The 18th edition of the Better Living in Portugal (BLiP) Expo took place last weekend, with organisers afpop and exhibitors hailing it as “one of the best ever”.
A total of 91 exhibitors filled the arena and so did thousands of visitors over the two days of the Expo, who saw not only well-established BLiP exhibitors but also some in their first ever exhibition.
afpop CEO Michael Reeve told the Resident: “We altered the layout to incorporate the smaller stands in amongst the larger ones and it worked well and made all the difference to the feel of BLiP. I had so many positive comments from both exhibitors and visitors about the feel and energy of BLiP this year, particularly from longer term exhibitors who were really positive about the weekend and the number of visitors.”
David Thursfield of afpop added: “We have already had exhibitors claiming their space for next year and also had some business owners who were not at BLiP asking for details for next year’s Expo. So many in fact we’ve had to reserve the dates already for 2019 – so BLiP Expo will be on October 12 and 13 next year.”
One of the keys to BLiP’s success is the variety of exhibitors. Michael explains: “When the economy was struggling, and businesses were just trying to survive, they felt they couldn’t justify the expense of being at BLiP and, as the variety wasn’t there, the visitors didn’t come in the same numbers. But for the last two or three years, we’ve started to get that mix back and people are returning as a result.
“This year’s event was a great mix and that bodes well for next year. As much effort as we put into organising BLiP, it’s only a success for two reasons, exhibitors and visitors, so my thanks go to all those who made BLiP a great success this year, whichever side of the counter they were on.
“I would also like to thank our sponsors who add so much to the success of BLiP – Medal Insurance, the Algarve Tourism Board, Portimão Câmara, the Algarve Daily News and, of course, the Algarve Resident for being our Media Partner for many years.”
To be included in the mailing list for BLiP Expo 2019, contact afpop by email on blip@afpop.com and mention the Algarve Resident.
Photos: INÊS LOPES/OPEN MEDIA GROUP
