Skipper Expo Int. Aberdeen 2013 hailed a huge success

The Skipper Expo Int. Aberdeen 2013 fishing show held at the end of last week (10^th and 11^th May) has been hailed as a great success with visitor numbers up on the previous year and exhibitors reporting brisk business.

Sharon Boyle of organiser Mara Media said: “We are delighted with the positive feedback from both exhibitors and visitors with many commenting that the show was the best one yet that featured something for everyone.”

Exhibitors were also impressed with the level of customer interest achieved with the show attracting many visitors keen to do business.  Among the successful stand-holders were first time exhibitors Dychem and eSonar, both of whom reported picking up many new customers.

Sharon added: “We will now spend time analysing exhibitor and visitor feedback from the Aberdeen expo in more detail so that we can plan ahead for the 2014 event, enabling us to build further upon the success of this year’s show.”

Now all eyes are turning to the Skipper Expo Int. Bristol – a totally new show focusing on English and Welsh fishing communities – which is also attracting huge interest, with virtually all the stand allocation sold out in the main exhibition room and Mara Media now looking to secure additional space. This event will be held on 25^thand 26^th October 2013.

More information on the Skipper Expo Int. Bristol at www.maramedia.ie or contact Sharon Boyle on 00353 86 840 1250.

Strong visitor attendance expected at Aberdeen fishing expo

Almost 90 exhibitors will be showcasing their fisheries equipment and services at the Skipper Expo Int. Aberdeen 2013 fishing show this coming Friday and Saturday (10^th and 11^th May).

Organiser Mara Media says the excellent exhibitor presence will ensure that there will be plenty to interest visitors, making it a ‘must visit’ event for fishermen and other industry players from throughout Scotland and the rest of the UK. A major feature of the show is the significant number of first-time exhibitors, adding further substance to the diverse content of the expo.

Sharon Boyle of Mara Media said: “It is another brilliant turnout from exhibitors, which underlines the dynamic nature of the fishing industry. The sheer variety of the stands means that there will be something to interest everyone, which will make it a great event to visit.”

The expo will include boat displays, net and trawl door companies, and marine electronic equipment suppliers. Show sponsor, the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, will feature safety as the main theme on its stand, while the Scottish Seafood Association will be promoting the very best of Scottish fish and shellfish, including offering visitors the opportunity to sample the finest Scottish seafood cooked under the expert guidance of Tony Jackson and Kenneth Watt of the Buchan Braes and Palace Hotels.

A special Expo Seafood Reception for exhibitors is being staged at the Aberdeen Douglas Hotel on the evening of Friday (10^th May). The event is supported by sponsors Peter Bruce Ships Painters, PBP Services, Angel Bond, Scottish Seafood Association, John MacAlister (Oban) Ltd, KT Nets, Loch Inchard and Stuart Cooper.

“We would like to thank all the show exhibitors and sponsors for their tremendous support,” said Sharon Boyle.

The Skipper Expo International Aberdeen 2013 will be held in Aberdeen on 10^th and 11^th May 2013 at the Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre (AECC), open from 10am to 6pm each day. Free entry. More information at www.maramedia.ie or contact Sharon Boyle on 00353 86 840 1250.

SFF promotes safety at Aberdeen expo

The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) will be promoting two newly launched fishing industry safety initiatives as the main theme on its stand at next week’s the Skipper Expo Int. Aberdeen 2013 fishing show.

The SFF is sponsoring this year’s Aberdeen expo and will use the event to highlight its commitment to improving safety at sea. Among the initiatives promoted will be the Onboard Support Scheme, which is an initiative developed for SFF members to produce a safety management system for fishing vessels by providing assistance in formulating an onboard risk assessment.

The management system allows skippers to record many different aspects of running their vessel including the expiry dates of life saving appliances, survey dates, creating lifting equipment records and recording crew certificate details. At the Aberdeen expo, SFF Safety Officer Derek Cardno will be showing skippers how the scheme works and the advantages it delivers in terms of enhancing safety. The uptake so far from SFF members has been good and the scheme is already bringing tangible benefits.

Also being promoted at the show will be a new initiative led by the SFF where every fisherman in Scotland with the correct mandatory certification will have the opportunity to apply for the latest Personnel Flotation Device (PFD) - and get it for free. The SFF is donating in excess of £130,000 via the Scottish Fishermen’s Trust to support the project, aided by £10,000 from the UK Fisheries Offshore Oil & Gas Trust Fund, along with significant European Fisheries Fund support.

Derek Cardno stated: “At the Aberdeen show, fishermen who come and visit us on the stand will have the chance to collect the application form and discuss the issue of wearing one. The goal of the Onboard Support Scheme and the PFD initiative is to raise the overall safety awareness in the industry.”

