Virtual Ag in Motion posts strong numbers

Ag in Motion looked a lot different this year.

The annual outdoor agriculture show held near Langham was forced to move from the field to online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Show Director Rob O’Connor says they were pleased with how many people embraced the digital experience.

“Right out of the gate, we had just over 3,000 on the first day. It was amazing how well the platform worked and how little issues we had introducing people to it,” he said.

In total, about 9,000 people logged on during the five day event which O’Connor compared to a giant online convention

Attendance ended up being just shy of the 11,000 people the show drew during its inaugural year in 2015.

The pandemic has meant event organizers have had to get creative to keep their events going and O’Connor said everyone is trying to learn from each other.

“Other trade shows from the United Stats, India, Germany and New Zealand all had their teams check us out. Probably to see if they can add it as an element of the show they lost this year,” he explained.

While Ag in Motion is hoping to return to its outdoor roots next summer, the digital platform is here to stay.

“What we’ll do is add this digital element to that show as an opportunity for people who can’t travel or want to revisit the show afterwards,” said O’Connor.