I'm delighted to report that the first ever Forestry Demo has been an enormous success!!
We were overwhelmed with the support from the industry and although official attendance figures are still being collated, we are certain that more than 1500 visitors came to Ae Forest over the two days. The weather on Friday helped a lot...must have been the hottest day of the year! The feedback from industry professionals has been very positive. This was such a unique event...nowhere else in the world is it possible for visitors to see five and half thousand tonnes of timber being harvested over two days, by the world's leading forestry equipment manufacturers.
I am sorry to read about the disappointments felt regarding the car parking charges. The 5 exhibitors felt that £10 per car was not an unreasonable amount to charge. Entry to the event itself was free of charge, with a shuttle bus from the car park to the demo site. With say, 4 people in a vehicle, £2.50 per person was a very cheap day out at a unique industry event. There was mention on the website about the parking charge, but point taken, a price should have been mentioned also.
The food prices were set by the catering company and were, I feel, in line with normal event pricing. The burgers were delicious
So, once the dust has settled, the five companies will have a review meeting to evaluate the event, discuss how it can be improved upon and what will be the future shape of the event. We appreciate everyone's comments and all will be taken on board.
photos to follow shortly Les...just catching our tails at the mo!!