By DEBORAH BEHRENDS Indiana Correspondent LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Looking for new equipment? New technology? Fresh ideas to make your operation even more efficient and profitable? Join thousands flocking to the 53rd annual National Farm Machinery Show Feb. 14-17 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. Open from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, the venue charges $8 per vehicle for parking, but no admission to the show itself. The expo center boasts eight interconnected exhibit halls with a total of more than 1.3 million square feet of indoor exhibit space containing more than 880 agricultural displays. Those numbers make this show the largest indoor farm show in the nation. Nearly every major line of farming equipment will be on display, allowing attendees to compare products side-by-side. The most innovative technology and new product launches are available to agribusiness professionals, along with alternative energy information and solutions to challenges facing the industry today. Even with all that floor space, Amanda Storment – vice president of communications for the expo center – said more exhibitors have been on a waiting list for years. To accommodate some of those vendors, a heated “Varied Industries Tent” has been added in the South Wing lot. “It’s one more way to accommodate as many exhibitors as we can,” she said. She reported more than 300,000 people attended the show in 2017. During the show, the venue also hosts the 50th annual Championship Tractor Pull, sponsored by Syngenta. Ticket prices range from $25-$45, and off-site live-streaming of the event is available for the second year. “The live-stream of the tractor pull worked out really well last year. We had a great audience,” said Storment. “We just started getting the word out a week before the event, so this year, we have a little more time to put it together.” Storment said live-streaming is a great way for people unable to attend in person to enjoy the events. For more information on the live-stream, shot with multiple cameras from various angles, visit http://farmshowpull.com Last year’s event sold more than 65,000 tickets. Each year continues to draw the nation’s top drivers competing for the title of Grand Champion and more than $200,000 in prize money. All tractor pull seats are reserved, and tickets are sold at the Freedom Hall box office. Order by phone at 800-745-3000, or online at www.ticketmaster.com and be aware that all prices include a facility fee. Show visitors are invited to see the powerful pulling trucks and tractors up close and meet the drivers in The Pit in Broadbent Arena from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. next Wednesday-Friday, and from 9-11 a.m. that Saturday. Seminars at the show Along with browsing through the hundreds of exhibits, and the gift and craft market, organizers offer a variety of seminars covering everything from improving your growing methods to the latest marketing trends. Wednesday seminars include Machinery Pete Updates on the used machinery market, “What’s New with Combines,” with experts on hand to discuss the latest trends in harvest tools, and “2018 Market and Weather Strategies.” Thursday sessions include a second opportunity to hear about “2018 Market and Weather Strategies” and “Producing Record Corn and Soybean Yields,” “Tillage Trends for 2018 and Beyond,” a live taping of the “U.S. Farm Report” show and “Bringing Tech Together.” Friday seminars include “2018 Market and Weather Strategies,” “Producing Record Corn and Soybean Yields” and “In-Season Crop Fertility.” Keeping it all organized while in attendance is made easier with the NFMS smart phone app, available for Apple and Android devices. Storment said the app has been available for about five years in one form or another. “It’s become increasingly popular,” she noted. “As usage increases, there’s a demand for more information. This app fills a need.” It is available for download now at the iTunes and Google Play stores and will continue to evolve, adding information right up to and during the show. The app also allows users to connect with each other, and enter their own schedule so they don’t miss a thing. The 53rd annual National Farm Machinery Show is hosted by the Kentucky Exposition Center, located at 937 Phillips Lane in Louisville. For even more information, visit www.farmmachineryshow.org |
