A steady stream of machinery, products, and site preparation materials have been trickling into Mystery Creek in the days leading up to Fieldays
Planning and preparation for an event the size and scale of Fieldays takes months. Preparations are now in full swing as the build of the small city (which slowly started taking shape in early April) transforms the 114 hectares of Mystery Creek Events Centre into a showcase of New Zealand’s food and fibre sector.
At its core, Fieldays is about bringing together the agricultural community — farmers and growers, machinery brands and dealers, industry professionals, Government agencies, international delegations, researchers, and enthusiasts to celebrate a shared passion, exchange ideas, and forge lasting connections.
“Fieldays is more than just an exhibition; it’s a vital connection point that strengthens the bonds within our agricultural community,” says Peter Nation, New Zealand National Fieldays Society, CEO.
“For over half a century, this four-day event has played a pivotal role in fostering relationships, creating connection, facilitating knowledge transfer, and driving progress in our primary industries.”
With more than 1000 exhibitors, Fieldays visitors can expect to see a diverse range of cutting-edge agricultural technology, innovative farm equipment, and rural lifestyle exhibits and bag themselves a bargain, thanks to loyal and longstanding exhibitors who bring iconic brands to the event.
Regardless of whether or not they have been involved in the event for decades or are exhibiting for the first time, they all come with the same objectives in mind.
To build their brand, connect with customers, and make a sale, with some exhibitors’ Fieldays planning starting almost as soon as the gates close on the previous year’s event.
“We have our first Fieldays meeting before Christmas, so we can move into the festive season knowing that we are heading in the right direction,” says Kyle Osborne, branch manager milking machine sales at Qubik.
“From Christmas until June, three team members spend most of their work hours planning our Fieldays site build. Come event time, we get contractors in to help with the build, which can take a couple of weeks on and off depending on what the weather throws at us.
“There are always two of our team on the ground during key parts of the process to oversee operations and pitch in as needed. After a recent rebranding exercise, the Qubik team, formerly known as Te Awamutu Milking Machine Company (TMC), knew that Fieldays was going to be the best place to communicate their new branding.
“It would be pure madness if we didn’t invest in our rebrand and showcase the new brand at Fieldays. It’s the best place to connect with our customers and meet new ones” says Kyle.
In their early exhibiting days, they took home the Best Small Outdoor Site in the Fieldays Site Awards. Since then, their site has gone from strength to strength growing to a larger footprint each year.
“Making sure we have the right equipment on hand for our customers to interact with is vital. That is why a large site like ours is now taking almost six months of planning. Customers want to be able to see how things work in person, and not just look at a brochure or online.
It means we can have one-on-one conversations and talk through our products right there and then.”
The Qubik team arrives on-site along with many others in the coming weeks to start the busy pack-in process, and the 114 hectares of open space at Mystery Creek Events Centre will quickly transforming into a bustling hub of activity.
Six Fieldays Hubs
The ever-popular Fieldays demonstrations and competitions, alongside the six Fieldays branded hubs — Innovation, Hauora Taiwhenua Health & Wellbeing, Forestry, Careers & Education, Sustainability, and Digital Futures — create a variety of opportunities for visitors to experience different aspects of agriculture, innovation, sustainability, rural life, education, and digital adoption.
Tickets are on sale now for the iconic Kiwi event, which takes place from 12 to 15 June. It’s the place to connect with like-minded individuals and businesses, explore new horizons, and contribute to the growth and development of the vital New Zealand agricultural landscape.
For more information, visit fieldays.co.nz.
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