50th Fieldays - By the numbers

Organisers of the 50th New Zealand Agricultural Fieldays at Mystery Creek, Waikato, say 130,866 people passed through the gates at last week's event, well exceeding the average across the last five years of 125,000 people.

The most-attended day was again Friday, with 39,410 people through the gates.

More than 1000 exhibitors were on display across 1400 sites at the four-day event.

The theme of the 50th anniversary Fieldays was the Future of Farming.

Fieldays chief executive Peter Nation said: "We understand for our valuable Agribusiness industry to expand we must look to the future, whether it is new foods, new and innovative technology or the youth of today who will be the leaders of tomorrow".

More than 60 innovations were entered in the Fieldays Innovations Awards across the prototype, launch NZ and international categories with winners awarded for picking good issues, researching them well and coming up with creative ways to combat them.

Nation said: "As a small country at the bottom of the world we have utilised innovation and technology driven off the back of a Kiwi can-do attitude to our advantage to make our mark on the world."

Organisers said more than 300 people from 42 countries visited the International Business Centre. The centre also hosted six delegations representing Korea, China, South East Asia, Australia and the UK as well as a New Zealand Trade and Enterprise international buyer delegation.

In 2017 133,588 people visited Fieldays generating $538 million in sales revenue for New Zealand businesses.

By the numbers:

130,866 visitors through the gates (Wednesday 24,663, Thursday 35,704, Friday 39,410 and Saturday 31,089)
1059 exhibitors across 1400 sites
180+ volunteers
34,801 Fieldays App downloads
8,801 cars pinned in the Fieldays App