COUNTY SHOWS Image: © Richard Walker/Yorkshire Agricultural Society
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County show organisers discuss their event plans for 2022
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n 2021, the Great Yorkshire Show tweaked its opening hours and crowd capacities to meet COVID restrictions and strict criteria set by North Yorkshire County Council Public Health and Harrogate Borough Council. The county show attracts more than 130,000 people each year and like so many shows, contributes millions to the local economy; it was important that the event went ahead. Twelve months on, and those tweaks were so successful that the Great Yorkshire Show has vowed to keep the changes, extending the show to four days, reducing opening hours by three hours each day, and putting a cap on crowd numbers. The pandemic forced the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, organiser of the Great Yorkshire Show, to change its operations and push a reset button. Mark Stoddart, financial controller at Yorkshire Agricultural Society, explained: “In 2021, the show ran across four days and it’s a move that we’re sticking with. Historically, we have had 40,00045,000 people through our gates each day, but we’ll be restricting numbers and if we sell out, we can expect to welcome 135,000 to 140,000 people to the Great Yorkshire Show. “In 2021, we reduced our opening hours. We used to open the gates at
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7.30am and run until 7.30pm. We changed that and ran from 8am until 6pm and it made things easier for everyone. A 12hour shift for staff and traders is hard so the reduction in hours took the edge off and it’s a move we’re going to keep.” This move saves money. A three-hour reduction in opening hours means a small reduction in staffing costs. However, as a money man, Stoddart has an eye on the figures. He said: “The cost of staff will be a big issue – security staff, gate staff, catering staff and those managing traffic. The national minimum wage is going up by 6.2 per cent so there’s pressure on the bottom line.” But there’s also pressure on the supply chain. Stoddart confirmed that the show is struggling to source toilets, shower blocks, and grandstand seating but it’s an issue he and his team are determined to get round.
DIESEL BAN REVERSED
Paul Hooper, secretary of the Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations (ASAO), echoed Stoddart’s concerns regarding contractors and the supply chain. “There are issues with contractors, suppliers, and staffing but in general, things are positive. Momentum is definitely building.”
Hooper is celebrating. The association successfully appealed against the Government’s ban on red diesel. Agricultural showgrounds and agricultural showground activities are now exempt from the red diesel ban, and the decision has also been reversed on ploughing matches. Some organisers have breathed a sigh of relief, as the upcoming ban on red diesel would have meant cost increases.
NEW APPROACH
Denis Dooley, chief executive at the New Forest Agricultural Show Society, organiser of The New Forest and Hampshire County Show, confirmed that costs are increasing. He said: “The costs of running the show have gone up. We’ve been able to cut back in some areas and we’ve gone up in others, and we’ve pre-empted a fall in trade stands. “We have also renegotiated some of our contracts. Most contractors have kept their prices similar, but I have found that it has been important to work together, as a team.” The New Forest and Hampshire County Show has not taken place since 2019. As a result, Dooley and his team have had several years to think about the direction of the show. Dooley and the show team are taking a more interactive and educational approach, giving visitors the opportunity to learn through activities and take away an experience.
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