GroundsFest Academy Explores Turf Performance at Leigh Sports Village

TLS x Rhenac partnered with GroundsFest Academy and Consolidate Turf for the Optimising Turf Performance event at Leigh Sports Village on 14 October 2026. During the event, the challenges of maintaining high-quality sports turf and practical approaches to improving growing conditions and supporting turf recovery were discussed.

The free-to-attend, CPD-accredited event covered a range of topics related to stadium turf management, including grow lighting, plant nutrition and recovery strategies.

Grounds staff face increasing challenges in maintaining high-quality playing surfaces due to demanding fixture schedules, changing weather conditions and limited recovery time. In stadiums, restricted natural light, shade and stadium design can further affect grass growth and turf recovery.

The event explored how different approaches to turf management can help address these challenges. Topics included the role of light, heat, nutrition and irrigation, as well as strategies for improving growing conditions and supporting turf recovery.

Grow Lighting, Nutrition and Recovery

TLS x Rhenac shared insights into grow lighting technologies, including HPS, LED and CLS® systems, and their role in supporting turf growth in challenging environments. The sessions also covered how lighting solutions can be combined with appropriate nutrition and recovery strategies to support plant performance.

Consolidate Turf contributed expertise in plant nutrition, highlighting how nutritional programmes can complement grow lighting to support turf health and recovery.

The event included practical demonstrations and real-world case studies at Leigh Sports Village, where TLS x Rhenac lighting technology is installed. This gave attendees the opportunity to see the technology in an operational stadium environment and discuss its application directly with industry specialists.

Tim Engels from TLS x Rhenac highlighted the value of the venue: “This is one of our home grounds where we have our technology installed. It’s an excellent case study because people can see everything working in a real environment. We learn most when we’re in direct contact with people, when they can see the equipment, ask questions and experience it first-hand.”

Sharing Knowledge and Experience

Alongside the technical sessions, the event provided an opportunity for grounds professionals to exchange knowledge and discuss practical challenges in turf management.

Lee Jackson from Sheffield Wednesday highlighted the importance of continued learning and knowledge sharing: “This industry is constantly evolving. If you think you know it all, you don’t. You have to keep learning and improving. Nothing beats being able to speak to people face-to-face, ask questions and share experiences. The networking alone makes events like this worthwhile.”

Key Takeaways

The Optimising Turf Performance event brought together industry expertise and practical experience to address current challenges in sports turf management.

Through the partnership with GroundsFest Academy and Consolidate Turf, TLS x Rhenac shared expertise in grow lighting and turf performance, demonstrating how lighting technology can form part of an integrated approach to maintaining high-quality playing surfaces.

The event also highlighted the importance of continued education and collaboration in helping grounds professionals improve turf management practices and support recovery in demanding stadium environments.