Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society

What Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society does

The Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of SA Inc (RA&HS) is a non-profit incorporated association founded in 1839 in the Colony of South Australia, headquartered at the Adelaide Showground in Wayville. Its mission is to promote South Australia's primary industry (agriculture, pastoralism, and horticulture) by staging events and rewarding excellence, operating as a membership-based organization governed by a Board and committees. Over its 180+ year history the society has cumulatively distributed $200 million in education grants through its affiliated Show Society Foundation.

The society's core product is the flagship annual Royal Adelaide Show ("The Show"), complemented by an integrated portfolio of specialized industry awards and competitions: the Royal Australian Spirit Awards, the Beer & Cider Awards, the Royal Adelaide Coffee Show, and The Wine Show. It also owns and operates the Adelaide Showground venue, an on-site Caravan Park, the RA&HS Archives Museum, and the Show Society Foundation. Sub-brands and event brands are marketed through newsletters, blog content, annual reports (2019-2025), and the portfolio's own domain ecosystem.

The revenue model combines (a) event revenue from Royal Adelaide Show admissions, exhibitor fees, and commercial partnerships; (b) competition entry fees and sponsorship from the multi-vertical F&B awards portfolio; (c) recurring membership fees via the member portal; and (d) donations and grants, including a dedicated donation portal. Specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. The society reports near-100% material recycling at the Royal Adelaide Show and acknowledges the Kaurna people as Traditional Owners of the Adelaide Showground Country. Operations are concentrated within South Australia with no disclosed national or international expansion.

Name

Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society

Legal name

Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society of SA Inc

Website

https://rahs.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1839

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of SA Inc is a non-profit founded in 1839 that promotes South Australia's primary industry through the annual Royal Adelaide Show and a portfolio of food and beverage industry awards competitions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Events and Industry Awards

NAICS

Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (1113)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Agriculture, Farming & AgriTech Shows Organizers (THAHABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI), Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)

Keywords

• Agricultural society events
• Industry awards programs
• Showground venue operations
• Membership nonprofit society
• Primary industry promotion

Headquarters

HQ city

Wayville

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Revenue: Revenue generated from staging the Royal Adelaide Show and associated events, including admission fees, exhibitor fees, and commercial partnerships.
2. Competition and Awards: Entry fees and sponsorship revenue from running industry competitions including Royal Australian Spirit Awards, Beer & Cider Awards, Royal Adelaide Coffee Show, and The Wine Show.
3. Donations and Grants: Charitable donations from supporters, including a donation portal on the membership website.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of SA Inc is a non-profit membership society that promotes South Australia's primary industries by staging the annual Royal Adelaide Show, running a portfolio of food and beverage industry awards (spirits, beer, cider, coffee, wine), operating the Adelaide Showground venue and its on-site caravan park, and supporting agricultural education through the Show Society Foundation.

Product overview

The Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society of SA is a membership-based organization that promotes South Australia's primary industry through events and awards. The society operates a platform of brands and venues centered around its flagship annual Royal Adelaide Show, complemented by specialized industry awards including the Royal Adelaide Coffee Show, Beer & Cider Awards, Royal Australian Spirit Awards, and The Wine Show. The society also manages the Adelaide Showground venue and its associated caravan park, maintains historical archives, and supports agricultural education through the Show Society Foundation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Show: Royal Adelaide Show official website and brand
• Royal Adelaide Coffee Show
• Beer & Cider Awards
• Royal Australian Spirit Awards
• The Wine Show
• Adelaide Showground
• Adelaide Showground Caravan Park
• RA&HS Archives Museum
• Show Society Foundation

Products and services

• The Show (Royal Adelaide Show) Flagship annual agricultural show held at the Adelaide Showground, celebrating South Australian primary industries with livestock exhibitions, produce displays, competitions, and entertainment for general visitors and industry stakeholders.
• Royal Adelaide Coffee Show Specialized competition and exhibition recognizing excellence in the Australian coffee industry, available to coffee producers and roasters seeking industry validation.
• Beer & Cider Awards Awards program recognizing quality beer and cider producers in Australia through competitive judging.
• Royal Australian Spirit Awards Competition recognizing excellence in Australian craft spirits and distilleries, with the top honor being the Champion Spirit of Show trophy.
• The Wine Show Wine exhibition and awards program showcasing Australian wine producers through competitive judging and recognition.
• Adelaide Showground Venue and event space hosting the Society's exhibitions as well as third-party events, available for hire by external organizations.
• Adelaide Showground Caravan Park On-site caravan and camping accommodation facility at the Adelaide Showground available to event visitors and travelers.
• RA&HS Archives Museum Historical archive and museum preserving the Society's history and Royal Adelaide Show memorabilia, open to visitors and researchers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 100% of materials recycled at Royal Adelaide Show
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Adelaide ShowgroundcoreOthersThe society operates from the Adelaide Showground facility in Wayville, SA. The venue hosts the Royal Adelaide Show and various other society events. The society acknowledges the Kaurna people as the Traditional Owners of the Country where the Adelaide Showground is situated.
• Show Society FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Show Society Foundation supports the society's mission of promoting South Australia's primary industry. The foundation works in conjunction with RA&HS to fund educational initiatives and support the agricultural community.
• Kaurna PeopleminorOthersTraditional Owners of the Country where the Adelaide Showground is situated. The society acknowledges and pays respect to Elders past and present.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (Royal Melbourne Show): Operates the Royal Melbourne Show plus specialty awards including the Royal Melbourne Wine Awards and Australian International Beer Awards. Direct comparable given its royal charter, non-profit structure, and parallel portfolio of agricultural show + multi-category beverage competitions.
• Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (Sydney Royal Easter Show): Operates the Sydney Royal Easter Show and the Sydney Royal Wine, Beer, and Cheese competitions. The most direct peer — fellow state-level royal agricultural society running an annual flagship show plus a diversified portfolio of industry awards, with the same non-profit, membership-based structure.
• Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia (Perth Royal Show): Operates the Perth Royal Show and associated competitions in WA. Direct comparable — peer royal agricultural society running an annual flagship show in another Australian state.
• Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA / Royal Queensland Show): Runs the Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) and the Royal Queensland Food & Wine Show. Same royal agricultural society charter structure, same annual show plus specialty awards model, serving a different Australian state.
• Australian International Beer Awards (operated by Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria): Australia's largest annual beer awards competition, directly competing with the society's Beer & Cider Awards for craft brewer entries and sponsorship dollars.
• Melbourne Royal (Royal Melbourne Wine Awards operator): Hosts the Royal Melbourne Wine Awards and Royal Melbourne Beer Awards, directly competing with the society's Wine Show and Beer & Cider Awards for producer entries, judges, and beverage-industry sponsorship.
• Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania: Operates the Royal Hobart Show and other Tasmanian agricultural events. Direct comparable as another state-level royal agricultural society with the same non-profit event-organizing mission.

Emerging players

• Royal Bath & West of England Society: UK charitable society running the Royal Bath and West Show and food/drink awards including the British Cheese Awards and Cider World Championships. Similar non-profit royal charter structure with parallel agricultural show plus specialty awards portfolio.
• Royal Highland Show (Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland): Scotland's flagship annual agricultural show, run by a royal agricultural society tracing similar origins to RA&HS (which itself was founded in the Scottish Highland Society tradition). Comparable event-driven non-profit model.

Regional players

• Fieldays (New Zealand National Agricultural Fieldays): Operates New Zealand's largest agricultural show. Comparable business model of an annual agricultural event with associated industry competitions, but operating in a different geography (New Zealand rather than Australia).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 and Horticultural Society