IX ETS Conference and Field Day: Athens, Greece

The European Turfgrass Society held its IX Conference and Field Day April 22–24 in Athens, Greece, bringing together turfgrass researchers, industry representatives, governing body officials, and practitioners from across Europe and beyond. The three-day event, organized in collaboration with local host and board member, Antonis Grimotsis from Grassform and the organizing committee, combined a full day of technical presentations with two days of field visits to some of the most prominent sports facilities in the Athens metropolitan area.

The event was made possible by the generous support of the conference’s sponsors:

• Gold sponsors – Genna Sports, Hellasod, Sunrise
• Top sponsors – Biocore, Dennis/Sisis, Geomechaniki, N&E Kounelakis
• Sponsors – Compo Expert, Covermaster, Forgreen, Grassmax Systems, Fito

Day 1: Conference Programme

The conference opened with welcome remarks from ETS President Marcela Muñoz, followed by four sessions covering the full spectrum of the industry.

Session I, chaired by Dr. Giuliano Sciusco (University of Pisa), focused on institutional and governing body perspectives. Lee Guerrero from UEFA outlined the agronomic and logistical preparations for the 2026 club competition finals across Budapest, Istanbul, Leipzig, and Oslo. Mickael Benetti presented a research update on FIFA’s Natural Turf Quality Programme, and Theodoros Laios of the Greek Super League addressed how domestic leagues can leverage pitch quality improvements, using Super League Greece as a case study.

Session II, chaired by Dr. Diego Gómez de Barreda (Universidad Politécnica de Valencia), showcased current university research from across Europe and the United States. Topics ranged from autonomous turf mowers (Dr. Simone Magni, University of Pisa) and remote sensing-based monitoring technologies (Dr. Lorena Parra, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid) to a new testing paradigm for athlete-surface interactions from Dr. Gerald Henry at the University of Georgia. Research highlights from NIBIO (Norway), Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences (Germany), and the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (Spain) rounded out the session.

Session III, chaired by Dr. Cristina Sudiro (Landlab Srl), featured technical updates from conference sponsors covering drainage design, warm-season turfgrass variety development, hybrid pitch technology, player-surface interaction research, aeration, rotary versus reel mowing, and grass breeding under a changing climate. It was a practical and well-paced session that gave attendees direct exposure to tools and technologies currently available in the market.

Session IV, chaired by Dr. Christian Spring (STRI), was dedicated to the memory of Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Prämaßing and included three scientific presentations: Glenn Kirby from STRI on photosynthetic efficiency in managed turfgrass systems, Dr. Hui Chen from Syngenta on the effects of finer topdressing sand on creeping bentgrass surface quality, and Greg Whatley from STRI on the present-day demands of managing multi-use venues. At the end of the session, there were some words of remembrance led by Dr Frtiz Lord of our sadly missed colleague Wolfgang Prämaßing, who passed away suddenly in 2025.

Throughout the day there were posters displayed for those at the conference to read. They covered a wide range of turfgrass science and maintenance topics. Thanks to all those who brought posters. There was a poster competition with the Judging panel made up from ETS board members. The winner of the inaugural Wolfgang Prämaßing poster competition prize was announced at the gala dinner, find out who won later in the article!

The day closed with a panel discussion chaired by Dr. Jason Kruse (University of Florida) titled “Building Blocks of Pitch Surveillance.” On the panel were, Christian Thiel from Turfcoach, Lee Guerriero from UEFA,  Philipe Aldahir from Biocore and Yves De Cocker from Grassmax. The conversation brought together practitioners and researchers to discuss how monitoring data, field assessment tools, and technology can be integrated into a coherent framework for tracking and documenting pitch condition over time. It was one of the more engaging discussions of the day and reflected a theme that ran throughout the entire conference: the profession is moving decisively toward data-informed decision making. The ETS General Assembly followed, providing members with organizational updates and the opportunity to engage in society business.

Day 2: Field Visits and Gala Dinner

Day 2 shifted from the lecture hall to the pitch. The morning visit took attendees to Allwyn Arena, home of AEK F.C., one of the premier football clubs in Greece. The afternoon visit was to the Panathinaikos F.C. Training Centre, where attendees had the opportunity to observe the training facility infrastructure and pitch management practices supporting one of the country’s most storied clubs. Both stops gave participants a firsthand look at how elite-level clubs in Greece approach natural turf management, maintenance infrastructure, and the practical realities of sustaining high-quality playing surfaces through a demanding competitive calendar.

The day concluded with a Gala Dinner in the stunning rooftop bar and restaurant Nyx, which had fantastic views over the Acropolis and central Athens. The gala dinner provided a fitting setting for conversation and professional connections across the international group in attendance. At the end of the gala dinner, the winner of the inaugural Wolfgang Prämaßing poster competition prize was announced, with the winning poster authored by Lebedin et al and titled "Development of immunoassay for detection of Microdochium fungi in grass " being Judged by the expert panel as a worthy winner.

Day 3: Ellinikon Experience Park and Sports Park

The final morning brought attendees to The Ellinikon, one of the largest urban redevelopment projects in European history, built on the former site of the Athens International Airport. The visit focused on the Ellinikon Experience Park and the Ellinikon Sports Park, offering a unique perspective on large-scale sports field development embedded within a major metropolitan redevelopment. Seeing new sports infrastructure at this scale, on this site, was genuinely impressive and served as a strong closing note for the event. A lunch and closing remarks at The Ellinikon wrapped up the three-day programme.

Closing Thoughts

The Athens conference was a well-organized and substantive event. The considerable efforts of the local organizing committee, all of the speakers, and the sponsors whose support made the programme possible are deserving of recognition, as are the attendees who brought their experience and questions to every session and site visit. Events like this are a reminder of why the ETS continues to be a valuable resource for the international turfgrass community. The ETS’s aim is to bring together scientists/researchers, turf practitioners/managers and industry organisations/bodies to help create connections and facilitate knowledge sharing to solve practical turf management problems. The Society looks forward to seeing everyone at the next ETS gathering, which will be announced soon.