API announce another successful Playfair Event

The Association of Play Industries is pleased to report another successful Playfair event. PlayFair is the UK's trade event for all those involved in the selection, purchase, upkeep and replacement of children's play equipment, and is the only outdoor event that is totally dedicated to this important industry sector.

Despite it being a complex time for children’s play, with government cuts and the ongoing childhood obesity crisis, this year’s Playfair event did not disappoint, with a strong showing from API members of all sizes stepping up to promote the benefits (and the fun) of play.

PlayFair, now in its fourth year, is the FSPA’s leading play association; the API’s (the Association of Play Industries’) play, sport and leisure activity event, took place at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire on Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22nd June 2011.
Not only was the show well supported by API members displaying excellent solidarity for the industry, but many of this year’s visitors were clearly passionate about play provision and children’s play in general.

Several exhibitors noted that the quality of visitors surpassed previous years, many of whom attended from parish councillors, parks staff, local authorities, and community groups and the private sector had both ideas and budgets in mind for their projects, meaning many went home with clearly mapped play space ideas and a smile on their face.

(L-R) Deborah Holt API Association Manager, Sally Gunnell OBE Playfair Keynote Speaker, Jane Montgomery FSPA Managing Director

Perhaps the greatest strength of this year’s event was the wide range of innovative ideas developed by API members to increase children’s range of play activities providing that wow factor to new equipment.

Another popular feature of this year’s show was the diverse seminar program which was well-attended across the whole event. Opening the seminars on both days was API chairman, John Croasdale who introduced the speakers and looked forward to the future role of play, and the importance of such events as Playfair 2012, along with the continued commitment by the API and its members to develop and promote play in all its many forms.

Speakers ranged from a report by Dr Amanda Gummer from FUNdamentals into how and where children like to play, research by Foster and Brown into activity levels and attitudes towards play and exercise amongst school children, a modern assessment of the need to both encourage and manage risk in play from Keith Dalton; Technical Director of the RPII, and a guide of outcome-based fundraising and community projects from Steph Davis-Watts of the West Midlands BIG Lottery Fund team.

By far the largest draw was the keynote speech by event VIP Sally Gunnell OBE. More well-known for her exploits on the track, since retiring from competitive running (but not physical activity) Sally has campaigned for and spoken in support of the benefits of sport and play for children, particularly in their early years when many of our most vital bodily coordination and motor skills are first learnt and allowed to develop in later life.
Sally said she had noticed the importance of instilling these lessons in the hearts and minds of young children early after visiting several schools where pupils displayed very poor balancing and catching skills due to a lack of play outside of the school environment.

Sally spoke about her goal of reaching the Olympics at the age of 14 after watching the hurdling and running events on television. This goal gave her the drive to engage with various forms of physical activity and led her all the way to the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona to win gold in the 400m hurdles after a strict diet and training regime.

Perhaps the most important thing was that everyone who attended the seminars seemed to be there for the same reasons – to learn more about the benefits of play, obstacles to play and how to ensure play provision for new generations of children.

Full visitor figures for the two day event will be announced shortly.