There are many more shows coming up in the agricultural calendar between now and the end of the year. It got me thinking about how much I, and the RDP, team relish the opportunity to meet up and interact with others in person.  

I’ve been to pretty much all of the ag shows over the years and I’ve always valued them, even more so now as with more people working from home and hybrid working, there aren’t so many opportunities to meet people regularly.  

Keeping our finger on the pulse  

As well as the invaluable interaction, attending shows is a great opportunity to feel the pulse of the sector. By talking to people and listening to talks, you can educate yourself and better understand what people are thinking; this is essential for us at RDP as a PR and communications business.  

For example, in this day and age, are farmers completely consumed with ag inflation, or are they thinking more about carbon capture, environmental sustainability, running their farms, and moving towards a nature-friendly food production system? 

It really does pay to understand what’s going on in people’s minds, and to get as many diverse points of view as possible. It’s so easy to get attached to a particular perspective if you only talk to people who share your views, and I find that at RDP, our best work comes from understanding the bigger picture.  

Expanding our thinking  

Another thing I love about attending ag shows is that getting out there, seeing people, sharing views, and catching up with friends reenergises you. I always end up meeting people at shows that I’ve known for years and perhaps haven’t seen for a while.  

We humans are social animals and I always feel that the shows give us that chance to keep in touch; both with each other and with where people’s thoughts are in the present.  

We’re looking forward to meeting up with people as we go through the shows this year. The team thoroughly enjoyed the interaction at Cereals and Groundswell over the last few weeks and we are all looking forward to the dairy events coming up in the autumn and of course then the conference season. 

Here’s to seeing people, checking the pulse of ag, and expanding our thinking.