Since taking the decision to cancel their physical event, back in late July, the AgriScot team have been working hard on plans for an online alternative.
Commenting on the plans, AgriScot Chairman, Robert Neill, stated:
“We are not looking to stage a virtual replacement for AgriScot, however, we are excited about the prospect of staging some of the renowned AgriScot seminar content online this year – we hope this will include the respected “state of the nation” session hosted by NFUS, the Scottish Dairy Hub Question Time and some pertinent advisory workshops. We are also finalising plans to offer an in print and online platform for our loyal tradestand holders.”
“We have had great success in previous years Livestreaming from the main ring at AgriScot. This has opened key parts of our programme, such as the presentation of the farm of the year awards and dairy cattle judging, to a worldwide audience. The natural progression of this is to Livestream the seminar programme, especially given the fact that the seminar rooms are often packed beyond their physical seating capacity. Hosting seminars online is therefore not only a necessity in 2020, but also paves the way for interaction with a wider audience even when AgriScot can physically take place in future years.”
“We can look at 18th November 2020 as an Agr-e-Scot pilot,” Mr Neill quipped.
NFU Scotland President Andrew McCornick added: “AgriScot’s place is cemented in the Scottish farming calendar as a premier business event. While it is a huge disappointment that there will be no physical show this year, it is fantastic news for the thousands of regular attendees that an online event is in planning for November.
“As our farming, food and drink sectors drive forward the nation’s Covid-19 response and recovery, the debate around Scottish agriculture’s post-Brexit future is intensifying. An online ‘Agr-e-Scot’ would provide a fantastic platform for that debate as the nation’s exit from Europe draws near.”
The Scottish Farmer is proud to be media partner of AgriScot and is fully supporting the work towards online seminar content. Look out for further information in the coming weeks.
