Royal Agricultural Society of NSW

What Royal Agricultural Society of NSW does

The Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) is a not-for-profit, membership-based organization founded in 1822 and headquartered at Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park. It operates as Australia's premier agricultural society, running a portfolio of competitions (Sydney Royal Wine Show established 1826, Beer & Cider, Cheese & Dairy Produce, Fine Food, Distilled Spirits, Branded Meat, Aquaculture), consumer events (the 12-day Sydney Royal Easter Show drawing over 850,000 visitors annually, and the Grape, Grain & Graze Festival), and the President's Medal — Australia's only food and beverage award judged on triple bottom line criteria. Its customer base spans primary producers and F&B manufacturers entering competitions, regional agricultural show societies across NSW (over 100), schools and students reached through Education Division programs (Farm Days Excursions, Ag in a Box, Discover Careers in Agriculture), corporate members and sponsors (including Woolworths), and the general public through tiered membership (City, Country, Youth, Junior, Corporate) and event ticketing.

The RAS generates revenue through four primary streams: recurring membership subscriptions (City $182/year, Country $131/year, Youth $105/year, Junior $77/year, Corporate $3,500/year), event ticketing for the Easter Show and Grape Grain & Graze Festival, competition entry fees across its Sydney Royal competition portfolio, and donations and grants channeled through the RAS Foundation (established 2007), which allocates approximately $8 million annually to regional NSW support. Distribution is anchored by the owned-and-operated Sydney Showground venue and the myras.org.au online entry portal, with secondary reach via email newsletters, competition result publications, and partnerships with industry bodies (AWRI, WSET, ASVO, CCWSC, Len Evans Tutorial Foundation) and the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth. The organization holds the "Royal" prefix granted by Queen Victoria in 1891, operates multiple wholly-owned competition and event brands under the Sydney Royal umbrella, and is preparing to host the 2028 Commonwealth Agricultural Conference in Sydney alongside the Easter Show.

Name

Royal Agricultural Society of NSW

Legal name

Royal Agricultural Society of NSW

Website

https://rasnsw.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1822

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Royal Agricultural Society of NSW is a 200-year-old not-for-profit that runs Australia's premier agricultural competitions (Wine, Beer & Cider, Dairy, Fine Food, Spirits), consumer events including the 850,000-visitor Sydney Royal Easter Show, education programs for schools, and the President's Medal, serving producers, members, regional show societies, and the general public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Shows and Competitions

NAICS

Support Activities for Animal Production (11521)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Agriculture, Farming & AgriTech Shows Organizers (THAHABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family, Kids & Education Fairs (MPAGAFAH), Quiz Bowl & Academic Team Competitions (EDAMAGAF), Research & Science Fair Competitions (Science Fairs, Research Symposiums) (EDAMAGAL)

Keywords

• Agricultural competitions
• Wine show judging
• Rural education programs
• Agricultural awards
• Showground events

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual and multi-year membership subscriptions providing access to the Sydney Royal Easter Show, exclusive events, and member benefits including reciprocal rights with other Royal Shows and venues.
2. Event Ticketing: Revenue from ticket sales for the Sydney Royal Easter Show and the Grape, Grain & Graze Festival, with general admission and premium options available.
3. Competition Entry Fees: Fees charged to producers entering Sydney Royal competitions across wine, beer, cider, spirits, dairy, and fine food categories.
4. Donations and Grants: The RAS Foundation receives donations to support grants and scholarships for rural and regional communities. Approximately $8 million allocated annually to regional NSW support.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) organizes and hosts agricultural competitions, education programs, and major events that benchmark and celebrate Australian agricultural excellence. Its flagship is the Sydney Royal Easter Show, accompanied by a portfolio of Sydney Royal competitions (Wine, Beer & Cider, Fine Food, Cheese & Dairy, Distilled Spirits, Branded Meat) and the President's Medal award. The RAS also delivers school education programs, the RAS Foundation grants and scholarships for rural communities, and the RAS Membership Program.

Product overview

The Royal Agricultural Society of NSW operates a portfolio of competing event and education platforms organized around its flagship Sydney Royal Easter Show. The core offering includes Sydney Royal Competitions spanning wine, fine food, beer & cider, cheese & dairy, distilled spirits, and branded meat shows. The prestigious President's Medal award recognizes holistic business excellence. Supporting platforms include the annual Grape, Grain & Graze Festival consumer event, Agricultural Show Awards, Big Bush BBQ fundraising initiative, and a comprehensive Education Division delivering Farm Days Excursions, Ag in a Box resources, Discover Careers programs, and the Paterson Bush Poetry Award. The Heritage Centre preserves organizational history while the RAS Foundation provides scholarships and the Membership Program offers tiered access to events. The organization also hosts the RAS Commonwealth Agricultural Conference for international agricultural collaboration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sydney Royal Easter Show
• Sydney Royal Wine Show
• Sydney Royal Fine Food Show
• Sydney Royal Beer & Cider Show
• Sydney Royal Cheese & Dairy Produce Show
• Sydney Royal Distilled Spirits Show
• Sydney Royal Branded Meat Show
• President's Medal
• Grape, Grain & Graze Festival
• Agricultural Shows Awards
• Big Bush BBQ
• Farm Days Excursions
• Ag in a Box
• Discover Careers in Agriculture
• RAS AB Paterson Bush Poetry Award
• Sydney Royal Wine Scholarships
• Heritage Centre & Virtual Museum
• RAS Membership Program
• RAS Foundation
• RAS Commonwealth Agricultural Conference

