SALTEX UPDATE Mr SALTEX still gets butterflies SALTEX operations manager, Derek Walder, provides an insight into his passion for the show and how this year’s event will mean so much to so many DE RE K WALDE R has rightfully earned the nickname of Mr SALTEX. At 83 years old, he has overseen the operations of the show for five decades – 51 years, in fact – and is, unsurprisingly, the longest serving member of the SALTEX team. Today, during this difficult and uncertain period, Derek reveals that he is staying positive and is continuing to do what he does best – helping to organise the groundscare industry’s largest event. “SALTEX 2020 will mean more than any other previous event,” he says. “I am hugely confident that it will be the best yet. It’s all about getting this show on the road because the trade will need it, the people in the profession will need it – everybody will need it. After this awful period, SALTEX 2020 will be a much-needed boost for everyone.” SALTEX 2020 will be the show’s 75th anniversary but it all started for Derek in 1969 when he visited the event at Motspur Park in London. A year later, he began working as a volunteer at the show. “I felt at home straightaway. I found myself doing lots of things including erecting marquees, helping exhibitors and visitors, and even parking cars. Back in the 1960s and early ‘70s, the show never had more than 30 stands but it grew and grew over the years and it wasn’t long before there were around 8,000 visitors. The formula then is still what it is now – to bring the industry together, to talk and to discuss, to educate and learn, and to see all of the latest products.” Derek took over as operations manager when the event moved to Windsor Racecourse in 1979 and, 36
years later, when SALTEX relocated to the NEC in Birmingham, he reflects how pleased he was with the new indoor venue.
Changing with the times “The outdoor shows were a nightmare if we had bad weather. Lorries would get stuck, there was mud everywhere and exhibitors used to complain about the puddles outside their stands. We also had to lay metal tracking across the racecourse – a huge job – and if an exhibitor a mile across the racecourse wanted an electric socket, the feed had to be dug into the ground. “It is a different ball game at the NEC and the major change is that we now have only two days to build the show (rather than eight) in what is a tighter area. It’s putting all the little things together which is difficult – like the furniture supply
Chris Bennett SALTEX press officer
Derek has been working on SALTEX for 51 years, through its move to the NEC, Birmingham
and the electrics. Fortunately, I’ve got a great team with lots of experience, and everything has run incredibly smoothly to date. “It’s important to remember that this team is largely made up of volunteers – Grounds Management Association (GMA) members who give up their own time because they are passionate about SALTEX and the industry. Indeed, how many people know that any profits created by SALTEX are re-invested back into the work GMA does to support the sector?” ■
SALTEX 2020 will take place at the NEC, Birmingham on November 4 & 5. Visit www.gmasaltex.co.uk for more information. Follow SALTEX on Twitter and Facebook
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