2016 Show Statistics / Feedback
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2016 VISITOR TESTIMONIALS
An ideal show for inshore skippers, for all their requirements.
Mike Howells, Burry Port, UK
Well worth the 5hr drive. It makes a change to go to an event of this scale that mainly caters for the smaller boat sector.
Mark Frary, Norfolk, UK
Great place to meet suppliers face to face.
Darren Rosson, Plymouth, UK
Good opportunity to meet new suppliers.
Simon Hutchinson, Yarmouth, UK
A great show, a good place to meet the fishing gear manufactures’ and get a good deal and a few freebies.
Philip Taylor, Dorset, UK
Attended the show for the last 2 years. Consequently had 2 new commercial vessels constructed by exhibitors.
Lucy Dack, Axmouth, UK
Excellent show, vast range of stands catering for all commercial fisherman and boat owners in general, demonstrating engines to rope and everything in between.
Luke Burress, Poole, UK
Very we'll laid out show, plenty of pot company's not enough trawl makers or warp suppliers.
Dave Driver, Brixham, UK
Very useful, informative and pleasant people.
Phillip Curnow, Hayle, UK
Very good range of stands primarily aimed at the inshore sector.
N King, Wells-Next-The-Sea, UK
Great show with great hospitality and well organised.
Arthur R Grains, Lerwick, Scotland
A good day out with plenty to see, also with plenty of shops for the wife.
Neil Evans, Pembrokeshire, UK
The show was good but less people there this year, this may be because of the fine weather as they were probably at sea?
David Sebire, Guernsey
Good venue to get to know your suppliers and source equipment and a great place to meet up with old and new friends.
Lee Glendewar, St Helier Jersey, UK
Great place to find out latest products and information.
Fiona Gillam, Newhaven, UK
Great show!
k budge, Kirkwall, UK
A great show full of stands that are relevant to fishermen. Great deals on products and a buffet to die for. Thanks.
Rod Thompson, Weymouth, UK
Good show, a bit small but friendly atmosphere made up for it.
Patrick, Franklin, UK
Very good show everything under one roof.
Ben Bengey, North Devon, UK
Good opportunity for meeting suppliers and debating current issues.
Stephen Akester, Lymington, UK
A very interesting show, with many exhibitors being very friendly and willing to chat about their product and also others.
Tom Harrison, Southampton, UK
Very well organized, great location and exhibitors, just wished it was larger with more exhibitors and talks, etc. Look forward to next year.
Chaiya Hallard, Poole, UK
Excellent show, brilliant organisers.
Harvey Johnson, Lerwick, UK
A great event for those in the South - well run and easy access. The Skipper deserves a pat on the back for organising this event. A great opportunity to meet others within the industry - loved the Hot Chocolate the caterers provided! See you in 2017.
John Periam, Fishing News, UK
The near shore fishermen show! We don’t have a show like this in Spain, badly needed well done.
Clemente Lage, Spain
The show was a good chance to speak with other professionals and to find out about new products, safety awareness and pick up some freebies too!
Mike Brown, Mevagissey, UK
Well worth a visit if you’re in the industry, something for everyone.
Jamie Haxby, Bridlington, UK
The show catered for most boat needs ... small or large ... also nice to actually speak to exhibitors who knows what they’re on about.
Ted Gillam, Newhaven, UK
This is a much needed show for the industry.
Tony Pearce, Newlyn, UK
Thought was good easy to get too no queuing.
Pete Boyce, Brixham, UK
Excellent range of products.
Dave Maidment, Poole, UK
A very good friendly show, where networking and new contacts and opportunities were explored.
Hugh Cunningham, Southampton, UK
A comprehensive and good variety of exhibitors covering all aspects of the industry under one roof.
Deborah Cowley, Newlyn, UK
A very well run show, friendly staff. I find the Skipper Expo a good size and well run.
Bruce Johnson, UK
The show offers good exhibitors which i think can be further improved by having a display of events/exhibitors outside also.
Dan Booth, UK
2016 EXHIBITOR TESTIMONIALS
Lucy, Marine Stewardship Council
Skipper Expo Int. Bournemouth was a great opportunity for me to meet a range of industry members. I would highly recommend it!
Francesca Dowding, PME Power Systems
Great show with lots of interesting stalls and displays.
Jade Chalk, PME Power Systems Group Ltd
An excellent opportunity to showcase our product to potential customers. The show attracted the right customer profile for our product.
