2026 Learning Day Report
28th February at the Staffordshire Showground
Thank you to everyone who joined us for Learning Day at the Stafford Showground this year. It was a fantastic event, packed with practical insight, great discussion and valuable opportunities to connect.
The day began with our AGM, during which Alice Arnold (Three Counties Agricultural Society) and James Cox (Dorchester Agricultural Society) were elected to Council, and Christine Knipe (Royal Agricultural Society of England) was re-elected. Members also approved the new Articles of Association through a Special Resolution. Following the AGM, we thanked Denis Dooley (New Forest and Hampshire County Show) for his three years as Chairman. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the Association, we presented him with an engraved tankard and marked the occasion by adopting a donkey, Drizzle, from The Donkey Sanctuary.
We are delighted to welcome Corrie Ince (South of England Agricultural Society) as our new Chairman and Mared Rand Jones (Wales Federation of Young Farmers Clubs) as Vice Chairman. Alongside Jenna and Pam, we are pleased to have an all-female leadership team at the helm for the first time.
This year’s Learning Day focused on two key themes: Showground Safety and PR & Marketing, chaired by David Tite and Alison Baylis. We were pleased to welcome an excellent range of speakers—many from within our membership, alongside colleagues from outside the organisation and we are very grateful to each of them for their time and for sharing such useful, informative presentations.
PR & Marketing Sessions:
Lizzie Herron (The Equestrian Leadership Consultancy) – Handling Conflict with Confidence
James Cox (Dorset County Show) & Tory Lugsden (Hadleigh Show) – Raising the Profile: Practical Marketing for Successful Shows
Rhea Alton (J&PR Ltd/Shropshire County Show) – Working Smarter: How AI Can Support PR & Communications
Showground Safety Sessions:
Kevin Instance (ASAO/Gull Rock Events) – From Law to Action: Modern Showground Safety and What Would You Do? A Health & Safety Scenario Session
Jamie Newson-Smith (Great Yorkshire Show), Ian Wright (Alpha Omega Securities Ltd) & David Johns (Arley Medical Services) – Risk Reduction That Works: Affordable Safety Solutions
Dene Hazelwood (Kingsford Events) – Safe Site, Safe Stock: Preparing for Livestock Arrival and Public Entry
We were also grateful to Ian Wright and Craig Rozzell from Alpha Omega Securities for providing a drone demonstration at lunchtime. They showed how drones can support traffic management and pedestrian flow, help record incidents in real time, and—most importantly—strengthen the overall security and safety of our shows.
The day concluded with a presentation from Cam Bliss (London Northwestern & West Midlands Railways), which neatly brought both of our themes together. Thanks to Cam’s practical guidance, many of us left feeling more confident that managing communications during a live incident is a little less daunting.
Our thanks to Richard and Claire for welcoming us to the Staffordshire Showground and to everyone who helped make the event such a success. We are also grateful to our sponsors for their support – Headline Sponsor, TicketSRV and Printing Sponsor, Orion Print.
If you weren’t able to attend this year, we strongly encourage you to join us for Learning Day 2027. It’s an valuable opportunity for members to learn, share ideas, network and catch up with colleagues and friends.
Many thanks to our Headline Sponsor: TicketSRV
