Site improvements for Hillhead 2024

16 February, 2023

Aerial view of Hillhead 2022

First published in the February 2023 issue of Quarry Management

Organizers announce a range of new initiatives to further improve the show experience

Acting on feedback from Hillhead 2022 visitor and exhibitor surveys, the show’s organizers, The QMJ Group, have announced a range of initiatives to provide an even better show experience at Hillhead 2024.

The newly renamed Showground Pavilion (previously known as the Main Pavilion) is being extended by around 1,300m2. As well as generating more indoor stand space, this will also house a newly designed Hillhead Café offering a wider range of hot and cold food and drink, as well as an outdoor terraced seating area. There will also be a meeting lounge equipped with free Wi-Fi and charging points where visitors can grab a coffee and catch up on e-mails.

Additional catering areas are also being organized across the site (including within the Registration Pavilion). These new outlets will deliver more choice and meet a wider range of dietary requirements, as well as helping to reduce queuing times during busy periods. More seating and communal areas will also be introduced at various locations around the showground, allowing visitors to take a break and enjoy their picnics and other refreshments. In addition, two new hydration stations will be located on the showground where visitors and exhibitors can top up their water bottles with fresh, cold, filtered water free-of-charge.

The number of toilets will also be extended for the next event with additional plumbed units being installed at the top of the showground adjacent to the Registration Demo area. Moreover, to reduce queues at peak times, there will be a higher provision of urinals throughout the showground.

To help to maximize entry to the parking areas from multiple access points and reduce queuing times to a minimum throughout the busy morning rush, around 1,000 additional car parking spaces will be added to the site, together with a new dedicated helicopter landing area. Also, brand new for 2024, exhibitors will have their own dedicated entrance taking them directly into the showground as part of a reconfigured Registration Pavilion. This will ensure fast-track exhibitor entry/exit at the beginning and end of each day.

In addition, the show opening times for visitors are being put back to 9am (from 8:30am), marking a return to the 2016 timetable and allowing exhibitors more time to get on site and parked up before visitors arrive. This will also allow the organizers to provide priority car parking for exhibitors in the lower car parks (nearest to the show entrance) until around 8.30am each morning, available on a first-come, first-served basis. Finally, exhibitors in the registration area will have their own dedicated help desk where members of the QMJ team will be on hand to help with any stand or contractor enquiries.

For more information, visit: www.hillhead.com