Chris Martin, Medley Pots
Great friendly atmosphere, and happy customers, looking forward to the next one.
David Dalgleish, Kort Propulsion
Well organised show, with a great atmosphere.
Sharon Burke, Sea Fish Industry Authority
Despite it not being as busy this year it provided a great opportunity to network with other companies in the industry. The show was well organised as always and we will definitely be there next year. See you there!
Michael Smith, RNLI
Excellent show with great support from the organisers.
Mark Pullinger, Selva Marine UK (Specialist Small Craft Ltd)
A great opportunity to promote the brand plus speak directly to end users and trade contacts alike.
Chris Martin, Medley Pots
A great friendly show and a chance to meet our customers and further our business connections.
Jim Reardon, Riverdale Mills Corp.
A standing ovation to The Skipper Show organizers and staff. You have enabled our persistence in business development opportunities and befriending hundreds of people that we can truly call friends. Thanks for your efforts.
Andy Murray, Titan Navigation
The Skipper expo provided a great opportunity to show off our new product to potential customers, new and old, it was great to put faces to names and I'm sure we will attend other Skipper Expo's.
Frankie Horne, RNLI Fishing Safety
Skipper Expo Int. Bournemouth was very good for networking, as are all the shows Mara Media run. It is very important to keep the friendly atmosphere that is evident at all the Skipper Expo’s so that people keep coming back.
Jamie Davies, SuccorfishM2M
Great Expo!
Julian Osborne, Mermaid Marine
We had a great time at Skipper Expo Int. Bournemouth, thank you to everyone who came to visit us! See you again next year!
Alex Firth, R & D Marine Ltd.
Being our first time exhibiting at the Skipper Expo Int. Bournemouth, we were uncertain what to expect. There did not seem to be enough people visiting the show (possibly due to the weather), however those who did attend were very good. These shows are well organised. We obtained some good enquiries and we will be back next year.
David Ash, Mantsbrite Marine
This is the third Skipper Expo Int. Bournemouth we have exhibited at and once again it was an excellent opportunity to meet friends, old customers and new with good business conducted over the two days.
Roger Gillam, GT Products Europe LTD
Fewer exhibitors but some quality customers with more time to talk.
Sally Dale, Pinpoint Electronics Ltd.
As a first time exhibitor at this show I was impressed at the organisation and the seafood buffet was fabulous!
Chris Neill, Craemer UK
Skipper Expo Int. Bournemouth enabled us to meet and greet people from the fishing industry and catch up with current events, and rounded off a successful year of the 3 industry shows in Ireland, Scotland and finally in England.
Ryan Langley, Hercules Hydraulics
Once again a very good show for Hercules Hydraulics, with plenty of new contacts and inquiries as well as spending some quality time with existing customer's and contacts. A very relaxed and comfortable atmosphere all in all a good show and we look forward to next year.
David Jarrad, SAGB
The SAGB was pleased to have a meeting and a stand at the Skipper Expo Int. Bournemouth 2016 as part of its outreach to potential members at the coast. As we play an important role representing the Industry in discussions with legislators and regulators, it is important that we achieve the engagement from the industry we represent, the Skipper Expo is one way of achieving this.
Ben Mortimer, Michigan Marine Propulsion - International
Very cost effective show, a must for the commercial retailer.
Dave Guest, Watermota Ltd
The skipper expo shows are the most friendly and sociable shows in the marine calendar.
Rhyan Gaulton, Mashfords
Good networking event, friendly and close atmosphere.
2015 Show Statistics
2015 VISITOR TESTIMONIALS
A great way to meet people within the industry, especially the fishermen as I deal with them on a day-to-day basis.
Melissa, Grimsby
Good mix of exhibitors.
Peter Edwards, ASAP Supplies, Suffolk
As a contributing Feature Writer for Fishing News I found the Exhibition to be excellent. I was able to meet many contacts (some for the first time) - the stands were very informative and well manned. Well worth attending and there is no doubt I would recommend to anyone connected to the industry. Was also nice to see lots of fishermen there.
John Periam, West Sussex
Excellent well-attended show on the Friday, lots of good products on show.
Geoff Sargent, Southampton
A worthwhile exhibition to attend for everyone and anyone interested in the South West fishing industry. A great meeting place with quality exhibitors.
