Showtime! Diversification proves key at the Farm Business Innovation Show 2016

This time last week, the Tigerplay team were at the 2016 Farm Business Innovation show at the NEC. We had a fantastic time, meeting some great people and discussing lots of interesting ideas.

The farming industry is changing, famers are looking to diversify and make best use of their land, with visitors in mind. In many cases, features such as ‘glamping’ and leisure activities are growing faster than the livestock business. This year’s show was evidence of that. We saw fairy-lit Tipi tents, rustic shepherds huts and of course, lots of children’s play area ideas. What better way to make use of an old cowshed, empty field or unused barn?

We were showcasing our conceptual designs and photographs of play spaces that we’ve installed at farm parks and leisure facilities. A great example was this area that we designed, manufactured and installed for Come Into Play at Stone, Staffordshire. 

We specialise in timber installations, and last week's visitors loved the natural look of these, because they blend seamlessly into the natural farm or park environment. Here’s another example of an interior timber-style design we created for Countryfile’s Adam Henson. He visited the Farm Show last year and commissioned us to create this timber and soft play area for one of his barns. It's worth mentioning that we do create outdoor play areas too - but the focus last week was on the interior designs, especially at this time of year!

Another trend we couldn’t help but notice was… Alpacas! There were around four Alpaca exhibitors in the hall, and the South American creatures proved very popular among exhibitors and visitors alike. We thought we’d share this cute picture of the three furry fellas that were located behind our stand for the week: