Queensland Shows conference attracts 140 delegates to hear about innovative ideas

Nor might you know he once smashed a Queensland pumpkin growing record and has an envious track record in the fat lambs competition.

Opening the Queensland Shows biennial conference at UQ Gatton campus, a three-day event which attracted 140 delegates from across the state’s 129 agricultural shows, Mr Springborg fondly recalled his experiences with local events.

As a young boy, Mr Springborg started off being terrified by fireworks and hid behind his mother’s legs.

While these days you’re far more likely to see the LNP leader proudly claiming top prize for his fat lambs, it was his “accidental success” in other sections that was most memorable.

Three years ago Mr Springborg won first prize in the fig jam section of the Inglewood Show, beating some of the most experienced show cooks.

His wife had entered a jar from a batch he’d made in response to a pesky bower bird tormenting their fig tree.

Despite all efforts, he hasn’t matched the first place ribbon since.

Mr Springborg had similar beginner’s luck when he broke a Queensland show record in the giant pumpkin growing competition.

The 304-kilogram pumpkin was produced from a seed leftover from his children’s nomination package.

Mr Springborg said it was critically important for show societies to remember that their events had something for everyone.

“It’s about building foundations of what works for shows in the fabric of your community and being able to adapt,” he said, insisting that critical values needed to adapt in a modern context.

“I see the show movement as absolutely critical in keeping communities together and it does.

“In any society, in any community, there’s a small majority involved in everything.

“There’s a small group of people more motivated than others and I think you need to harness that.”

He credited the remarkable show-stopping stories surfacing from the 2015 season to the “unique chemistry” of different communities and encouraged delegates to embrace what works in their region.

“I’m hoping for more success in the fig jam competition and hoping for more success in the show movement,” Mr Springborg said.

Tradition needs innovation to succeed

It’s one of the biggest managerial challenges facing the Australian agricultural show movement: how to maintain traditions while embracing innovation.

For the chief executive officer of the Royal Horticultural and Agricultural Society of South Australia, John Rothwell, there’s a very clear dictum.

“All traditions evolved from something that was once innovative in its day,” he said, speaking at the Queensland Shows biennial conference at Gatton recently.

The issue, Mr Rothwell said, is when there is resistance to change.

“The biggest risk to all businesses, including shows, is remaining relevant and viable,” Mr Rothwell said. “To survive, we all need to be sharp and stay on the ball.”

He said the key to maintaining relevance and viability was to maintain purpose, good people working towards a shared goal and to embrace change.

Mr Rothwell’s time as CEO has seen many changes, including moving competition nominations and ticketing online, bringing billboard advertising digital, as well as transforming a costly exclusive ladies luncheon into a successful fundraiser.

No changes have occurred without suffering much resistance first.

“They always say ‘it won’t work’,” Mr Rothwell recalled, smiling at how those people were proved wrong.

He believes his greatest achievement was a scheme established to introduce new patrons to the show, understanding that the loyalty of visitors in returning was fundamental to the success of the event.

“How can you embed the same tradition of attending our show that has been passed on down generations [of Australians] to the new immigrants coming to our country?” he asked.

The answer: send every new citizen a free ticket to the show.

In South Australia, about 7000 people take Australian citizenship every year.

Just under 6000 of those attend the Royal Adelaide Show courtesy of their complimentary gate entry.

“It’s one of our best investments for our future,” Mr Rothwell said.

He encouraged show organisations to constantly challenge whether perceived traditions are becoming stagnant or if removed would negatively affect the event.

He used the example of an entertainment item that had been retired from the Brisbane Royal Show for something fresh, but had become such a show favourite in Adelaide that an uproar would be caused if it didn’t return year-after-year.

“The tradition is only relevant if it continues to productively serve and certainly shouldn’t become a barrier to change,” Mr Rothwell said.

New report to reveal frightening ag education statistics

AS Queensland’s students head back to school, one Queensland woman is busy making sure the responsibility for agricultural education doesn’t just fall on teachers.

Ali Briggs, Emerald, is the School to Industry Liaison Officer with AgForce Queensland, a role which sees her engage with schools and community to strengthen agricultural awareness and understanding.

Speaking at the Queensland Shows conference, Ms Briggs encouraged delegates to capitalise on the educational platform the state’s 129 agricultural shows provides.

“Shows are a vital link in the food and fibre awareness chain,” Ms Briggs told delegates.

“It is a rare opportunity to engage the whole family at once in a fun enjoyable environment.

“Shows need passionate young people coming through the ranks as part of their succession planning.”

Ms Briggs said a new report to be released this year highlights very similar statistics to ones revealed in the Food, Fibre and the Future report by ACER from October 2011.

“They are quite frightening and I think people would be quite surprised to know they are from both rural and urban areas,” she said.

The ACER report included statistics such as only 25 per cent of Year 6 kids understood that cotton socks were a plant product and that 39 per cent of Year 6 students thought that there would always be enough seafood in the ocean.

The statistic that 16 per cent thought scrambled eggs were a plant product received great reaction from conference delegates.

Ms Briggs said there were many ways shows could incorporate learning experiences into their events to help turn these figures around.

“Make sure you are personally inviting school groups through your gate and use local high school students to do tours for younger grades around the venue,” she said.

“This is engaging both primary and secondary students and is giving you a high school audience who will possibly be the future of your show and your next gen-ers.”

Ms Briggs encouraged show organisations to contact her for further information including educational event guidance and support, links to educational resources and industry contacts.

*Contact Ali Briggs at briggsa@agforceqld.org.au