On 2nd September, FC Basel’s home ground hosted the Turf Tech Summit, bringing together turf professionals and suppliers from across Europe. With two stages running talks throughout both days, the event created a packed programme of knowledge-sharing, networking, and live demonstrations.
IGFH’s Brad attended the first day of the event and found it a rewarding opportunity for professional development and personal connection.
One of the highlights was hearing Steven Thomas, head groundsman at Hibernian Football Club, speak in detail about his career path and the experiences that shaped his work in professional football. Eddie Van Endert, head groundsman at KRC Genk, gave an equally engaging session, offering his own unique perspective from Belgium.
From the technology side, ProPitch presented on data collection and its benefits for turf management, while Christian Thiel from TurfCoach discussed how monitoring data can help grounds teams make informed decisions. Other talks included GKB Machines’ discussion of smarter turf solutions and OBI Sports’ exploration of construction materials and quality control, as well as talks by Real Sociedad’s Head Groundsman Iker Orue and ISTMA’s Director David Roberts.
The Summit was well organised and attended, with opportunities throughout the day to explore exhibitor stands and take part in tours of the stadium, including an on-pitch lighting rigs demonstration courtesy of Stogger, and presentations and showcases of new machinery and systems. The event included lunch, an open bar, and a three-course dinner, which gave everyone the chance to keep conversations going.
Events like these are always a great chance to meet familiar faces. We caught up with Alex Earle, now working at Tennis Club Weissenhof in Stuttgart, and Christian Engelmann of Engelmann Turf Care. It was good to see Ben Carette and Marco Peschiulli, who both featured in last issue’s Meet the Members interviews and who Brad last met at The Soudal Open earlier this year. Plenty of attendees had made the short flight from the UK, including staff from Nottingham Forest, Ikumi Murai from Arsenal FC—whose career IGFH supported in its early stages—as well as Origin Amenity and the team at SIS Pitches.
Speaking of his experience at the Summit, Brad said: “I always appreciate the chance to learn from some of the best in the industry, and it was great to reconnect with colleagues and friends from across Europe. These kinds of events are a good reminder of how far the profession has come even in the past few years, and the exciting direction it’s heading.
“We attended last year too, and it’s already grown so much since then. They really pulled out all the stops to make the flight over from the UK worth it.”
Big thanks to Florian Mans for the invitation and for making it possible to attend. The turnout and atmosphere showed just how much interest there is in technology and sustainability in groundscare. With such a strong response this year, we’re already looking forward to seeing how the event grows in its third edition.
You can keep up with the latest Turf Tech Summit news and updates and register for 2026 on the official website.