“We don’t want to turn people away. We want people to be there in the spaces they want” – Michael Reeve, afpop CEO
Organisers of the Better Living in Portugal (BLiP) exhibition – a major expo for companies to promote their goods and services to foreign residents in the Algarve – are calling on businesses to “sign up early” this year to make sure they reserve their spot in time and book the stand they truly want.
The Resident sat down with the team at afpop, Portugal’s largest foreign residents’ association, who want to guarantee no businesses are left out of the event because they left the decision to the last minute.
“Every year we’ve had disappointments,” says afpop CEO Michael Reeve, referring to businesses who try to sign up when all stalls have been booked.
“One of the biggest challenges for us is when people try to book their spots late,” adds BLiP administrator Ellen van de Brake. “By leaving the decision-making to the last minute or only remembering to book a month or a few days before, businesses fail to get the stands or positions they want.”
That is why afpop is making a point this year to urge businesses to book early if they want to be a part of BLiP 2025 – which will mark the event’s 25-year anniversary.
“We don’t want to turn people away,” Michael told us. “We want people to be there in the spaces they want. But you need to let us know earlier. Don’t leave the decision until the summer, because the spaces you want will be gone.”
However, Ellen always does her best to “accommodate” all businesses and their requests, so the name of the game is contacting afpop in advance.
The 2025 edition is being organised following one of the most successful BLiPs ever, with many of the nearly 100 exhibitors describing it as the “best BLiP ever”.
Michael and Ellen are delighted about the growth of the event, which has cemented itself as a hallmark of the Algarve’s thriving business fabric and rich multicultural community. The event attracts exhibitors from a wide range of business sectors, as well as visitors of multiple nationalities, from British and German to a growing number of French and Americans and even Portuguese.
“It’s an event that just keeps getting better and better – and it’s not just us saying it, it is based on the responses we receive from exhibitors,” Ellen says. “More people continue to sign up, and the vibe has always been good between us, exhibitors and visitors.”
While putting together such a big event every year can be a daunting task, Ellen says it is “very rewarding. We really enjoy doing it, it’s a bit like a puzzle, trying to fill all the blocks”.
One of the latest additions to the event has been the Community Area, where local charities and associations are given the opportunity to promote their missions to visitors.
The first year of the new charities section did not go as planned, as the charities were all located in a separate section of the arena, leaving them feeling isolated and putting too much pressure on visitors to donate.
“Since we started spreading the charities out throughout the entire venue, it has been much better. They feel more integrated into the event,” says Marisa Neves, who is in charge of the Community Area.
“It fills our hearts to be able to give them a platform to promote the work they do in our community. It’s also very important for me to feel like I’m helping these causes which are so important,” she adds.
BLiP 2025 will take place at the Portimão Arena on October 11 and 12.
See the Resident’s printed edition next week to read more about BLiP’s 25-year history, from its early days at the FISSUL exhibition centre in Silves to its move to large marquees at the Portimão fairground before settling inside the Portimão Arena, its current home.
