GroundsFest has grown faster than almost any trade show in the UK. In just three years it became the largest event in the grounds management and landscaping industry, drawing over 9,000 visitors to Stoneleigh Park in 2025. For 2026 — on 16–17 September at NAEC Stoneleigh, Warwickshire — the show is expanding again. More exhibitors, more outdoor demo space, more indoor zones. For brands that exhibit, that growth cuts both ways: bigger audience, but significantly more competition for attention.
Why GroundsFest Is Different — and Why That Matters for Exhibitors
Most trade shows are transactional. GroundsFest has built something harder to replicate: a genuine community atmosphere. The live music festival, outdoor demos, free education programme, and the GroundsFest Academy create an environment where visitors stay longer, engage more, and remember more. That's good news if your stand gives them something to engage with. It's a problem if your space is static — a banner, a brochure table, and a member of staff waiting to be approached.
The show's own Innovation Awards — back for 2026 in partnership with HortWeek — also signal what the audience responds to: innovation, demonstration, and proof. Products that can be seen working in person. Brands that can back up their claims. This is the context your stand needs to perform in.
GroundsFest 2025 attracted 9,037 visitors in two days. The 2026 show is on track to be bigger. Your stand has seconds — not minutes — to stop the right person walking past.
What Separates Stands That Convert From Stands That Don't
The stands that generate real pipeline at GroundsFest share a few consistent characteristics. They draw people in rather than waiting for them. They give visitors something to watch, interact with, or experience. And they capture details without it feeling like a data grab.
[Before the Show|Brief a video team now. A 60–90 second brand film running on a screen at your stand does more work than any printed panel. Get it produced before September and you'll have time to use it across your pre-show marketing too.|On the Stand|Live demos win attention. If your product can move, operate, or produce a visible result — show it. Pair that with a looping video reel of your best work and you've created a stand that holds attention without needing a conversation every second.|Lead Capture|The best stands make capturing a contact feel natural — a demo sign-up, a competition entry, a product trial booking. Have a clear offer and a simple mechanism to collect names.|After the Show|This is where most exhibitors lose their return. Follow up within 48 hours while the show is still fresh. A short personalised video message or a link to your brand film is far more memorable than a generic email.]
The Video Opportunity Most Exhibitors Miss
Walk the show floor at any major UK trade event and count how many stands have video running. Then count how many of those videos look like they were produced properly versus shot on someone's phone at the last minute. The gap is large — and it's an opportunity. A well-produced video on a stand display does three things simultaneously: it communicates your proposition to everyone in eyeline, it positions your brand as professional and credible, and it runs without needing your sales team to be mid-conversation.
The same asset doesn't stop working when the show ends. Your GroundsFest brand film can run on your website, go out on LinkedIn as pre-show and post-show content, appear in your follow-up email sequence, and be used to brief your team on your proposition for the next twelve months.
- A 60–90 second brand or product film for the stand display
- A short behind-the-scenes or "meet the team" reel for LinkedIn in the week before the show
- A post-show highlights or testimonial video for follow-up emails and social
- A demo-style product video if your offer benefits from seeing results in action
One shoot day before GroundsFest can produce enough content to power your stand, your social channels, and your follow-up sequence — before and after the event.
Getting the Timing Right
GroundsFest is on 16–17 September. That sounds like plenty of time from here, but production has a lead time. A properly planned shoot needs pre-production — scripting, storyboarding, location or studio logistics — before anyone picks up a camera. Then post-production: editing, colour grade, sound, any motion graphics. For a September show, briefing a video team in July or August gives you the best chance of having a polished asset ready to use in pre-show marketing, not just on the day.
How SIPTA Can Help
SIPTA works with businesses exhibiting at UK trade shows to produce video content that performs on the stand and beyond. If you're exhibiting at GroundsFest 2026 and want to talk through what a shoot could look like for your brand, get in touch. We'll give you a straight steer on what's realistic for your budget and timeline.
