New England Regional Turfgrass Foundation

15^th Annual New England Regional Turfgrass
Conference and Show

The 15th show was a recognition of our
exhibitors who had been with us since 1998!

      Putting on a show is all about planning….Have you ever seen better February weather in Providence?  What a great week it was for the New England Regional Turfgrass Conference and Show!  We thank all attendees, speakers, sponsors and exhibitors for attending and supporting our trade show and conference again this year.  It was a landmark year for the show and we appreciate especially all those who have been coming each year since we began in 1998. 

Some highlights of the results are:

·         More than 400 seats were sold for 8 Seminars on Monday

·         An expanded session for Sports Turf on Tuesday was well received

·         Ray Bourque was mobbed after his presentation and several times on the trade show floor…I think they liked him!

·         More than 40 exhibitors were presented with commemorative Framed Brochure Covers thanking them for 15 years of support for the show.

·         Wednesday was busy with 4 Education Sessions both morning and afternoon, while the Trade Show kept buzzing

·         The auctions netted $18,000 this year and it has contributed more than $150,000 in Turf Research Funding over the last 8 years!

·         The Turf Bowl Crown was protected again for the fourth year in a row by UMass though UConn, URI and SUNY Colbleskill are getting closer!

·         Tee-Up New England! was introduced and support continues to grow for the new initiative!

·         Sponsors help to make the show again with: Two Receptions, Keynote Speaker, Early Morning Refreshments, Lanyards, Lunch Vouchers, Nine Holes, Show Program and Driving Range all sponsored!

·         NERTF has announced $129,767 in Research Funding for 2012.

These were just some of the great moments.  We thank all of our sponsors for their support to make each show all that much better with food, drink, auction items and prizes.  All our exhibitors also sponsor the show through booth space and attendance.  Many of them also invite guests to events and dinner during the week.  These types of things are what make the show an event of importance and enjoyment.  Building business relationships are important in an industry such as ours.  The city knows when the Turf Show is in town and they appreciate your participation in the City Restaurants and Attractions.   

     The 2012 show came early this year because of the change in dates by GCSAA.  It was a little tough to get used to that the show was starting on February 6 versus the first week of March that we had stuck to for the first 14 years.  But, everything came together as it normally does, just a month early.  We really appreciated you adjusting to the early dates especially our exhibitors.  We thank our speakers for their participation in the show and in the industry.  New England is a model region for the mutual cooperation it has established since 1998 bringing together 6 states and 4 shows for the greater good.  The industry has prospered the best it can in this tough economy partly due to the relationships established and the networking that is functioning from opportunities created at the show.  We hope everyone is marking their calendar for the 1^st week of March for the 16^th annual conference and show….the dates are March 4-7, 2013.  Have a Great Spring and we’ll see you in Providence again soon!

Gary Sykes, Executive Director

New England Regional Turfgrass Foundation