LAMMA'19

OVERVIEW
Client: AgriBriefing
Event: LAMMA’19
Date: 8-9 January 2019
Attendance: Over 40,000 visitors and 700 exhibitors

ABOUT THE CLIENT
AgriBriefing is the world’s largest agribusiness media, supporting an international community of agribusiness professionals. They own the LAMMA show, which is the leading agricultural machinery, equipment and technology show in the UK, covering all sectors of the farming industry.

EVENT OBJECTIVE
LAMMA'19 was the first edition to be held indoors at the NEC, a big change from being an outdoor event for 30+ years. The aim was to repeat the show’s previous successes, but in a new 100% indoor format, while still providing scope for growth.

WHY THE NEC?
LAMMA takes place in January, which is the right time for the farming industry, but caused many weather-related problems when the show was outdoors pre-2019. AgriBriefing had ambitions to move the show indoors, but there were many challenges to doing so. Thanks to its unrivalled volume of indoor exhibition space, the NEC provided a solution to the first and most important of these challenges: enough space.

The move to the NEC offered the organiser an opportunity to create a more professional show, and the infrastructure and services to deliver a better visitor and exhibitor experience.

FORMAT
LAMMA’19 took place over a two-day period across 11 halls at the NEC with over 700 exhibitors, along with a range of speakers and guest panel events. This was a free-to-attend show to the public.

CHALLENGES
A move away from the east of England area that LAMMA had been hosted in for many years was a concern due to the large farming community in the region. However, the fantastic transport links to the NEC from all parts of the country, as well as internationally, nullified any potential issues with travel times for both existing and new show visitors.

Organisers and exhibitors were tasked with the shortest build period in the show's history, but the ease of operational activity at the NEC made it possible. Huge pieces of machinery and agricultural vehicles were efficiently brought onto site and quickly put into position, while the stand builds were completed in the new timescales.

SUCCESS
The ultimate success was the ability to demonstrate that at the NEC, LAMMA could do everything it did outdoors, indoors. Visitors and exhibitors were overwhelmingly positive in their feedback post-event.

The success of its move to the NEC created a host of possibilities for AgriBriefing, such as new conference and content elements at future LAMMA shows. Exhibitors are now able to be more creative with their stands in a less weather-dependent setting, and the move even delivered an increase in visit duration, because it didn't start getting dark at 3.30pm!

Elisabeth Mork-Eidem, AgriBriefing Group Events Director, said: “We are thrilled with the incredibly positive feedback both from our exhibitors and visitors taking part over the past two days. Together we pulled together and provided the show UK agriculture deserves. Around 40,000 people attended the event, and there was a real sense of excitement and buzz throughout the 11 packed NEC halls.”