Cereals 2018 will see radical changes to its layout as a result of ‘CerealsPlus’ – a project created by its new owners, Comexposium.
Bringing together the machinery and crop plots in the heart of the event, the new layout is designed to improve visitor and exhibitor experience. The announcement comes shortly after the first Cereals Advisory Board meeting, alongside consultation with the Agricultural Engineers’ Association and the industry.
“We really want to have a far more collaborative approach with the industry,” says event director Jon Day. “The changes we are making to the layout show that we are both listening to the industry and acting upon the feedback. We will be setting up a farmer focus group in addition to the exhibitor advisory board to ensure we really deliver the exceptional Cereals 2018 the industry wants.”
Will Holmes, head of sales and marketing at Syngenta, says that bringing different parts of the event together will make it easier for visitors to navigate the site. “It’s nice to see the show evolving, alongside greater interaction with the team. It’s good to freshen things up and challenge us to adopt new thinking,” he adds. “There was a clear need to do something different and we’re very happy to be working with Comexposium to achieve that.”
Kate Bennett, marketing and communications co-ordinator at Kuhn Farm Machinery, adds: “Integrating the Sprays & Sprayers Arena among the other machinery stands should create a greater buzz within this sector, as well as a better experience for visitors. Fresh ideas from Comexposium for Cereals are encouraging and we are interested to see these implemented next year.”
Like many manufacturers, Horsch UK sells both spraying and tillage equipment, and will 
now be able to have one combined stand rather than splitting in two, says general manager Steve Burcham. “An event can also get stale if people know exactly where every exhibitor is; a layout change will help people to stumble across new things, and the new Innovation Entrances will provide a great visual impact for people as they arrive.”
Horsch UK is planning a few changes of its own, with the introduction of a trial plot to demonstrate the efficacy of its new drill. “As an industry we need to up our game; we are all part of the show and it’s very positive to be working together to make Cereals 2018 an attractive event for people to visit,” adds Mr Burcham.
Cereals is not only changing its layout, explains Mr Day. “We are changing the visitor and exhibitor experience and the technical content and features within the event through feedback and discussion with the industry.”
Chris Wiltshire, marketing manager at John Deere, says Cereals’ new consultative approach has to be a good thing. “We really like the new layout and it’s great to be able to provide input to help change things going forward. We are very much looking forward to the 2018 event.”