenity Forum |
| 12.00 | Reducing Glyphosate in Amenity Settings | Ivan Zytynski (The Professional Sprayers People) |
| 13.00 | The Benefits of Volunteering to Progress Your Career | Bradley Tennant (International Greenkeepers for Hire) |
Seminar Theatre 2 – 11 September
| Time | Seminar Title | Speaker/s |
| 11.00 | Water Management for Grassroots Football | Kelly Clack (Origin Amenity Solutions) |
| 12.00 | An Introduction into Playground Standards and Inspections | Jon Dalton (The Play Inspection Company, Associate Member of the API) |
| 13.00 | Understanding Gravity-Fed Chippers: How To Ensure Your Customer Gets The Right Solution  | Andy Wain (HANSA) |
Landscape Zone Education
Landscape Zone Education
THE LANDSCAPE THEATRE 10 SEPTEMBER
| Time | Seminar Title | Speaker/s |
| 10:45 | Everything you ever wanted to know about Perennial and never asked | Kate Cooney |
| 14:00 | Attract more customers from your digital advertising campaigns | Aalia Zorko, Aaron Robb |
| 15:00 | Building a Successful Landscaping Business | Herman Pobrati, Ben Parkinson, Rob Woodhouse, Mark Youde |
| 15:45 | Unlocking Potential: Hiring the ‘unhirable’ | Adrian Wickham, Tefvick Souleiman, Sarah Barrett, Martin Johnson, Deric Newman |
THE DESIGN THEATRE 10 SEPTEMBER
| Time | Seminar Title | Speaker/s |
| 10:15 | How to navigate import legislation | Michael Buck, Amy Banks |
| 11:00 | How to Win and Build an Award-Winning Luxury Residential Garden | Herman Pobrati |
| 11:45 | Prioritising Pollinators | Nick Mann, Gini Denison-Pender, Ed Crowther |
| 14:15 | Green Solutions: The Landscape Industry’s Role in Combatting Climate Change | Kate-Slegg Newton, Ed Crowther, Bret Willers , Ryan Suddall |
| 15:30 | Rising Through the Ranks | Kenny Raybould, Imogen Bell, Laura McArthur |
THE LANDSCAPE THEATRE 11 SEPTEMBER
| Time | Seminar Title | Speaker/s |
| 10:45 | Decking – What’s hot and what’s not? | Karl Harrison |
| 11:30 | Enhancing Biodiversity: The Role of Landscapers and Garden Designers in Shaping Sustainable Ecosystems | Noel Brock |
| 12:45 | Wildflowers | Paul Hadley |
THE DESIGN THEATRE 11 SEPTEMBER
| Time | Seminar Title | Speaker/s |
| 10:15 | ‘Harmonising Visions: Cultivating a Successful Partnership Between Landscaper and Garden Designer’ | Hamilton Mcnaughton, Jane Bingham |
| 11:00 | Joining the dots – how small actions can make a big difference for nature and for people | Ian Jelley |
| 12.30 | ‘How to incorporate sustainable water management into everyday gardens’ | Rob Jones, Hannah Phillips, Sam Cox |
| 13:30 | How to build a personal brand on social media | Jonny Hincks, Rob Woodhouse |
Grounds Training
Grounds Training
Tuesday 10th September 2024
| Time | Session | Information | Location |
| 11:00 | Training 101 for Managers | An informative session for grounds managers, bursars, club managers and committee chairs, which will cover: – Workplace training: current legislation and employers’ responsibilities – Creating a skilled workforce: what’s available? – Planning training for your organisation – Q&A | Hall 1 |
| 11:00 | Calibration Station: Knapsack Sprayers | This session will demonstrate the calibration process and provide an overview of the knapsack set-up, usage and maintenance. Delegates will be encouraged to take part in calibration process. | Ring B |
| 15:00 | Launch of Lantra Robotic GPS Line Marking Course | An exciting opportunity to find out more about the new Robotic GPS Line Marking Course. | Ring B |
Wednesday 11th September 2024
| Time | Session | Information | Location |
| 11:00 | Health and Safety Workshop | Health and Safety talk to raise awareness on Health and Safety legislation within our Industry. | Hall 1 |
| 11:00 | Introduction to Pedestrian Mowers Cylinder | This session is an introduction to the Lantra competency course, including relevant legislation, Risk assessments, PPE, daily checks, familiarisation with controls and setting the cutting mechanism. | Hall 1 |
| 12:00 | Introduction to Handheld Machinery | Session will include an introduction to the Lantra competency courses, including relevant legislation, Risk Assessments, PPE, daily checks, familiarisation with controls and guarding requirements. | Hall 1 |