We're pleased to announce the expert speaker line-up for our upcoming regional event, GMA Connect, taking place at Durham County Cricket Club on Wednesday 18 June.
Building on the success of GMA Connect in Bristol earlier this month, the Durham event promises another engaging and informative day for grounds professionals. The Bristol event received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with attendees praising the quality and relevance of the seminar programme. One attendee said: “Alex Vickers was superb and had great presentation and interaction skills.” Many cited the seminars as their primary reason for attending, reinforcing the value of these regional gatherings.
GMA Connect is designed to bring the grounds management community together at a local level, offering a full day of expert-led seminars, live demonstrations and networking opportunities.
The Durham programme features a strong line-up of speakers and sessions, including:
- Mark Hunt, renowned weather expert, presenting Turf Management in the Current Climate, with practical advice on interpreting forecasts and managing the effects of changing weather patterns.
- Alex Vickers, returning by popular demand, leading Reading Your Soil, an interactive workshop on soil profiles and compaction identification.
- Vic Demain, Head Groundsman at Durham CCC, hosting What’s in Your Shed?, a behind-the-scenes look at the professional equipment used to maintain elite playing surfaces.
- A panel discussion on Dealing with Climate Change Challenges at Professional Venues, featuring Vic Demain, Alex Vickers and Aaron Tong from Hull City’s MKM Stadium.
- Ian Mather-Brewster from the GMA, delivering Carrying Out a Surface Assessment, followed by a joint session with Chris Hunter on Using a Playing Surface Assessment to Upgrade Your Facility.
Commenting at GMA Connect Bristol earlier in May, Victoria Jones, Facilities and Investment Manager at Cricket Wales, said: “GMA Connect has been a great success - there's been such an opportunity to network across the industry from grounds managers to professionals from the GMA - but also experts from the commercial sector, it's been great to network with these people. Through networking and educational opportunities, it's how we improve ground quality and performance.”
GMA Connect Durham is set to be another must-attend event for the grounds management community.
Tickets are free for GMA members, while non-members can attend for £15. Membership provides additional value, including exclusive resources, discounted training, access to the Member Assistance Programme and more.
