Fieldays 2022 has officially closed the gates on its 54th event. Postponed from its usual June spot to run four days from Wednesday, November 30, visitors revelled in the mostly sunnier weather, swapping gumboots for jandals.

About 75,000 people across the four days enjoyed the large-scale event where there was something for everyone.

'We expected a reduced attendance, due to the timing, lower confidence levels in the economy and supply chain issues still evident for many,” says New Zealand National Fieldays Society Chief Executive Peter Nation.

'These impacts are amplified by lower staffing levels, and ever present Covid, which unfortunately despite the postponement decision to ease this concern hasn't gone away. We are living in very challenging times, and I think our event may have reflected these challenges.

'From our early discussions with our exhibitors it appears as though many have seen genuine sales, along with positive discussions and have enjoyed the much focused interactions with the visitors, which may not have transpired with the traditional larger scale event.”

Hansa Chippers managing director Martin Vogel has been exhibiting at the event for a number of years and anticipated a smaller attendance, but was pleasantly surprised to see a number of existing customers and introduce their brand to a whole new audience.

'For sure, Fieldays is about connecting customers with our products, but it's also about showing support for our rural communities and networking with other businesses and people from the sector.

'The event has become much more than just a sales event for us. While we thought sales would be down and they were, it was still a great opportunity to engage with existing customers who took the time to visit.

'For our team, it provided the opportunity for more engagement with other exhibitors as well as a lot of learning team and bonding. Bring on 2023.”

Opening day of the event was plagued by torrential downpours, making both visitors and exhibitors wonder if they were in fact, back in June.

With weather clearing for the remainder of the event, many visitors and exhibitors alike took advantage of the finer weather to stop chat and connect with clients, friends, and family as they would at a regular June event.

'Early indications show that we had a large new audience attend the event, which is great. We know many people do not come every year and for some returning after a break of some five years, they were surprised to be able to interact with such a vast, and sometimes new exhibitor group as well,” says Peter.

Travelling all the way from Winton, dairy farmers Leanne and Jason Erb used the event as an excuse to get off the farm for the first time in six months.

'Timing wasn't ideal because we have silage and cropping, but we made it work. We needed to be there,” says Leanne.

'We were able to have more in depth and productive conversations, than previously.”

Coromandel regular Ian Boyack, who had travelled from Cooks Beach, enjoyed not having to arrive in fog and leave in the dark.

'I managed to catch up friends that I hadn't seen for a while and enjoyed the calibre of exhibitors and innovation. It' really evolved from when I first came over 25 years ago.”

First-timers to Fieldays Bronwyn Struthers and Peter Burston travelled down from Auckland to attend the summer event.

'We have never been to Fieldays before, so this was a great first experience for us,” says Bronwyn.

'With the weather being lovely, we jumped in the car first thing this morning and headed to the Base to park and caught the bus in.”

A keen home tinkerer, Peter Burston made a beeline to the Innovations Hub and was amazed by the talent and inventions on show.

'I could have spent all day in there talking to those creators, they had some really cool systems on show. We will definitely be back next year. I will also be keeping a look out for some of those names in the headlines as there is a lot of talent in that room.”

This year's Innovations Award winners: The University of Waikato, SNPShot, Riverwatch and Delta Waterways walked away with a share from the $60,000 prize pool and feedback from the market on their innovations.

'This was my first time at Fieldays and whilst I didn't walk away with an award, I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to get feedback on my product and to meet other likeminded entrepreneurs who have been through the process and are now exhibiting their product in their own right at the event,” says early-Stage finalist and newcomer Rob Tinholt.

'This is where I would like to be in the next few years – and hopefully take out an award win or two on the way.”

Society programme manager Steve Chappell says it has been great to see the calibre of entries this year, and the level of enquiry for the 2023 Innovations Awards is really strong.

'It's fair to say innovation is our DNA, and Fieldays Innovation Awards is a true reflection of that, particularly for the primary sector,” says Steve.

Alongside the ever-popular Innovations Hub and Awards, Fieldays and a sector advisory group launched Fieldays Forestry Hub with an official opening by Minister O'Connor on the Wednesday.

Four years in the making, the new Hub proved to be a great success, with 35 exhibitors showcasing everything from fencing clips to artificial intelligence disease predictors.

'We worked with the sector advisory and exhibitors to make sure this hub was telling the story of this important industry to Aotearoa, it's not about carbon farming, but the journey and innovation within the sector,” says Chief executive Peter Nation.

'Popular exhibits within the hub were showcasing best practice waterway planting and end product laminate beams which have an earthquake resistance greater than reinforced concrete making it popular for builds in high-risk areas like the capital or low-lying areas that may be subject to liquefaction which can undermine the integrity of our concrete constructions. '

Hub spokesperson Alex Wilson says the multi-billion-dollar forestry sector is a major employer in New Zealand, employing more than 35,000 people in both year-round and seasonal jobs.

'We'd also like to open people's minds up to the possibilities of trees – anything that's a fossil fuel today can be made from a tree in the future. We'll have bioplastic vine clips, leather shoes tanned with pine bark tannin, biofuel insights and a showcase of how drone technology is a game changer,” Alex says.

With the event returning to its traditional winter dates in 2023 from June 14– 17, planning is already underway for both exhibitors and the Fieldays team.

Circle the date in the calendar for the quintessential kiwi event where gumboots and bush shirts will again reign supreme and be out in full force.

'A big thank you to those who came out and supported this one-off summer event, we look forward to seeing you back at Mystery Creek in June.”