RETURN TO POSITIVITY AT A PLACE IN THE SUN LIVE
Over 9,000 people attended last weekend’s A Place in the Sun Live (APITSL), according to estimates by the show’s organisers. The three-day property exhibition at Earls Court in London received around 5,600 registered visitors, not including exhibitors and a further 3,400 guests came from the Ideal Home Show next door, it claims.“Attendance was really good and there was a feeling that the bottom of the market is approaching,” said APITS’ managing director Andy Bridge.
“The Ideal Home Show visitors added to the atmosphere of the show. We saw there is still a market out there.”A Place in the Sun is regarded as a barometer of buyer sentiment in the UK, more so since this was the first major overseas property show in some months due to the cancellation of the March Property Investor Show.
'Serious' visitors
Exhibitors generally reported a positive experience. Christos Drakos, UK and Ireland area manager for Cypriot developers Pafilia said: “Overall it was a good experience and a learning experience. As expected, there was a lower volume of people than at previous shows but the enquiries we had were serious ones. It was about quality rather than quantity of interest.
”Some serious business was done as well. “We had lots of quality enquiries and booked several inspection trips,” said Nigel Salmon, managing director of UK-based agency Girasol Homes. “A lot of people have been holding out but now there’s a window of opportunity to buy quality property.”
This was view echoed by Paul Owen, chief executive of the Association of International Property Professionals. “Although there were fewer visitors than in previous years, they were serious buyers and numbers were better than expected,” he said. “Everyone seems to have done business and that needed to happen. It was very impor
tant for the industry not to have an empty calendar.
”APTIS’s Andy Bridge added: “The show’s success is testament to the power of the brand. But we had to work harder, think cleverly and show more ingenuity when marketing it. Exhibitors couldn’t just arrive and do the same thing as before. They had to think about their whole package. But there were only half the number of exhibitors of last year, so there was reward for people who still believe in marketing.
Exodus market still strong
The emigration section proved popular, with hundreds of Brits attending seminars to get advice from currency providers, banks and property specialists.“I am filing applications for over 600 new bank accounts a week from mainly Brits looking at heading to Australia permanently,” said Stuart Wallis from the National Australia Bank. “There has been a very strong attendance at the event because a lot of people in the UK want to escape the recession and enjoy the sun and lifestyle that comes with Australia.”According to the UK Office of National Statistics, 400,000 people emigrated abroad permanently last year, mainly to the markets of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada.What do you think? Do you have an opinion about this news article? If so, send your comments to the web editor now. Click on the red keywords under the main headline or use the search box on the left of the screen to navigate through OPP's extensive database. ©RETURN TO POSITIVITY AT A PLACE IN THE SUN LIVE
A Place in the Sun Live, APITS Ltd, UK buyer, Pafilia, Girasol Homes, AIPP, National Australia Bank
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