The Skipper Expo International Aberdeen 2013 will be held in Aberdeen on 10th and 11th May 2013 at the Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre (AECC). More information at www.maramedia.ie or contact Sharon Boyle on 00353 86 840 1250.

Exciting new dimension brought to Aberdeen fish expo by first time exhibitors

The significant number of first-time exhibitors to the Skipper Expo Int. Aberdeen 2013 fishing show has brought an exciting new dimension to the event that will greatly appeal to visitors, says organiser Mara Media.

Almost a quarter of the 86 exhibitors attending the show will be doing so for the first time, representing a wide cross-sector of fishing industry equipment suppliers and service companies. Among the new exhibitors are eSonar, Watermota, Seahawk Workboats, Macduff Diesels, Finning and McMurdo.

“We are absolutely delighted at the large number of first-time exhibitors,” states Sharon Boyle of Mara Media. “It underlines the huge interest there is in the Aberdeen expo and it means that there will be plenty to interest visitors, given the variety of companies exhibiting across a wide range of industry sectors.”

The Skipper Expo International Aberdeen 2013 will be held in Aberdeen on 10^th and 11^th May 2013 at the Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre (AECC). More information at www.maramedia.ie or contact Sharon Boyle on 00353 86 840 1250.

Innovative life saving device on display for first time at Aberdeen fishing expo

An innovative new life-saving device developed by a former Gardenstown fisherman will be on display for the first time at the Skipper Expo Int. Aberdeen 2013 fishing show.

Developed by George West, the QUIKSLING is an easy-to-use device for man-overboard situations. It is thrown out in the same manner as a traditional life-ring but enables the immersed person to come back aboard in a “low deckchair” position – slung safely between two slings.

The device is still in development but a working prototype has been successfully sea trialled by two different lifeboat station crews.  A UK Patent has been granted for the invention and it is anticipated that commercial production will begin soon. At the fishing expo there will be video footage of QUIKSLING in action and the device can be examined and dry tested at Stand 103.

George said: “Although initially designed for rescue services whose job it is to save lives at sea, the Aberdeen fishing expo provides an excellent opportunity to show fishing skippers the reassuring capability QUIKSLING will give them in rough seas to capture a man overboard and save his life.”

Also exhibiting for the first time at the Aberdeen expo will be Caramarine Ltd, who manufacture a wide range of equipment for inshore fishermen, including creels, and specialised rope and floats. At Aberdeen, Caramarine will also be exhibiting its new NorthLift hydraulic pot hauler LH500H, with a hauling capacity of 500lb, along with their recently launched 12V electric net hauler. A range of other models will also be on display.

Per Persson of Caramarine said: “The creel and netting sectors are very important sectors of the UK and Irish fishing industries, and the Aberdeen expo will provide an excellent focal point for fishermen to view the wide range of our equipment available.”

Sharon Boyle of show organiser Mara Media said: “One of the highlights of this year’s Aberdeen expo is the number of first time exhibitors attending, which will prove a real attraction for visitors looking to see what is new on the market.”

The Skipper Expo International Aberdeen 2013 will be held in Aberdeen on 10^th and 11^th May 2013 at the Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre (AECC). More information at www.maramedia.ie or contact Sharon Boyle on 00353 86 840 1250.

Scottish Fishermen’s Federation to sponsor Skipper Expo Int. Aberdeen 2013

The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) is to sponsor this year’s Skipper Expo Int. Aberdeen 2013 in a move that underlines the show’s position as one of the leading events in the UK fishing industry calendar.

The official support from the SFF will ensure show organiser Mara Media provides an all-encompassing fisheries show that represents all sectors of the seafood industry and which will prove a major pull for visitors.

Sharon Boyle of Mara Media said: “We are absolutely delighted that the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation has agreed to sponsor this year’s expo in Aberdeen, which is indicative of just how far the show has developed in recent years.”

Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the SFF, said: “We have been impressed by how well the Skipper Expo in Aberdeen has been received by fishermen and other industry sectors since it was first launched two years ago and it is now well and truly established as a major fisheries showcase. We are, therefore, delighted to sponsor this year’s expo and are confident that it will prove another major success.”

Over 70 stands have been allocated for the expo so far with there being a significant number of first-time exhibitors. Mara Media is also anticipating a late surge in additional stand bookings over the coming weeks, given the continuing strong level of interest from many companies.

The Skipper Expo International Aberdeen 2013 will be held in Aberdeen on 10th and 11th May 2013 at the Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre (AECC). More information at www.maramedia.ie or contact Sharon Boyle on 00353 86 840 1250.