On Wednesday, August 19, 2020, the well-known Potato Demo Day will take place online for the first time. The current exhibition theme of this Potato Demo Day Online, 'Progress of the potato sector revolves around resilience', responds to the changes that are continuously affecting the sector. With its own designed 'Disc of 6', the organization brings this subject to the attention of visitors during the first online edition.
Resilience is of great importance for the entire potato sector in order to meet future challenges. Think of CO2problems, nitrogen measures, climate change, the disappearance of trusted crop protection products and the increase of diseases and pests that are increasingly difficult to control.
Disk of 6
"As a guideline for Potato Demo Day Online, a 'Disc of 6' has been created, which divides the sector into 6 segments: entrepreneurship, cultivation, precision agriculture, agroecology & technology, market and people & society. Via the interactive map, which is central during Potato Demo Day Online , visitors can follow a themed route and are updated about interesting issues in the potato sector. Exhibitors can become part of this virtual theme route with their substantive message about resilience in the sector," says Marieke Ampt of the exhibition organization. The theme will also be further disseminated on 19 August through in-depth lectures and activities such as the Young Farmers Programme.
Widely approachable
Co-organizer Thie Arend Brouwer of Wageningen University & Research emphasizes that the theme is widely approachable: "Resilience does not always have to be accompanied by innovations in the field of mechanization, it can also be an innovative way of working. In the Precision Agriculture segment, we think for example, soon to GPS equipment, drones and the like. But precision farming can also be meticulous management." Co-organizer and director of the Dutch Potato Organization (NAO) Dick Hylkema sees a great opportunity for trading companies and industry to fill in the Market segment. "During the Potato Demo Day, we can see in which areas more cooperation is possible, in order to strengthen the potato sector as a whole and thus make it more resilient," said the NAO director.
Resilient business operations
In addition to the shift to an online event as a result of the corona measures, an adjustment has also been made in the registration of visitors to keep the Potato Demo Day itself resilient. "As usual, access to the fair is also free for the online edition. However, this time we are using online visitor registration to better inform our visitors. Visitors and exhibitors can already register for participation in this special trade fair via our website, says Leanne Mol of the organization.