Pete Bromley, Plymouth
A fantastic way to see those people you regularly deal with and speak to but rarely actually get a chance to meet.
Jeremy Channon, Poole
Great access, great layout, great day.
R Tate, Essex
I am the owner of an AIS fleet management company www.findmyvessel.com, also a sea fishermen, the show was brilliant. There where some great contacts there, and it's great to put names to faces. I am interested exhibiting myself next year.
Ian Lott, findmyvessel.com, Plymouth
Keep up the good work. This year was bigger and better than last, keep it going.
Kevin Arscott, Kingsbrige, Devon
An enjoyable day out with a wide variety of exhibitors and friendly atmosphere.
Ruth Arscott, Plymouth, Devon
It was a great opportunity to view so many products under one roof.
Andrew Bengey, Ilfracombe, Devon
The Bournemouth Skipper Expo provided a great opportunity for fishermen on the South coast to meet, shop and generally be merry!
Anonymous
Skipper Expo Int. Bournemouth leads the way in providing a current and innovative technological platform for the fishing industry, whilst at the same time affording the chance for delegates to do business, network and socialise in a friendly and hospitable environment.
Mike Warner, Suffolk
Excellent show and venue well done, thanks.
Jeff Iander, Dorset
To promote it more you need more stalls on netting and trawl makers, still enjoyed the day out, thanks.
Roy gribble, Cardiff
A good show well set up and easy to get to, plenty of parking. Looking forward to next year.
Neil Evans, Pembrokeshire
A must for all commercial fisherman and a good place to catch up with friends and customers.
Lee Glendewar, Jersey
This was my first attendance and I found from the point of registration to entering the hall it was a very efficient process and recommend everyone preregister at least 48hrs before the show. Inside the hall the layout was good and the exhibitors were keen to provide you with details without the usual oversell approach. The show has found a niche amongst boat shows and will grow in size as the word gets out.
Philip Higgins,Dorset
Good day all round, great day out.
David Marchant, West Sussex
Well organised show which I can see getting bigger and bigger. I was hoping to have a boat on display at this years show but didn't have time to sea trial the boat before the show so I’m hoping to have a boat on display at next years show.
Garry Bull, Hampshire
A great way to meet a number of suppliers, all in one day, at the same event.
David de Carteret, Jersey
A concise show designed deliberately for the Fishing industry, no exhibitors there who aren't relevant. .... Making the show effective for a quicker visit, ideal for the industry where spare time is often scarce with potential visitors needing to be on the water as much as possible.
Alex Firth, R & D Marine Ltd., Hertfordshire
Excellent Show.
Dave Hibberd, Falmouth, Cornwall
A small but high quality exhibition, with vendors relevant to those owning or working on boats with requirements for new or existing product issues.
Chris bray, Southampton
This was my first visit to Skipper Expo Int. Bournemouth, but it certainly won't be my last.
Alan steer, Beesands, Devon
Excellent couple of days, plenty of exhibitors and visitors.
Darren Rosson, Plymouth
2015 Exhibitor Testimonials
Jim Reardon, Riverdale Mills Corp.
Once again, The Skipper / Mara Media crew have done an excellent job, consistently providing service and camaraderie for the show patrons and attendees.
We find The Skipper crew most helpful and supportive. We are finding that persistence pays off as we gain more market share and establish relationships as we continue to seek opportunities for Riverdale Mills Corp. Aquamesh® through contacts and feedback from the lobster trap, crab trap and aquaculture industries and working waterfront attendees who contribute to Riverdale Mills Corp. success. The Skipper shows have proven extremely valuable as we innovate and adapt to customer requests. Thanks again to The Skipper crew!
Gavan Murphy, Globalstar
This is the first year Globalstar attended Skipper Expo Int. Bournemouth, we have seen the Skipper Expo’s as a great opportunity to present our products directly to our existing and new customers in UK & Ireland. The Mara Media crew are very supportive and assist in every way they can.
Ian Watkins, Whyboats
Skipper Expo Int. Bournemouth was very well run and a cost-effective way to promote to the specific market it is targeted towards.
Mark, Selva Marine
A great show - well promoted, supported and attended.
Alex Pino, Alpino Services
This was my first time here as an exhibitor. The show was well planned and fulfilled my expectations. It’s a great chance to put names to faces, with the chance to chat at leisure and get your story out there.
