Machinery show cancelled

The Midlands Machinery Show, scheduled to take place in November, has now been cancelled. 

The event, which was scheduled to take place on November 18th-19th at Newark Showground, is the latest in a string of agricultural shows to be cancelled as a result of  the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chairman of the MMS advisory committee, Bob Sheldon, said originally it was hoped the show could still go ahead. “Since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak we have been monitoring Government guidance and were initially optimistic that we could safely deliver the event in November,” he said. “However, there is still ongoing uncertainty, with changing guidance and restrictions affecting exhibitors and visitors alike. Given how long many of our exhibitors require to prepare for the show, we felt we needed to make a decision.

“Our prime concern is the wellbeing of all our supporters and rather than risk delivering a subdued and more limited experience than normal, we felt it was better to decide now and find a different way to support the industry.”

The Agricultural Engineering Apprentice Awards, which usually coincide with the show, will still be presented in November.  Launched in 2017, the awards celebrate the valuable contribution of apprentices and trainees in the agricultural industry and recognise their commitment and hard work in colleges and workplaces across the UK.

The awards form part of the Midlands Agricultural Engineering Traineeship and Apprenticeship Education Scheme, supported by Geoffrey Bond OBE DL. Each winner - chosen by a panel of Newark and Nottinghamshire Agricultural Society judges – receives £500 to help fund their career development.

“These awards provide valuable promotion of agricultural engineering as a career and help to bring fresh blood into this important and fast-moving sector,” says Bob. “We are so pleased to be able to continue to run them this year, with the support of our local colleges and manufacturers.

“We would also like to thank our exhibitors and visitors for their ongoing support. Next year’s event has been booked for November 9th to 10th and we are all looking forward to a more positive year in 2021.”

Now in its seventh year, the Midlands Machinery Show is organised by the Newark and Nottinghamshire Agricultural Society and is a specialised agricultural machinery show with a range of national, regional and local agricultural businesses showcasing their product ranges to those who work and have an interest in agriculture. Last year around 300 exhibitors and 6,000 visitors attended over two days.