Agri-retailers and suppliers flocked to Langham, SK last week to show off their wares at the second-ever Ag in Motion.

The event, dubbed Western Canada’s outdoor farm expo, allowed equipment and crop inputs suppliers alike to promote their products in a hands-on, engaging way. Large exhibitor plots provided ample space for companies to showcase test crops and large-scale machinery, and fields were available for live equipment demonstrations.

“Our product is very visual, and a lot of growers are looking for that – they want to touch, feel and see what we’re selling,” said Tom Tregunno, product manager at Engage Agro, a crop protection company. “It’s tough at a traditional tradeshow to demonstrate the product, but we can do that at this show.”
Tregunno, standing inside a shaded booth surrounded by Engage Agro test crops, noted that the producers in attendance at Ag in Motion responded well to the immersive environment of the event.

“The response has been very positive,” he said. “They can see that the products work.”

Equipment retailers also saw benefits to the large-scale format of Ag in Motion. “This is the first event where we’ve been able to bring in large equipment,” said Marlin Heffley, sales manager for Dyterra, said as he gestured to the company’s new 3,000 gallon NH3 tank and wagon. “It was a good bang for our buck.”

Heffley recognized the opportunity in the outdoor expo while attending last year’s inaugural event, and jumped at the chance to get in early. “This is our first year at Ag in Motion,” he said. “Last year we walked around the show, and realized it was going to start growing, so this year we secured a booth.”

The second Ag in Motion event was double the size of last year’s event, with over 75 acres of exhibitor booth space available to 2016 exhibitors. Word has also spread amongst the agricultural community, resulting in higher attendance from producers interested in ag innovation.

Said Cassandra Morari, finance and credit manager at Rack Petroleum, the increase in attendance also brought an increase in quality of leads generated at the exhibitor booths.

“We’ve seen a lot of customers who are asking great questions, and are very interested, instead of just tire-kicking,” she said. “We have some great leads to follow up with.”

Many of the exhibitors in attendance had high hopes for the future of this innovative event.

“This event is new, and it’s drawing a lot of people because of that,” said Morari. “But I’ve also heard that they have plans to set up more permanent infrastructure and use it year over year. I can definitely see it growing in the long term.”

See more news about Ag in Motion 2016 and keep up to date on exhibitor opportunities for next year at the Ag in Motion website.

Looking to get more out of your exhibitor presence at conferences and trade shows? Keep an eye out for the next issue of The Communicator – hitting mailboxes and inboxes in September!