IOG BOARD REPORT
A YEAR OF PROGRESS AND REFLECTION
SALTEX reached 9,000 show visitors in 2018
IOG chief executive Geoff Webb presents his annual report
By Geoff Webb IOG chief executive
I
n 2008/09, the IOG commissioned research to provide an overview of the grounds management market in terms of its annual value, numbers employed and volunteers, as well as the attitudes towards and trends within the industry. This resulted in the first definitive report – ‘Grounds Management: The Hidden Profession’ – that suggested that in England alone there were 20,000 employed professionals and at least 20,000 dedicated volunteers addressing grounds maintenance in several different sectors. The report also revealed that the industry had an annual operating value in excess of £0.5 billion, plus capital expenditure. The report also looked at the status and trends of grounds management across the UK, collecting attitudinal views from both employers and from groundscare personnel. Last year, the IOG commissioned further research – ‘Groundsmanship: Sport’s Vital Profession’ – to enable comparisons to be made, with the aims of the research being: To identify overall trends within the grounds management industry in England at 2018/19; To provide an estimate of the overall economic impact annually of the grounds management industry in England in 2018/19; To provide an estimate of the number
30 THE GROUNDSMAN August 2019
of people working in the industry both professionally and as volunteers in England at 2018/19, and in which sectors; To provide empirical evidence of attitudes towards grounds management in England – this should include attitudes of employers towards grounds managers and grounds staff; attitudes of grounds managers and grounds staff towards employers; and attitudes of volunteers undertaking grounds management duties; To identify trends, attitudes and pressures within individual sectors of the industry in England at 2018/19. This research is ongoing and the results will be presented at SALTEX in October this year.
DEDICATED GROUNDS PEOPLE What we do know from previous research is that the groundscare industry is one that attracts dedicated, hard-working
“The industry attracts dedicated, hard-working professionals and volunteers”
employed professionals and volunteers, who are prepared to (and do) work long, and unsociable hours. The industry has an enviable global reputation, including individuals and companies known for their quality and innovation. UK groundscare professionals in a variety of roles are employed at top-class venues worldwide, advising and working at major events such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games, FIFA World Cups, European Games, UEFA Champions League Finals, Rugby World Cups and all of the major events held annually in the UK. We also have outstanding volunteers who regularly put in a minimum of 12 hours per week and these are a dedicated and vital asset to community sport. Professional sports turf management has its pressures. First and foremost are the varying and rapid fixture and event schedules that are increasingly dictated by television rights holders, resulting in grounds management teams working almost 24/7, with social and working consequences. Major venues have to adjust to daily, midweek and weekend sporting events at differing times, alongside music and other revenueraising events. Club and ground owners are increasingly trying to ‘sweat their asset’ to the point where grounds managers are under continual pressure. No longer are modern day stadia built for sports only but also for