Despite a blistering start to Elmore Field Days, organisers are predicting numbers to hold steady after a strong stream of visitors flowed through on Wednesday and Thursday.
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Official numbers had not been counted as the Bendigo Advertiser went to print, but Elmore Events Centre president Frank Harney said they expected around 32,000 people had attended over the course of the three-day farming exhibition.
“We had a very successful day on Thursday and yesterday, and a testing day on Tuesday, so we’d like to thank the effort our exhibitors put in,” Mr Harney said.
“As the old saying goes, the show went on.”
Mr Harney also thanked more than 300 volunteers for their stellar efforts, especially during the trying weather of Tuesday.
He said the three-day fair had doubtless brought big business to surrounding areas, from Rochester to Echuca and Bendigo, with accommodation and dining venues likely to have seen a spike in trade.
Many stall holders said while the poor weather of Tuesday had dampened sales early in the week, they had been pleased to see business swell on Thursday.
But Elmore Events Centre marketing officer Sam Shotton said a number of exhibitors boasted several sales of farm machinery around the $50,000 to $100,000 mark.
She said the sales were a good yield for exhibitors, and they should also expect some follow up from attendees who chose not to purchase on the spot.
“Given the current economic climate and state of our farmers' crops, we’ve done fairly well,” Ms Shotton said.
Given the current economic climate and state of our farmers' crops, we’ve done fairly well.
- Sam Shotton
She said there were over 700 exhibitors showcasing their wares.
Ms Shotton said the stand-out events this year were the feature sessions focusing on men’s health, mental health and the ice epidemic, which were well-attended.
She said going to the sessions was a non-confrontational way for the farming community to hear about symptoms and coping mechanisms, without being singled out.
“If we have helped one person, we’ve done our job. We are looking out for people in the community,” she said.
She hoped the information had proved helpful to family members and would perhaps prompt people to seek mental health help.
For our full coverage and photos of Elmore Field Days 2015, click here.
