GroundsFest has quickly become one of the key events for the groundscare industry, and this year’s show proved just how much it has grown. 2025 was the event’s third year running, and it was easily the busiest yet. For IGFH, GroundsFest is always about connecting with people and sharing what we’re doing with the GroundsFest Academy, and this year delivered on every level.
2025 was a huge step forward for the show, with noticeably more stands and more visitors throughout both days. The venue felt full from the start, and the foot traffic was constant.
The GroundsFest Academy had a brilliant presence this year, with the KAR Challenge proving a huge success. Visitors were tasked with assembling a fully serviceable sprinkler head against the clock, with their times added to a live leaderboard. The competition stayed busy across both days, and prizes were awarded to those with the fastest times.
When Brad wasn’t manning the IFGH stand, he had the chance to take part in two talks. On day one, he joined James Kimmings from Pitchcare to discuss recruitment and retention, which sparked some excellent conversations with the audience. Day two’s panel with HortWeek, organised by Rachael Forsyth, focused on the future of the Academy, along with a discussion of industry challenges like staff retention, pay, and price inflation, and how businesses are finding new ways to adapt. These sessions were well attended and a great opportunity to get feedback and new ideas.
The social side of GroundsFest didn’t disappoint either. Lawn mower racing was a big highlight, with Martin Chivers of Chivers Sports & Landscapes taking first place and GroundsFest’s own Chris Bassett coming in second. The Oasis tribute band, Definitely Mightbe, played in the evening and was a brilliant way to wrap up a busy day.
As always, one of the best parts of the event was catching up with people we know from the industry. Brad connected with the grounds team from Reading Football Club, two Leicester City FC mechanics, a couple of fellow groundstaff from his Wembley Stadium matchday days, Florian Mans from Stogger, and Vic (one of our featured members in this issue) from Intropica. It was also good to chat with our sponsors Kersten and Dennis, and Des – who attended one of our recent free education days – came by the stand to say hello.
Big thanks to Alex from Quadrop for running the GroundsFest Academy and IGFH stands (with his dog Lando keeping everyone entertained) while Brad was speaking. We had a lot of valuable conversations with visitors, exhibitors, and industry professionals throughout both days.
There was so much to see and do, including outdoor machinery demos, a packed calendar of educational seminars, and the Landscape Zone: an innovation hub for professionals involved in the design, planning, and construction of outdoor environments. But for us, this year was all about showcasing IGFH and the growing impact of the GroundsFest Academy.
Brad summed up his experience by saying, “GroundsFest gets bigger every year, and 2025 showed just how much the industry values coming together. The interest in the Academy and the KAR Challenge was fantastic. People were engaged and asking questions, and we made sure they left with practical takeaways. Next year’s event is already in the diary.”
More GroundsFest Academy events are already in the pipeline, and planning for next year’s GroundsFest is underway. You can learn more about this year’s GroundsFest and keep an eye out for news about the 2026 event (to be held on 16-17 September) on the official GroundsFest website. To learn more about The GroundsFest Academy and register for the next seminar, visit this page.