A Komet insider shares the misadventures, magic, and meaning behind global ag trade shows

” They’re loud, crowded, and logistically absurd—and we keep coming back”, writes Annelle Whyte from Komet, who has survived many and will absolutely go again ! This feature explores the hidden realities of big agricultural trade shows that no brochure mentions. From survival commuting to priceless conversations, it’s a reminder of why these events still matter. In the end, it’s not just about technology—it’s about people.

There’s an unspoken truth that unites everyone who has ever braved a major agricultural trade show. We never admit it, but it bonds us far more than any glossy brochure.

Trade shows…

Yes, the big stuff: the world-leading innovations, the “big wheels” (as my son calls them), the robotics, automation, and every flavor of “smart efficiency.” The sheer scale of it all – thousands of exhibitors, hundreds of thousands of visitors, days of pure ag-tech spectacle.

But then… there’s everything else.

The things no one warns you about.

Like discovering that while the show is hosted in a major city, the entire surrounding region has been booked out for years. So, you end up in a village so obscure even the local’s shrug. Mine was a petrol-station truckers’ motel. “Rustic charm,” I told myself.

After one too many hours of travel, I arrived at a train station with one exit and questionable Google recognition. No roaming. Midnight. Cold. Lost. And still a 20-minute walk to whatever barn-like “manger” I was booked into. Fortunately, being South African (where resilience is a standard setting), I flagged down a startled family who kindly rescued me from the darkness and delivered me to my motel. I’ve never been so grateful.

Then came the true shock: commuting.

Countries famous for precision and punctuality suddenly feel more like rush-hour survival simulations. Train platforms change randomly. Carriages split and shoot off in different directions (ask me and my colleague Alvaro — one minute side by side, the next, he’s heading somewhere entirely different). Every confused international visitor becomes an instant friend as we swap stories, irrigation ideas, and survival tactics.

And let’s not forget the cardboard like sandwiches priced like luxury goods within the event arena. I have never been so delighted to eat one, having had no breakfast at my charming petrol-station abode. Ditto for the first coffee of the morning, rain dripping off your hood while you pray the queue moves.

But the real magic starts when you finally enter the hall and spot your team – sharp, smiling, each carrying their own misadventure. Those stories spill later over dinner in a restaurant booked sometime in the Bronze Age, miles from anywhere, reached via a heroic taxi journey that costs more than the food (and the motel). And this – the conversations, the insights, the customers, the unexpected new ideas – is the whole point.

It’s where talk of sprinklers, pivots, performance, and precision engineering turns into real relationships. For Komet, trade shows aren’t just business; they’re how we help growers irrigate better, more efficiently, for better yields and profitability.

These shows create the stage where the global agricultural world meets, debates, innovates, and lifts the whole industry forward. And yes, the economic ripple is real: packed hotels, overflowing restaurants, and curious local drink and cuisine combinations.

Leaving any one of these shows, one truth always stands out: human connection still drives our industry. Farmers do business with people they trust. And working for a company that values those relationships makes every train delay, soggy sandwiches, and late-night misadventure worth it.

Trade shows.
They’re chaos.
They’re magic.
And they’re ours.