Tony Pauffley, Coleman Insurance Brokers
This year’s event saw an improvement on last year with the numbers of exhibitors and visitors up. The spring tides and wet weather meant that the first day attendance was very good with numbers way up on last year. Coleman insurance brokers enjoyed a steady flow of customers to their stand with both existing and new enquiries.
The popularity is growing with the simple friendly organization of Mara Media, we will be back again next year.
Martin Cookson, Whispaire Ltd.
Another successful Bournemouth Skipper Expo. We made sales from the first morning to the last afternoon and gained some good leads. As usual, the paperwork is kept minimal and the helpful Bournemouth staff a pleasure to deal with.
Mike Ruck, Cotesi
The Bournemouth show was a trader only show, which was a big improvement on last year. The quality of visitors was excellent. Lots of orders taken at show.
Jim Pettipher, Coastal PO www.fish.coop
My first Skipper Expo and I really enjoyed it. Lots of our members turned up and it was great to put a face to their names, and then they went and press-ganged more fishermen into membership too. Great vibe and great chance for people who are normally working away, miles apart, to meet up, make friends and swap experiences.
David Ash, Mantsbrite
A great show for both exhibitors and fishermen, we took three good orders on the first day with many other quality enquiries.
Frankie Horne, RNLI
The Skipper expos are a great assembly place for the RNLI to meet with the Fishing Industry Representatives of all sectors, large or small. This has helped us to communicate our Safety Initiatives to the industry, and to seek help from Fishermen to improve safety within the industry. Thanks must go to Mara Media staff for their continued support to the RNLI Fishing Safety campaigns in their paper, and at the Shows.
Tom Rossiter, Succorfish
Good show very pleased with the quality and quantity of enquiries.
Chris Hirst, The Fishermen’s Mission
Skipper Expo Int. Bournemouth provided a great way to engage with Fishermen and raise the profile of the Fishermen’s Mission. We are grateful to the Mara Media team for allowing us to attend and engage with our beneficiaries.
Chris, Craemer UK Ltd
The Skipper show in the South of England is in its third year now, and visitors numbers are increasing. Long may it continue to develop for all of us involved in Britian's fishing industry.
2014 Show Statistics
2014 EXHIBITOR TESTIMONIALS
Mermaid Marine
Congratulations on a great show. We benefited greatly from being at the show meeting our local commercial fishing customers as well as making new acquaintances.
Robust Boats
The visitor numbers and quality at the recent exhibition where great, our stand had more interest on the first morning than I have had all together at some other shows. We also got fantastic feedback on the Robust 21c that we displayed at the show, as well as so many positive comments about our boat layout and build quality. I found the exhibition to be very beneficial meeting new contacts and new suppliers. Overall it was brilliant and I will definitely be bringing another boat to Skipper Expo Int. Bournemouth 2015. The seafood buffet was a fantastic addition to a fantastic show.
Audacious Marine, UK
“Superb location! We got excellent exposure at the show with our company now being recognized, we even had people queuing on the steps of our boat waiting to get on. Had several enquiries on Monday morning after the show looking for quotes, which we hope to turn into orders in the coming weeks. Definitely worth while exhibiting and look forward to bringing a boat to Skipper Expo Int. Aberdeen.”
Marship UK
Skipper Expo Bournemouth has been a great success generating a great deal of interest in our Marine Fuel Purifier, which removes water from diesel and as such eradicates Diesel Bug. Our experience is that we actually gained more genuine enquiries from this show than some of the larger expos, we were certainly kept busy. Being all in one room was a definite bonus as was having the boats on display, a pleasure to see. As always the Expo team handled everything with optimal efficiency (even getting some of the rather larger boats inside!) and everything ran like clockwork.
Whispaire
Another great show put together by Mara Media. Setup and breakdown is usually an exhibitors nightmare but the ease of access and helpfulness of the Bournemouth International Centre team made for a very relaxed atmosphere. The seafood buffet on Friday night was a great opportunity to network with both exhibitors and customers. We made our first sale one hour after the show opened and our last sale five minutes before the show closed. We will definitely be back next year.
Mantsbrite Marine
“It was an excellent show and the first day in particular exceeded our expectations. We had a lot of interest in our product range and the quality of the customers visiting our stand was very good.”
AJ Group, Poland
“We would like to thank you for the show in Bournemouth. It was for us a great opportunity to present our company and our New Sea collection to potential clients. We also thought the buffet was great with delicious food!”