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 850,000 annual visitors discover and purchase original Australian artwork through the arts and crafts pavilion
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Capital City Wine Show's Committee (CCWSC)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012The Sydney Royal Wine Show is a member of CCWSC, formed to work collaboratively to ensure relevance of and raise the profile of the Australian wine show system.
• Royal Agricultural Society Commonwealth (RASC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1957Established in 1957 by Samuel Hordern (then RAS President) with support from Prince Philip. The RAS of NSW played the most important part in its foundation. RASC serves as a key hub for agricultural societies across the Commonwealth. Sydney will host the 2028 Commonwealth Agricultural Conference.
• WoolworthscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor supporter of the Big Bush BBQ program at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. Thanks to Woolworths' generous support, participation in the Big Bush BBQ comes at no cost to show societies, enabling them to raise vital funds without the burden of expenses.
• Len Evans Tutorial FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe RAS has been a key sponsor of the Len Evans Tutorial since 2008. The prestigious program, said to be 'the best wine school in the world', was initiated in 2001 by Len Evans AO OBE. Since 2021, the Foundation has also sponsored a scholar to attend the Advanced Wine Assessment Course by AWRI.
• Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe AWRI provides Advanced Wine Assessment Course (AWAC) and Advanced Viticulture Course. The RAS Wine Committee provides scholarships for wine professionals to attend AWRI courses, funding these from sale of excess wine show stock.
• Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe RAS Wine Committee provides scholarships for wine professionals to pursue WSET courses at Levels 1-4 in Wines, Levels 1-3 in Spirits, and Levels 1-3 in Sake.
• Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe RAS offers Associate Judge positions to high-performing graduates from CMS, along with WSET and the Len Evans Tutorial.
• Western Sydney Careers ExpominorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe RAS participates in the annual Western Sydney Careers Expo to showcase career pathways in agriculture to students, jobseekers, and educators.
• Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology (ASVO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe RAS Wine Committee follows the 2020 Wine Show Best Practice Recommendations developed by ASVO, which expresses the current industry view on best practice in the Australian wine show system.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• AgForce Queensland: Queensland agricultural industry association with similar advocacy, education, and regional engagement remit. Indirect peer — overlaps in mission rather than direct competition.
• National Farmers' Federation: Peak national body representing Australian farmers. Adjacent ecosystem participant — not a direct competitor for events or competitions but a key stakeholder and policy counterpart for RAS activities.

Direct peers

• Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (Melbourne Royal): Operates the Royal Melbourne Show and parallel wine, food, and livestock competitions in Victoria. Most direct state-level peer with similar competition portfolio, Royal designation, and not-for-profit structure.
• Royal National Agricultural & Industrial Association (RNA / Royal Queensland Show): Operates the Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) and associated competitions in Queensland. Same Royal-prefix model, similar competition and education programs, competing for Australian producer entries and sponsorship.
• Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society of South Australia (Adelaide Show): Runs the Royal Adelaide Show and associated judging/competition programs. State-level peer with overlapping competition categories and NFP structure.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Agricultural Society of Commonwealth (RASC): Umbrella body connecting Royal Agricultural Societies across the Commonwealth. RAS of NSW is a co-founder; serves as network orchestrator rather than direct operator of shows.
• Fieldays (New Zealand National Agricultural Fieldays): Operates the largest agricultural exhibition in the Southern Hemisphere at Mystery Creek, NZ. Comparable in scale and agricultural focus but commercially organized and international in exhibitor base.
• Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland (Royal Highland Show): Operates the Royal Highland Show, a UK agricultural showcase with similar Royal designation, livestock and produce competitions, and education programs. Closest international peer with comparable structure.
• Informa (Agri-food and Events divisions): Global events and exhibitions operator including agricultural and food expos. Larger commercial scale, demonstrating the commercial ceiling that RAS could approach but is constrained from reaching due to NFP structure.

Regional players

• Australian Wool Innovation: Industry-funded body promoting Australian wool producers through research, marketing, and events. Comparable as an agricultural industry institution but sector-specific rather than cross-industry.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RAS_NSW
• Facebookfacebook.com/RASofNSW
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rasnsw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Royal Agricultural Society of NSW