2019 Turf Business Summit - Building on success

The second Turf Business Summit was held in Algarve Portugal this year. The Summit was a great way for turf professionals, to meet with colleagues and turf industry players, suppliers and supporters across Europe and share industry knowledge and experience.

Building on the success of last year’s meeting, this second international event really did deliver on possible solutions to some of the industry's leading talking points and problems. But it brought so much more in terms of engaging the great and the good of the turf professional world.

During the two day event, participants had the opportunity to gain a lot of industry knowledge and to exchange know-how. Various topics were discussed and among them was how to get the knowledge of professional turf maintenance out to the public. Many people expect excellent playing surfaces, landscaped areas and glorious parkland when they walk around in their neighborhood or watches a football match. But who are the people behind these vistas? How are such results achieved? And in many cases, how do they contribute to the success of their employers, clubs and organizations? Wouldn't fans of football, rugby, cricket, tennis, hockey and golf appreciate the sports more, knowing what work and talent lies behind surface preparation? To make sure that people are aware of the hard work that underlies every pitch, landscape or course, turf professionals have a responsibility to spread the word and educate the public. By spreading the word, it will be easier for the industry to acquire new talents in the business.

Turf managers also revealed how they currently nurture and develop existing staff. Practices include learning one task at a time, slowly being given more responsibility, site visits and offering apprentices quality time to demonstrate tasks.

The summit participants were also very keen on seeing different types of grass at clubs abroad, and learn how processes vary. Grounds staff being generous in sharing experiences with proactive attitudes, is a clear indication that the turf business summit was a great success for all involved.