The Royal Adelaide Show made a triumphant return in September after a three-year hiatus, with almost 450,000 people attending the event over nine days.
Chief Executive Officer Will Rayner said the Society had successfully delivered an outstanding event, and had received extremely positive feedback from attendees, competitors and exhibitors alike.
“We are extremely pleased with our attendance figures, as they exceeded our post-pandemic budget expectations, and were just shy of our five-year average of 450,000,” Mr Rayner said.
“This is an excellent result given the ongoing community uncertainty regarding the pandemic, and economic challenges being experienced by many sectors of society.
“The majority of the commercial exhibitors across the carnival, showbag, catering and commercial areas experienced an exceptional Show, with some stating it was the best on record,” he said.
Show-goers also stayed longer at the Show this year, with many people keen to experience all the event had to offer.
“The entertainment program, supported by the Government of South Australia, was well-received by patrons and the nightly Main Arena entertainment program was a highlight,”
“Our agricultural displays and interactive exhibits, such as the Golden Grains display, Farmyard Nursery and Learning Centre, were bustling. And, we have just signed a three-year Memorandum of Agreement for the delivery of the Learning Centre with the Department of Education and Urrbrae High School.”
Though competitive entries were down slightly, Mr Rayner said the standard of competition was exceptional and that organisers expect the number of competitive entries to climb in 2023.
“Participation in competitions established for schools was strong and will continue to develop, particularly as more urban schools are incorporating agriculture into their curriculum,” he said.
The horticultural display was again popular, and the presence of ABC personality Costa Georgiadis at the beginning of the Show provided a great attraction and promotion for the event. The South Australian Governor, during her visit to the Show, showed significant interest in the horticultural displays and the presence of industries promoting their produce.
“All up, the 2022 Royal Show was a resounding success thanks to the efforts of an incredible army of volunteers, staff and stewards. Work has already begun on the 2023 event, which we hope to be bigger and better than ever.”