The 2025 Midlands Ground Maintenance Roadshow, held at Birmingham City University and hosted by Fleet Line Markers, gave you exactly what you’d want from an industry event: new equipment to try, people worth meeting, and no hard sell in sight. IGFH was there, and this is what we took away from the day.
The day kicked off with tea, coffee, and early introductions between the exhibitors and visitors. A great thing about this show is that there’s no ticket charge for attendees—just people showing up because they care about their work and want to keep improving how they do it.
There was plenty to see, with exhibitors showcasing new equipment and tools, including Fleet’s very own Robot line marker. You could get hands-on and speak directly to the people who designed the equipment or use it daily, with no scripted pitches in sight.
I also caught a few live demonstrations, showing how certain machines perform under real conditions. These are always appreciated for making it easier to tell what might work on your own grounds rather than just looking at spec sheets online. You got the honest pros and cons, straight from the mouths of people who’ve already tested them.
I had the opportunity to speak with Iain Courage, Sales Director of Fleet Line Markers, when recording our video for the event (you can watch it on YouTube here!). Iain explained why Fleet invests in these roadshows and why they keep their pricing so cost-effective for exhibitors. According to Iain, events like these are a great place to meet old colleagues in the industry—Iain even met up with a couple of past colleagues that he hadn’t seen in 10 years!
Iain also stressed how events like these give suppliers a chance to listen, not just speak. That was clear throughout the day; you didn’t feel like you were just another person on a mailing list.
You don’t always walk away from an industry event with anything new, but this one delivered. As well as getting insight into new products, I also made connections worth following up on and got a good sense of where things might be headed over the next year. If you’re serious about your line of work and want to stay involved in the conversation, the Midlands Ground Maintenance Roadshow is worth adding to your calendar next time around.
