The first Virtual Royal Welsh Show has been hailed a success, reaching more than 50,000 people from more than 44 different countries.
More than 200 events were featured across the four days of the show, which was produced by Business News Wales and supported by NatWest Cymru.
The packed schedule focused on agriculture, Welsh produce and the environment, and the video content was watched more than 30,000 times during show-week. Show-goers used to being on-site at Llanelwedd, mid-Wales, each July got the chance to see behind-the-scenes of some of the regular events, while a host of panel discussions and expert presentations brought sector insight and thought leadership to the online show.
Business News Wales Managing Director Mark Powney, said:
“We know how important the Royal Welsh Show is to our rural communities – not simply as a fixture in the calendar and a chance to spend a few days at the Showground, but as an opportunity to network, to share best practice and to hear debate about developments, innovations and initiatives important to agriculture and allied sectors.
“As Coronavirus restrictions made it impossible to hold the show as usual, Business News Wales was well-placed to step in with our new virtual events service, designed to support businesses to continue to connect with their audiences.
“I’m delighted that the Virtual Show reached so many people. This has given the show the opportunity to accelerate its own digital journey, and the means to integrate this naturally into future shows.”
Kevin Morgan, NatWest’s Senior Director for Wales Business Banking, said:
“We are delighted that NatWest Cymru has played a key role in bringing The Royal Welsh Show to life digitally this year. There’s a wealth of information, from thought leadership to debate to economic insight, which is still available on the platform to be accessed on demand, and this is a valuable resource for businesses in all sectors in rural areas.”
John T Davies, Chair of the Board of Directors of The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, said:
“Although this year’s show could not go ahead I am pleased the team here at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society pulled together to deliver our first virtual show. Nothing will replace the buzz and the very special atmosphere of ‘Sioe y Bobl’ at Llanelwedd every July and we look forward to next year’s show bouncing back stronger than ever.”
All the content from The Virtual Royal Welsh Show – including entertainment for all ages, behind-the-scenes glimpses of the Showground, as well as industry insight and expert discussions, can be found on-demand at: https://royalwelsh.digital/
Steve Hughson, Chief Executive at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society said:
We recognised early on that the arrival of virtual events is part of the ‘ new normal’ and whilst it will never replicate the Royal Welsh Show it will sit alongside future shows in some capacity. This year is all about keeping in touch with our audience and creating a digital footprint. At the end of next week we will evaluate all the learning we have gathered and analyse the results. The entire exercise will contribute significantly to the vision we have.
Business News Wales have been an excellent partner for us this year, their understanding of digital and publishing generally was key to our decision to work with them. From taking a brief and executing a digital show of this size in just under 3 weeks has been short of a miracle. I know the team have worked around the clock to make this happen and we are very grateful to them.
