JOHN DEERE SAY NO TO SHOWS

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John Deere has announced that it will not attend any international agricultural and turf trade shows in Europe and the CIS during the company’s 2021 fiscal year (1 November 2020 to 31 October 2021).

In an official statement the company said the decision is based on ensuring the safety of customers and employees. They say that as attending shows in Europe and the CIS would require extensive international travel, they will instead, "use a new marketing mix of traditional and digital tools to deliver information to customers." The manufacturer confirmed to Service Dealer that this hiatus of attending shows does only apply to Region 2 - meaning the company could appear at shows in the U.S.

For UK audiences, with BTME already cancelled for January 2021 and with Deere yet to appear at an indoors LAMMA, it would be the GMA's SALTEX show which is scheduled to take place March 3-4, where the manufacturer's absence would be most noticed.

Denny Docherty, John Deere vice president sales & marketing, Region 2, said, “The pandemic has changed the world and our industry is undergoing a period of great change too. This also applies to our marketing activities.”

The company says the need for a new approach to communications with customers has prompted them to reduce its participation in trade fairs for the time being. They say their key focus in 2021 will be the change in its operating model, to become a "smart industrial company".

Deere says it is moving towards being "a production system-based organisation", which they say will allow them to build a more customer driven and streamlined business. Described by themselves as being one of the biggest organisational restructurings in the company’s 183-year history, it requires a change of marketing approach and an extended focus on Precision Ag technologies.

“We are also expecting a major change in the exhibition landscape, driven by Covid-19 and digitalisation,” said Andreas Jess, John Deere director marketing, Region 2.

“In the medium term, our company would welcome a new timetable to be implemented by the international trade fair organisations, to free up the show cycle across Europe. However, we will continue to support our John Deere dealers if they decide to participate in their local agricultural and turf shows, always based on the fact that the health and safety of both customers and dealers can be ensured.”