Fieldays: Site awards recognise top efforts

Best Agribusiness outdoor site, Power Farming Wholesale Ltd, with Brett Maber, centre back, on day three of the 49th Fieldays at Mystery Creek Events Centre. Photo/Supplied

The best sites at the New Zealand Agricultural Fieldays have been recognised on day three of this year's event.

New Zealand National Fieldays Society chief executive Peter Nation said he was impressed with the talent and creativity displayed each year at Fieldays, and he hoped to honour those who had invested effort into their sites.

The job of setting up sites began in early May.

"These many and varied companies invest many hours in planning and designing their sites, they invest huge amounts of time and money in supporting our objectives in delivering a world class event" said Nation.

The judging panel for the Exhibitor Site Awards evaluates the sites with criteria such as site design, customer engagement, and entertainment. The judges also take into consideration the degree of agriculture present, such as relevant signage and topical farming themes.

Over the first two days, the judges undertake the extensive task of visiting and assessing each of the sites at Fieldays, and all are considered for the following awards.

The results are as follows:

•Best Food Vendor Site Award
Southern Fries
Site: FHN1 (Food Hub North)
-Clear signage.
-Friendly staff, excellent service.
-Good hygiene protocols observed, very clean.
-High praise from customers questioned by judges.
-Good value for money and yummy.

•Best Rural Living Area Site Award
The Rockerman Ltd
Site: R77, R78
-Pleasingly displayed products, very eye-catching.
-Maximised their space very effectively.
-Site access ways well defined to draw people into the site.
-Good identifying signage with site number displayed.
-Friendly and engaging staff.

•Best International Agribusiness Site Award
Chengdu Yichuan Business Service Co.
Site: EX1
-Beautifully designed site with defined areas and streamlined displays.
-Attentive staff, highly professional and friendly.
-Excellent signage consistent with overall look and feel.

•Best Agribusiness Indoor Site Award
University of Waikato
Site: PB49, PB51, PC50, PC52
-Innovative and creative site design.
-Interactive and engaging elements.
-Welcoming staff, easily identified in uniform.
-Completely fresh design different from last year.

•Best Agribusiness Outdoor Site Award
Matamata Post & Rails (1999) Ltd
Site: C50, M40, M42
-High standard site presentation, immaculate.
-Excellent use of levels to maximise display of products and overall layout of the site.
-On-site demonstration with excellent safety protocols in place.
-Product cleverly displayed to showcase a solution to a topical dairy farming issue (calf pen at newly revised height requirement).
-Clear signage and branding.
-Welcoming and friendly staff, easily identified.

•The Fieldays Supreme Site Award - recognition for exceptional customer service and creation of a successful agricultural environment
Power Farming Wholesale Ltd
Site: C27, C29, C31, C33, C35, C37, C39
-Well laid out and appealing display of their products, designed to draw visitors further into the site.
-Effective landscaping, fencing and spotless ag vehicles created an immaculate overall appearance.
-Consideration taken to provide an area for staff to engage with customers.
-A key element was the engaging friendly staff who created a positive visitor atmosphere.
-Clear signage and branding.
-Site was well organised, fully compliant and safe.

Power Farming Marketing Director Brett Maber said it was a real team effort.

"It's great to be recognized for all the work we put into our sites. All the staff have been working hard, from moving bark to handing out brochures and it's just good to see the hard work gets noticed" said Maber.

Fieldays runs from June 14-17, wrapping up tomorrow.