Organisers of the TurfTech Summit have released the first line-up of speakers for the upcoming event in Brighton and Hove. No fewer than 22 speakers have been confirmed already.
The list includes industry specialists like Fabio Travaini of FlexGrass, Jake Browning of Wessex International, Dr. Richard Earl of Labosport, John Coleman of Advanced Turf Technology and Kelly-Marie Clack of Origin.
Anne Mette Dahl Jensen of DLF Europe, Reece Watson of Raw Stadia, Simon Watson of ICL and Yves de Cocker of GrassMax have also been confirmed as speakers, together with Rens Dekkers of Stogger Turf Care, the organisers of the event.
Their presentations will range from (practical) guidance on selecting the right product or equipment to exploring what the sports turf industry can learn from established practices in horticulture.
These presentations will be complemented by those from Phil Fifield of Brighton and Hove Albion FC (where the event will be hosted), Maurizio Capelli and Gianni Casini of Paradello, Kate Finlayson of Orion Future Technology, Dean Tingley of ProPitch, Christopher Carnahan of Precision Turf, Clément Bodin of Natural Grass, and Scott Brooks of Helvaterra.
More to come!
According to the list, organisations like CoverMaster, Sports and Stadia, and TurfCoach have also confirmed that they will deliver presentations.
The third TurfTech Summit will take place on 1 and 2 October at the American Express Stadium in Brighton. Previous editions were attended by the groundstaff of numerous European (elite) football clubs and organisations.
Sportsfields.info is a proud media partner of this event. Delegates will receive a free issue of the latest grass/hybrid edition of our magazine, Sportsfields.Magazine.
Confirmed speakers
Fabio Travaini, FlexGrass
Olivier Courot, IAGE
Jake Browning, Wessex
Fabio Travaini is the CEO and co-founder of FLexGrass, a company he established in 2020 together with his brother Lorenzo. Fabio has been working in this industry for more than fifteen years, developing solutions that combine technology, research, and nature. He has the ambition of bringing innovation to the world of hybrid sports surfaces.
Olivier Courot is a microbial ecology expert and Business Development Director at IAGE, a French company specialising in early biological diagnostics and environmental health monitoring. With 17 years of experience in biotechnology, molecular biology and agronomy, Olivier helps translate scientific expertise into practical tools for sports turf management.
An introduction to Wessex International’s latest innovations, including the autonomous RoviMo mower, the SuperTurf interchangeable turf management system, and the Turf Beetle collection range, along with how these technologies are helping grounds professionals work more efficiently.
Dr Richard Earl, Labosport
John Coleman, Advanced Turf Technology
Kelly-Marie Clark, Origin Amenity Solutions
The research career of Dr Richard Earl has developed in the inter-related areas of Soil Mechanics and Soil Environment Engineering. He provides technical support to Sport England, is a Visiting Fellow of Cranfield University, is a Chartered Engineer and has more than 30 years of consultancy experience relating to land drainage and the design and construction of natural turf, hybrid and artificial sports facilities
John Coleman is the Managing Director and co-owner of Advanced Turf Technology Ltd. He began his career as an apprentice greenkeeper and went on to become UK Greenkeeper of the Year before building a diverse path across the turf and sports surface industry. John also serves on the Board of the Grounds Management Association, reflecting his ongoing commitment to advancing industry standards.
Kelly-Marie Clack is Technical and Research Lead at Origin Amenity Solutions, bringing more than a decade of experience in turf agronomy, technical sales and research. Having held roles with STRI Group and leading industry suppliers and is passionate about advancing sustainable, science-led solutions that support the performance and resilience of sports turf
Anne Mette Dahl Jensen, DLF Europe
Robbie Hyater, Net World Sports
Reece Watson, Raw Stadia
Anne Mette Dahl Jensen is a Product Development Manager for turfgrass at DLF Europe. Throughout her career, she has worked extensively with the establishment and maintenance of sports turf, urban green areas, and golf courses. Her focus is on developing resilient, high-performance grass solutions that meet the evolving demands of modern turf management.
Net World Sports designs, manufactures, and supplies world-class sports equipment engineered for elite facilities around the globe. To ensure flawless integration with modern hybrid and natural turf systems, they collaborate directly with top pitch specialists like SIS Pitches, FlexGrass, Kreon, Royal Verde, and Origin Amenity.
Reece Watson is the Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Raw Stadia. He brings years of experience in sports performance and field optimisation in the Premier League. With a strong background in advanced turf management and data-driven player-surface analytics, Reece has worked alongside leading clubs and organisations worldwide to elevate standards across multiple sports.
Simon Watson, ICL
Yves de Cocker, GrassMax
Rens Dekkers, Stogger Turf Care
Simon holds a PhD in Agriculture from the University of Reading and has built an international career spanning research, technical support, and applied agronomy. He has held senior positions with Syngenta and The R&A, where he played a key role in product development while championing sustainable turf management and environmental best practices.
Yves de Cocker will focus on the evolution of hybrid grass systems since the first trials around 35 years ago. He will discuss what has changed over the years and why their GrassMax projects are so successful.
Rens Dekkers is a Business Development Associate at Stogger. He works with clubs, contractors and growers across Europe to develop lighting solutions tailored to the specific conditions and requirements of each pitch. At TurfTech Summit, Rens will explore what the sports turf industry can learn from established practices in horticulture and how Stogger applies that knowledge in a professional turf environment.
The TurfTech Summit is made possible by:
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