Lamma

Is Lamma becoming THE Agricultural show of choice?

about 4 years ago by Michael Kendall

​Returning from the Christmas holidays can be a struggle for many people, not least surviving countless conversations along the lines of “Yes, Christmas was great thanks”, “No, not long enough!” or “Yes I did get some nice presents, please stop asking!”. Having an excuse to get out of the office can really help and, luckily for most of our Agriculture team, we had planned a trip to the NEC to visit Lamma – the UK’s leading agricultural machinery, equipment and technology show.

Since the change of venue from the chilly outdoors of the East of England Showground to the slightly more temperate NEC, we were keen to see if there was more to it than just a new location. Here are some of my thoughts and observations about what was definitely a very modern and ‘bigger than ever’ Lamma Show…

There was a large growth in suppliers around the fringes and on the smaller stands - from agribusiness consultants to farm traders and everything else that you might typically find at Cereals (the leading technical event for the arable industry). These stands were situated alongside the established large machinery brands and dealerships, which provided much more variety when looking around a show.

Rather than gazing from one well-polished machine to another, you felt that you were attending a show that covered most agricultural sectors under one roof. For us, as an agricultural recruitment business, this was great. Being able to put names to faces is really valuable when you deal with businesses all over the UK, so it was a great opportunity to meet a number of clients in one place for a catch-up and chat about recruitment plans for 2020.

After a soggy and Somme-like Cereals event in 2019, we left wondering if Lamma could become the event of choice for most agricultural businesses, both large and small. Anywhere that attracts the footfall of agricultural professionals that Lamma does is a place any agri-business will want to exhibit at. Not to mention the confidence that your stand and visitor numbers will never be subject to weather challenges.

Coupled with the transport links to Birmingham, I feel that Lamma could be set to grow even further in years to come with ‘beers and lunch in the sun’ at Cereals becoming a distant memory. But part of me hopes not! We’ll certainly be attending Cereals again this year and keeping our fingers crossed for sunnier skies.

The agriculture team at MorePeople covers technical, commercial and rural business recruitment in the sector, ranging from Farm Managers to Agronomists to Rural Professionals, and everything in between. The beginning of the year is always one of our busiest periods. If you want to talk to us in more detail about how we can help you as a business, or a candidate looking for a new role, call us on 01780 480530 for a confidential chat or email info@morepeople.co.uk.