The Royal Highland Showcase – seven days of livestreamed livestock judging, forestry, equestrian, sheep shearing, industry talks and Scottish produce championships – has drawn to a close, with organisers heralding the innovative hybrid event a resounding success.
Judging of over 3,000 cattle, goats, sheep and horses took place at the competitor-only event at the Royal Highland Centre, which was designed to bridge the gap between a no-Royal Highland show year in 2020 and the 180th Show taking place in June 2022, with earlybird tickets now on sale.
In partnership with Royal Bank of Scotland, with funding of up to £750,00 from the Scottish Government, the event was livestreamed throughout the seven days with 252 of hours of live content and a further thirty hours of on-demand programming produced, all watched by 270,000 people from across 87 countries – including Norway; Finland; Australia; New Zealand; America; Argentina; the Philippines; and beyond.
With over two million engagements on social media, the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) are celebrating the outcome of a ‘monumental effort’ which resulted in the innovative concept being formulated, funded and delivered in less than 12 weeks.
RHASS chairman Bill Gray said:
When we reimagined a hybrid Royal Highland Show we couldn’t have believed it would have had such a monumental impact on so many people from right across the globe.
“Our aim was to connect and entertain our communities and, in the process, shine a light on our food producers, farmers and our way of life.
“We have achieved this with people from almost ninety countries across the globe tuning in, and with the content online for a further three months, there is even more of an opportunity to reach a wider audience.”
Speaking about the legacy for future years, he added:
There is no doubt that we will take this hybrid concept forward for future years and in doing so we will achieve greater exposure for our sector, our sponsors and our members.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our team of directors, staff, contractors and volunteers who have left no stone unturned to make this Royal Highland Showcase dream a reality,” he concluded.
