Cereals 2018...

[Iben]

Location! For those of us north of the border, or in the south west, it would be nice if the show could move around the country a bit (I am not expecting it to be in Scotland ever). But some regionalisation would be nice, rather than the ' this is a south east show, but you are welcome to come' attitude.

Again with regionalisation. For over twenty years, all we here about is blackgrass, blackgrass, blackgrass. Although it is a major issue for those that have it, not everyone does. Yet each region has it's own problems and issues which I feel never get acknowledged at these shows or in most of the farming media.

Just a suggestion.

 

[Daniel]

Just been driven past cereals, the bridge has been built and some marquees are going up.

At the pig and poultry fair you printed off your ticket at home, A4 size with fold lines on it. At the gate they scanned you straight in and gave you a lanyard to put your folded ticket in. You handed in the lanyard on your way out for re-use.

I guess the problem for cereals particularly on the machinery front is that manufacturers are only going to sell a few high cost, low volume items, at pig and poultry most of what's sold is low cost, high volume, even the expensive equipment is basically meccano which is scaleable to the size of enterprise you run. So the exhibitors all know they should shift some product and hence all turn up.

 

[franklin]

Wasnt really sure of the point of the lanyard for Pig & Poultry. Did many stands scan it? I think mine was scanned once. Could have easily just checked us in at the gate, and any stands interested ask our names and get details from a database without the need of the lanyard which I just stuffed in my pocket anyway.

 

[franklin]

LFor over twenty years, all we here about is blackgrass, blackgrass, blackgrass.

Indeed. There could easily be a small "whats new for BG" area of the show 'cos in reality we all know what we need to do to sort it out.

 

[Daniel]

Wasnt really sure of the point of the lanyard for Pig & Poultry. Did many stands scan it? I think mine was scanned once. Could have easily just checked us in at the gate, and any stands interested ask our names and get details from a database without the need of the lanyard which I just stuffed in my pocket anyway.

I meant more for the speed of getting into the show, those who hadn't printed off had quite a que. I did get mine scanned a couple of times, that part of it seemed a good idea that didn't quite take off?

 

[Iben]

Scanning isn't new. Smithfield show did that at one point. Supposed to be faster entry and all the stands had scanners to take your details in an instant, rather than spending time writing it all out countless times.

 

[franklin]

Plenty of folk in the "have already pre-registered" queue were registering on their mobiles as the queue moved forward

Are there *any* farmers who are going to be going to Cereals on their own or in a group that couldnt have their tickets on their mobiles with a QR code and thus avoid a) queue and b) lanyards? For goodness sakes I can fly around the world with a phone now.

 

[Wombat]

Plenty of folk in the "have already pre-registered" queue were registering on their mobiles as the queue moved forward [emoji4]

Are there *any* farmers who are going to be going to Cereals on their own or in a group that couldnt have their tickets on their mobiles with a QR code and thus avoid a) queue and b) lanyards? For goodness sakes I can fly around the world with a phone now.

I had a group of 12 overseas visitors last year and what a faff to get in at the gate. A whole load of questions 80% of which didn't apply, in the end I told them to let us in after paying or we were all turning round and going to the nearest pub. In the end they just printed off 12 badges with the same name, my visitors thought it was a real shambles.

 

[Two Tone]

Plenty of folk in the "have already pre-registered" queue were registering on their mobiles as the queue moved forward

Are there *any* farmers who are going to be going to Cereals on their own or in a group that couldnt have their tickets on their mobiles with a QR code and thus avoid a) queue and b) lanyards? For goodness sakes I can fly around the world with a phone now.

Scanning QR or bar codes from a smart phone won't on its own get you quicker access to Cereals this year. But is planned and will hopefully be possible next year.

If you can pre register at home, then print the QR /bar code, that will get you into the show very fast.

If you forgot the printed paper, but have it on your smart phone, somebody at Registration will print a paper version out for you to gain entry. This will still be much quicker that have to register at the Show on the day.

 

[An Gof]

Scanning QR or bar codes from a smart phone won't on its own get you quicker access to Cereals this year. But is planned and will hopefully be possible next year.

If you can pre register at home, then print the QR /bar code, that will get you into the show very fast.

If you forgot the printed paper, but have it on your smart phone, somebody at Registration will print a paper version out for you to gain entry. This will still be much quicker that have to register at the Show on the day.

Please explain why all this crap is needed. People pay and buy a ticket to get in why all the secret service stuff. Boils my .....

 

[Two Tone]

Please explain why all this crap is needed. People pay and buy a ticket to get in why all the secret service stuff. Boils my .....

I think it is so that your Lanyard can be created, which can then be scanned by any of the stands you find interesting, so that you then don't have to swap names and addresses etc for the stand holder to get back to you after the Show.

It also helps the organisers to know what type of visitor you are (farmer/manager/farm worker/student) and what enterprises and size of farm you have to make future Shows more interesting to us all.

It might seem frustrating to have to do so, but there is method behind the madness!

 

[Wombat]

I think it is so that your Lanyard can be created, which can then be scanned by any of the stands you find interesting, so that you then don't have to swap names and addresses etc for the stand holder to get back to you after the Show.

It also helps the organisers to know what type of visitor you are (farmer/manager/farm worker/student) and what enterprises and size of farm you have to make future Shows more interesting to us all.

It might seem frustrating to have to do so, but there is method behind the madness!

After last years shambles i am not going and not taking any overseas visitors

 

[Two Tone]

After last years shambles i am not going and not taking any overseas visitors

It will be interesting to see if those that do go this year see and like the improvements that have been made.
Including the overseas visitors!

 

[franklin]

I'll come, but I'll be buggered if the lanyard doesn't go in the bag once through the gates.

 

[Farmer_Fin]

nah not lining cereals pockets

 

[An Gof]

I think it is so that your Lanyard can be created, which can then be scanned by any of the stands you find interesting, so that you then don't have to swap names and addresses etc for the stand holder to get back to you after the Show.

It also helps the organisers to know what type of visitor you are (farmer/manager/farm worker/student) and what enterprises and size of farm you have to make future Shows more interesting to us all.

It might seem frustrating to have to do so, but there is method behind the madness!

With all this new data protection malarkey surely we should have the choice of this

 

[Two Tone]

With all this new data protection malarkey surely we should have the choice of this

Good question. I'l try and find out tomorrow.

 

[Flat 10]

I tend to agree. If we’ve paid to get in it’s none of their fudgeing business who I am........
But filling in my name and address for a free t-shirt/bacon roll/some other tat is a fair swap

 

[Clive]

With all this new data protection malarkey surely we should have the choice of this

They would need you to “opt in” to be able to use it to market to you or sell to 3rd parties etc

I suspect there will be a cunningly worded check box or 3 on the registration form

 

[Two Tone]

They would need you to “opt in” to be able to use it to market to you or sell to 3rd parties etc

I suspect there will be a cunningly worded check box or 3 on the registration form

With all this new data protection malarkey surely we should have the choice of this

@Clive guessed it. There is a box on the registration form which you have to tick IF you want them to use and pass on your data. If you don’t click it, they can’t do so.

They would prefer you to do so, so that they can use your details to get an idea of what you will find most interesting at future Cereals Events. Can’t blame them for that, can we?

Can’t emphasise enough how much quicker it will be for everybody if they can register on line and print their bar code to access the show.

Interesting visit to site today. As mentioned by @Daniel, the bridge over the A505 for visitors heading in from the West is up.

And we aren’t the only ones suffering from these little orange buggers!

The site is really beginning to take shape now. This year, every section will be zoned better and there are guided tours you can book online or join at the show.