Covid-secure South of England Show venue gets 32,000 visitors

The South of England Event Centre successfully held one of the biggest consumer shows in the south last month.
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The South of England Show was cancelled last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, it was able to go ahead in 2021 from June 11-13 by strictly adhering to government guidelines and getting classified as a ‘Good to Go’ venue by Visit England.

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Families enjoy the South of England Show 2021. Photo by Derek Martin Photography, DM21060486a.Families enjoy the South of England Show 2021. Photo by Derek Martin Photography, DM21060486a.
Families enjoy the South of England Show 2021. Photo by Derek Martin Photography, DM21060486a.

“We have 150 acres of flexible venue space here at the Event Centre, which includes indoor, outdoor and covered event spaces,” said Konge Hussein, events manager for the South of England Event Centre.

She said the centre features exhibition halls, conference facilities and lots of open green areas for the social distancing of tens of thousands of visitors.

But being able to safely host one of the largest outdoor events in the UK during Covid was ‘no mean feat’, said Konge, adding that the team had to strictly adhere to safety measures.

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The show was held at half capacity and visitors had to purchase tickets online in advance.

People were only allowed in through allocated time slots to ease queueing and crowding, and social distancing measures were in place across the whole showground.

There was also lots of hand washing and sanitising facilities with mandatory face coverings for all indoor spaces.

“All the while we were also under the spotlight of the whole events industry who were watching to see how it would prevail,” said Konge.

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“Being able to stage this event showcases that exhibitions, fayres and large events, are still able to proceed if they are done responsibly.”

Despite the restrictions, there were many classic South of England Show elements to enjoy.