Jason, Bee Jay Scallop Gear ltd, UK
“Thought the show was great . Definitely worth having a stand.”
Ian C Darley, UK
“Thanks for an excellent show, Friday evening was particularly great socializing with other exhibitors at the buffet. From a business perspective the show was rewarding and generated a lot of interest.”
Fishermens› Mission, UK
“Thank you to the show organizers for the warm and supportive welcome you gave to our team. It was a great event to meet and engage with fishermen with many using the opportunity to discuss welfare issues and concerns.”
Coleman Insurance Brokers, UK
“The show was well received and the organizers done a fantastic job making it simple and easy to exhibit, which all helped in visitors enjoying a relaxed atmosphere. The show attracted lots of visitors on the Friday, resulting in a good day of trading. Saturday was a little slower, but overall a great event. Our stand enjoyed a steady flow of visitors, with both new and existing clients. We also had the opportunity to visit the other exhibitors around the show and make some new connections. In all a very positive event and we very much look forward to attending in the future.”
Cornwall Creels, UK
“Excellent well run show, as always, looking forward to the next one.”
Watermota, UK
‘’Another successful Skipper Expo Int. and a great opportunity to meet with customers old and new, suppliers and other exhibitors in the industry. Overall the show was great and the BIC was a great venue.
RNLI Fishing Safety
“RNLI Fishing Safety were very pleased with the Skipper Expo Int. Bournemouth. The stand was very busy from doors opening. Fishermen who picked up their free PFD from Seafish came to our stand for training. It was very clear that fishermen visited to keep up to date with all the new kit, from Safety to Fishing Gear to Electronics.RNLI see the expos as a great way to communicate with the industry, giving advice to fishermen on safety, as well as receiving advise to pass to others to make commercial fishing safer in the future.
2014 VISITOR TESTIMONIALS
“Very good venue and in great location for transport links and nearby accommodation. Having one large room was more efficient than going looking for exhibitors. Also having boats in the venue was great. Had an excellent weekend networking and made lots of new contacts.” Barry Young, Brixham Trawler Agents.
“This was my first time attending a Skipper Expo and I found it very impressive. There were a good variety of exhibitors covering all areas of the fishing industry and the weekend was a real eye-opener to the amount of businesses we can make contacts with. Looking forward to next year!” David Venn, Guernsey, UK.
“Great show! Will be back next year.” Steve Williams, Hornsea, UK.
“Very professional location, with an excellent venue. Enjoyed catching up with old friends and meeting new people. I spent two days visiting all the exhibitors and looking forward to next years show.” David Faulkner, Manx Fish Producers Organisation.
“Enjoyable day out, good venue with everything under one roof.” Peter Loose, King’s Lynn, UK.
“Excellent show and really enjoyed the day. Great for making new contacts.” Kevin Arscott, Kingsbridge, UK.
“Great setup and very relevant to the fishing industry in South, keep up the good work.” Dave Ferris, Sheerness, UK.
“Show had everything in one place, good venue that was easily accessible.” Jason Dobson, Scarborough, UK.
“Brilliant show, very informative with the conservation groups present and held in an ideal venue. I was delighted with the customer service after the show from Gael Force Marine who I made a purchase from. Looking forward to visiting Galway in 2015.” Mike Hallard, Poole, UK.
“A great show thank you, looking forward to next year. I got a lot of information for fitting out my boat. I really enjoyed the seafood on Friday night an added bonus, to a great weekend.” Jack Baker, MFV Stella Maris, Plymouth, UK.
“A superb venue, with easy access and parking, plenty of exhibitors to meet your potential needs and tended by helpful, friendly salespersons with a wealth of info to share. Shall be back again next year.” Andrew Furzeland, Plymouth, UK.
“Excellent show, well organized and good venue.” Paul Collins, Ceredigion, Wales.
“We all thought, (that is the 3 of us) that it was well worth the visit (and the 150 mile drive) and we will definitely try to visit next year.” Brian Pawley, South Devon and Channel Shell Fishermen.
“Well organised, exhibitors where excellent and very helpful.” Charles Ziemann, Seaton, UK.
“Excellent show as always. Can’t wait for the next. Keep up the good work.” Leslie Coffey, Ballywalter, Northern Ireland.
“The boats on display were fantastic, looking forward to the show being bigger and better next year and would like to see more creel companies in 2015.” Alan Jones, Newry, Northern Ireland.