BFREPA will be outSTANDing at the Fair
With a larger than life flock of hens emblazoned on the wall and stunning blue and yellow free range logo beaming out, the BFREPA stand at this year’s Pig & Poultry Fair is sure to make an impact.
And the newly-designed stand shows just how far the Association has come since its inception nearly 15 years ago.
“I remember those early days at Stoneleigh when we begged, borrowed and almost stole a little corner of another exhibitor’s stand which we would adorn with some homemade-looking posters!” says vice chairman John Widdowson, who has been busy making arrangements for this year’s event with fellow council member and former BFREPA chairman David Trick.
“Then we progressed to our own plot but there was still a fair degree of scrounging involved and David used to bring along the display panels belonging to LKL Services where he was MD at the time. The pair of us would struggle to put it all together late on into the night prior to the show.”
This year the stand will be erected by expert contractors Diamond Exhibitions, leaving John and David to simply turn up on the morning ready to greet visitors. There they will be joined by other council members who will be on hand throughout the two days to meet not only Association members but also to chat to the many visitors to the Fair who will be contemplating a career in free range.
“We are very much the first port of call for potential newcomers and we’re delighted to be able to help guide them in the right direction,” says John. “Although there’s something of a cloud hanging over the poultry sector at the moment with the worry of AI along with depressed financial returns, there’s plenty to be optimistic about too.
“Free range is predicted to dominate retail sales by 2012 which is going to provide a lot of opportunities over the coming years for existing producers as well as giving new entrants the chance to join this vibrant sector of British agriculture.”
Being handed out from the BFREPA stand will be Free Range 2006, a full-colour 120 page publication produced by the Association specially for the Fair. Packed with information and stories about free range—along with details of the industry’s leading suppliers of equipment and services—it is a must-read for anyone with an interest in free range egg production. Also available from the stand will be copies of BFREPA’s highly acclaimed DVD Free range eggs. An out and out success story.
The British Pig & Poultry Fair will take place at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, on Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 May.
