Best Innovation Award Large Section Finalists
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Bendigo Show – Kid Zone
The idea was to use a shed that use to offer commercial trade site spaces and the aim was to create a safe and engaging space that entertained the kids and all activities were free to attendees. The space included comfortable seating for parents/guardians, facilities for nursing mothers and also sensory area. The play areas targeted to encourage imagination, active movement and social interaction. Some of the activities included a maze, chocolate toss, animal nursey, magician, building towers, sandpit and much more. This innovation doesn’t happen without a range of volunteers to help set up, manage the crowds on show days and then pack up. The comments and satisfaction from attendees was very positive and this space will be continued to be developed to change the activities from year to year.
Bendigo Show – Live Crop Display
The innovation of a live crop display aims to bring the origins and production of food to life in a captivating and educational way. The exhibits are nearly a year in the making growing multiple crops in crates to showcase oats, canola, wheat, barley, corn, peas & sunflowers. Next to each crate on display is a bucket of the seed and also facts about each crop to engage and be informative to all attendees. It aims to bring a snippet of the production of food and what a crop looks like up close. This innovation has now been partnered together with the grain & fodder competition classes and ties in well to showcase a snippet of the agricultural industry.
Foster Show – Calf Classic
The idea of the Calf Classic was a throwback to the calf club competition of neighbouring towns from the 1930s – 1980s. The competition engaged with all ages of children, and the aim was for the competitors to get involved in the care and exhibition of the calf they have raised in the previous 8 months prior to the show. An education session was held before the show to focus on the leading and grooming of the calf in preparedness for the show. The classes on show day were Best Presented, Best Led Calf and Best handler broken into three age groups. On the day there was plenty of support with a large crowd watching and sponsorship was received for bags of feed and ribbons, but no cash prizemoney was provided as the educational component of the competition was the main aim.
Kyneton Show – Country Parkour
The Country Parkour is a dynamic outdoor obstacle course designed for children to climb, jump and move through at their own pace. It is a free activity coordinated by show volunteers that use repurposed and recycled materials underneath the shady trees that line the showgrounds. It is an activity that may not be normally seen at an agricultural show, but it provides a high energy, inclusive and creative experience for young attendees. It is one of the shows most popular and talked about attractions with enthusiastic feedback from families and kids return to it again and again. It is a cost effective attraction to the society and is a visual symbol of when local people come together can create such a positive space for attendees.
Sunbury Show – Battle of the School Choirs
The Sunbury Show has an entertainment stage, and the aim was to attract more attendees to the show, and it was noticed when one local school came to perform and then a dance school came to perform it attracted so many people to the grandstand full of family members watching on. So, it was decided to start a Battle of the School Choirs and after a couple of years nine schools competed in 2024 totalling 360 students involved plus all the family members in attendance were able to experience the show and it created more engagement with the community to get them to the event. A Bunnings sausage sizzle was done to raise money for the prizemoney for the competition as reasonable prizemoney attracted more schools. There has been so many positive comments from the schools and how the students look forward to the event every year.
