The dust has settled on what was a hugely triumphant return of the Kenilworth Show.

The stallholders have long since packed up, the cattle and sheep escorted back to their respective homes and the site itself handed back to the Stoneleigh Estate, a long-term supporter of the popular event.

The show was by no means a first for the Kenilworth and District Agricultural Society (KADAS), having organised the event since 1947. But this year’s show, held on May 31, represented something of a debut for PLMR Account Manager Paul Suart.

Paul and the team were delighted to be hired to assist with the promotion of what is Coventry and Warwickshire’s largest one-day agricultural show.

Our wealth of experience – both in supporting the client and in promoting and organising major one-off events – ensured we could devise and deliver a steady stream of impactful coverage.

This content would raise awareness of the show’s return, amplify its main attractions and shine a light on some of the biggest issues affecting agriculture and those who work in the industry, such as the hugely controversial ‘family farm tax’.

We kicked off the PR campaign in January by announcing the show’s eagerly-awaited return, after the 2024 event was cancelled, and KADAS’ plan to move to a different site in 2026, securing the immediate future of the event.

News of the show’s celebrated return travelled far and wide, with all manner of mainstream and trade media outlets reporting on this exciting development.

We were privileged enough to be invited to KADAS’ monthly meeting in February. What became immediately clear to Paul was just how much affection Society members had for the show and how much work would need to go into its planning! As a trusted PLMR representative, Paul was made to feel incredibly welcome and an extended member of the farming family.

Notes composed from this meeting, helped to inform our PR priorities for the weeks ahead. Among our ambitions was a desire to highlight how the show supports the agricultural industry and the next generation of hard-working farmers.

This was achieved in an article that focused on Warwickshire Young Farmers’ thriving membership and their plans to exhibit at the show.

The piece attracted a significant amount of coverage among influential trade media titles and also led to a WYF feature in the Farmer’s Guardian, in what could develop into a long-standing partnership between the group and the publication.

Each article produced prior to the show was posted on the client’s website and social media channels to help broaden reach. Our activity on social media really ramped up in the run-up to the event to further boost ticket sales.

When Paul wasn’t posting on socials or pushing links to the event on various Facebook community groups he was arranging for a host of media interviews to take place on site on the eve of the show.

Three local radio stations juggled their busy schedules to conduct in-person interviews with fully-briefed officials from KADAS and Warwickshire NFU. These interviews, allied with a preview press release published by some of the region’s biggest media outlets, helped to deliver great exposure for the show and reached the client’s target audience at the ideal time.

Seeing the site very quickly transform from farmers field to full-blown country showground on the eve of the show was really something. Fencing, parking permits, toilets, electricity supplies and running water, to name a few, were all made operational; further illustrating just how much KADAS members had poured into the planning of the event over previous the weeks and months.

A succession of social posts were sent out on the day of the event as a further reminder to the public and to provide an appetising glimpse of what ticketholders could expect to see.

Our photographer captured the colour and complexion of the event in a gallery of excellent images sent to local media, alongside a comprehensive round-up press release, in the days that followed.

The article and photos formed the basis for several double-page spreads in the press and many more pieces online.

PLMR delivered on all fronts for its client. The process was made all the more seamless and successful by the efforts of KADAS’ committed volunteers.

Special praise for Charlie, Sue and Claire whose expertise, tenacity, organisation and unflappable nature really shone through and helped us to realise all of our communications goals.