Putting on a show for VAS delegates

About 200 delegates from Victorian agricultural show societies will flock to Wangaratta from June 19 to 21 for the annual Victorian Agricultural Shows (VAS) convention. The 2026 convention is being hosted in the rural city by the North East group, which comprises the Wangaratta, Benalla, Myrtleford, Rutherglen and Yarrawonga show societies. Wangaratta Show secretary Charmane Bennett said delegates attending the event would include volunteers, committee members and community leaders who worked year-round to deliver agricultural shows in their local communities. The three-day event has been in the planning stage for months, and offers a chance to showcase the region to show society delegates from across Victoria. "Agricultural shows continue to play an important role in regional Victoria, bringing communities together, promoting agriculture, supporting local businesses and providing opportunities for education, competition and volunteering," Ms Bennett said. "We are very proud to be welcoming delegates to our region and sharing everything that makes the North East such a wonderful place to visit." The VAS convention will begin with a meet-and-greet event on Friday 19 June at The Vine Hotel, where Rural City of Wangaratta Mayor Irene Grant will welcome the visitors to the district, as part of council's support for the event. On Saturday, activities will be held at the Quality Hotel Wangaratta Gateway, where there will be workshops focused on WorkSafe considerations, insurance, and a presentation from Royal Melbourne Show representative Martin Garoni. Saturday afternoon will give delegates the chance to explore the region, with bus tours to Milawa Cheese Company and the Ned Kelly Discovery Hub at Glenrowan. That evening, they will return to the Gateway for the convention's gala dinner, which includes presentation of this year's VAS awards. Ms Bennett is one of four finalists in the Outstanding Individual Contribution Awards (40-59 years category). Her involvement with the Wangaratta Show began when she was a craft and horticultural exhibitor, and she progressed to become a horticultural steward and head fleece steward. She joined the ladies committee in the early 2000s, and has been ladies committee secretary since 2016. In 2021, Ms Bennett took over the role of show society secretary, succeeding Bev Tiffin who had been secretary since 1983, and has advanced the use of technology by the local group. She is president of VAS's North East Group which is hosting the convention, and is also an accredited horticultural show judge, and involved in the Machine Knitters Association of Victoria. The Wangaratta Show is also a nominee in VAS's Best Innovation (Large Section) Award, for its introduction of the Dinosaur Discovery activity at the 2025 show. This initiative combined entertainment, education and exploration, as families were encouraged to follow a passport in their search for five dinosaur figures hidden throughout the showgrounds. Once the passports were completed, children went into the draw for one of six prizes. This resulted in families engaging with exhibits they may not otherwise have visited, and also linked in with the dinosaur-themed headline act at the show, Dinkum Dinosaurs. "Kids loved it, and the families loved how engaged they were," Ms Bennett said. She said the awards and the convention, which be rounded out on Sunday 21 June with the VAS annual general meeting, were about recognition of the great work being done by Victorian shows. "It's a great way to illustrate that show societies are thriving," Ms Bennett said. "In the year or so after COVID restrictions, we noticed an increase in our gate numbers, because people were so glad to be out and about, and that has continued. "We are all learning from each other, and there is great support and encouragement from other local shows as we strive to keep things fresh and vibrant." Following the convention, Ms Bennett said locals would be straight back into planning for this year's Wangaratta Show, which will be held on 9 and 10 October.

Putting on a show for VAS delegates

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