The Hertfordshire County Show was threatened by an invisible risk – the COVID-19 pandemic. In the face of a pandemic that has brought an end to most of large shows and gatherings in 2020, Hertfordshire Agricultural Executive Director, Sarah Moreland saw opportunity.
Teaming up with Harris Digital and other partners, a virtual version of the Show was crafted in just 6-weeks and as a result, Hertfordshire was able to continue to celebrate its industry, Hertfordshire’s agriculture and local independent businesses as the show has done so successfully for so many years attracting over 30,000 visitors to Hertfordshire Showground.
With the support of Croft Communications, Heart Radio and others, the Show was an enormous success with:
- over 60 competition classes and 1080 entries from around the World (including the USA and South Africa)
- 275 exhibitors selling everything from cupcakes to crafts to tractors
- The Virtual Show website attracted over 4100 visitors – almost 1/3 of the number who would have visited the real show on the Saturday, and they visited an average of 12 ‘virtual attractions’ each
The Show was supported by a vibrant and exciting social media coverage that:
- Reached over 50,000 people
- Received over 13,820 engagements
- Achieved over 24,805 video views of information sites promoting Hertfordshire and telling the story of its industry and agriculture
The Show remained ‘open and online’ for a further week following the event. And what is remarkable, is that the virtual platform has been visited by well over a thousand visitors since Show Saturday.
The Hertfordshire Agricultural Society would like to thank everyone who sponsored and supported this remarkable event that truly demonstrated the ability to turn potential disaster into opportunity and success.
Optimism, Enterprise and Entrepreneurialism are still alive and well in Hertfordshire and with such spirit and inventiveness and innovation it just proves that ‘Hertfordshirians’ can rise above every challenge.
The trustees decided to make access to the virtual show free as its contribution to cheering up the County but we are a charity and we need to raise enough funds to stage the show next year.
If you enjoyed your visit to the show, please support us by making a donation at: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/donation-web/charity?charityId=1019472&stop_mobi=yes
Why not get involved in next year’s show in 2021 at Hertfordshire Showground – live and in person!
Book your tickets now at 25% discount (until 31st August 2020) by contacting office@hertsshow.com.