Last weekend’s Skipper Expo in Aberdeen was easily the best yet, and those of us who have been to a few of these things, it’s clear that the Skipper team have polished their formula to perfection.
It’s a few years since the death knell was sounded for the long-standing Glasgow show (which also had its origins in Aberdeen) – and Aberdeen once again took over as the location for Scotland’s fishing exhibition.
This year the exhibition centre buzzed with activity from the moment the doors opened and stayed that way all the way through the two days of business, banter and a lot of fish politics, with the added tension of the forthcoming UK referendum on EU membership and the Fishing for Leave campaign providing a show of their own.
The expo saw record numbers of visitors with a 1700 attendance across the two days, plus the number of participating companies was up by a solid 60% on the previous year, including strong presences form Norwegian and Danish companies as part of the event’s international flavour.
Several signings took place, with Parkol and Macduff both confirming orders for new trawlers and Karstensens showcasing its first order for Shetland with an order signed at the stand for the new 82 metre Serene.
‘It was a fantastic show and we would like to thank everyone in the fishing industry for their superb support,’ said Sharon Boyle of show organiser Mara Media said.
‘We are already making plans for next year’s show, Skipper Expo Int. Aberdeen 2017, where we hope to further build upon this success.’
