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THE AIM OF THE ASSOCIATEION OF SHOW AND AGRICULTURAL ORGANISATIONS IS TO....

Promote agriculture, horticulture and the countryside through shows and other events.
Encourage and share best practice between agricultural societies and related organisations.
Encourage and support education across the full spectrum of agriculture, horticulture and the countryside through shows, conferences, projects and initiatives.

The ASAO is run by show people for shows and gives the best value-for-money information service available to any event organiser.

Nigel Evans, Cheshire County Show

MEET THE ASAO COUNCIL

The ASAO Council is made up of Show representatives from across the country who are from a mix of one-day and multi-day shows. They represent members’ views and are happy to be contracted on all matters associated with the ASAO.

Mark Stoddart

ASAO Chairman

Denis Dooley

ASAO Council Member

Sam Mackenzie-Green

ASAO Council Member

Christopher Riddle

ASAO Council Member

David Tite

ASAO Council Member

Paul Hooper OBE

ASAO Secretary

James Cox

ASAO Membership Secretary

Alison Baylis

ASAO Council Member

Alan Lyons

ASAO Council Member

Tim Ledbury

ASAO Council Member

Lucy Hegarty

ASAO Council Member

Christine Knipe

ASAO Council Member

Mark Stoddart

ASAO Chairman

Mark Stoddart is the Financial Controller of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, which stages the Great Yorkshire Show. He is also Secretary and Treasurer of the Yorkshire Federation of Show Societies.

Denis Dooley

ASAO Council Member

Denis Dooley is the Show Secretary of the New Forest and Hampshire County Show, which is held in July at their showground at New Park, Brockenhurst.

Denis has been instrumental in the creation of the Next Generation project which aims to keep the Show in safe hands for many years to come. Outside of work Denis is married, has one child, enjoys cycling, visiting family and working his Labrador Woody.

Sam Mackenzie-Green

ASAO Council Member

Sam Mackenzie-Green is the Show Manager for the Devon County Show. She was previously Show Secretary at Dorset County Show for 13 years before spearheading the project to re-start the Yeovil Show in Somerset in 2016, being Event Director for the event. She has a keen interest in marketing and brand promotion especially through engaging social media campaigns.

Sam lives in Dorset with her husband, Henry, and two sons George (10) and Tom (7).

Christopher Riddle

ASAO Council Member

Chris Riddle has been Secretary of the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association since 1989 and is only the ninth person to hold this position since the organisation was founded in 1793. He is married to Thelma and has two children – Emma and Harry and Emma has recently been appointed as the RCAA’s Pavilion Centre Manager.

Chris is a former Chairman of the ASAO and a former Trustee and National Chairman of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution. He is also a Trustee of the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth and Deputy Chairman, Trustee and Honorary Life Member of the Royal Smithfield Club as well as being an office holder with various other organisations.

David Tite

ASAO Council Member

David Tite is Society Director of the Driffield Show Society and first joined the organisation in 1990 to work during his school holidays. He was made Director in 2006 and since then has increased the Showground’s rental activity and established the annual Driffield Show as one of the largest one-day agricultural shows in the country. He also oversees the running of the monthly Driffield Farmers’ Market and sits on many local committees aimed at supporting the rural community. David is a time-served furniture designer and craftsman and lectured in the subject for over seven years.

Paul Hooper OBE

ASAO Secretary

Paul Hooper OBE is Society Secretary for the Royal Bath & West of England Society and a well-known figure in the shows industry. He began his career in 1977 and is experienced in most aspects of agricultural and country show organisation at national level. In 2015, he was awarded an OBE in Her Majesty The Queen’s Birthday Honours. Paul enjoys listening to military music in his spare time.

James Cox

ASAO Membership Secretary

James Cox is Show Organiser of the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show.

He started his life in the Show industry at a young age as a volunteer at his local Show, the Dorset County Show and has since progressed to Marketing & Sponsorship Officer followed by Trade Stand Manager at the Royal Bath & West of England Society before joining the team at the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show in June 2019.

James is from a Dorset farming family and an active member of Young Farmers.

Alison Baylis

ASAO Council Member

Alison has been the Show Secretary of Bucks County Agricultural Association since 2011 and appointed onto the ASAO Council in 2019. Alison is the ASAO’s Regional Champion for England.

Alan Lyons

ASAO Council Member

Born and bred on the family farm 6 miles from the Showground in Shepton Mallet, Alan has always had a strong connection to the Royal Bath & West Show. Brought up showing pedigree livestock and horses, Alan has travelled all over the UK and also the USA judging and visiting Shows. A portion of Alan’s life was spent in the retail sector which has been useful with regards to the trade stand aspect and marketing within Shows. Having spent 19 years in the Show industry, Alan’s specialist subjects whichin the ASAO are Livestock & equine.

Tim Ledbury

ASAO Council Member

I have been Secretary of the North Somerset Agricultural Society since 2008, responsible for the delivery of our annual Agricultural Show which is one day event held on the first bank holiday in May, the North Somerset Ploughing Match which takes place on the first Sunday in September and the development of a large educational day for Key Stage 2 pupils, as well numerous other smaller events. I am responsible for the management of the Showground and we are currently looking at ways to utilise this asset to create additional income for the Society to further its charitable activity. I also run a country educational charity called FarmLink which is active within Somerset, Staffordshire, Devon and Cornwall delivering its programme to over 42,000 pupils during the course of the last academic year, the majority of these are primary students. We are currently developing a FarmLink programme for secondary schools and this will be launched at the start of the next academic year.

Lucy Hegarty

ASAO Council Member

Lucy has been part of the team at the Kent County Agricultural Society since 2003, taking over as Show Manager of the Kent County Show and three other Shows in 2013. Show is the ASAO’s champion for sponsorship and is willing to assist where she can.

Christine Knipe

ASAO Council Member

Christine Knipe has been Chief Executive of Westmorland County Agricultural Society since 2005. Married to David, the Knipes live on their upland sheep, beef and poultry farm in central Cumbria.

Christine is a former Chairman of the ASAO, a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Societies, a Trustee of the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth, secretary for the North West Federation of Show Societies and Chairman of the national Access to Farms partnership. She is also ASAO’s Education Champion and is keen to develop educational opportunities to promote agriculture within our shows and events.