Get the best out of life in Portugal by paying a visit to this year’s Better Living in Portugal (BLiP) exhibition over the weekend of October 16 and 17 in Portimão.
The exhibition is organised by Exiberia on behalf of afpop, Portugal’s largest association for foreign residents, and will be held at the spacious ExpoArade exhibition centre, an easy to find venue with plenty of free parking.
Now in its eighth year, BLiP has continued to grow and it is now the largest event of its kind to take place in the Algarve, making it the perfect opportunity to do business, meet with fellow residents and to make some pre-Christmas purchases.
For those who are regular visitors to the exhibition, there are plenty of surprises in store while for new guests this is a chance to learn about what all the fuss is about!
Many well-known names will be joined by new exhibitors to BLiP this year and the list of confirmed businesses continues to grow as the date approaches, while new initiatives and partnerships will be introduced at this year’s exhibition.
BLiP has everything you need for living in the Algarve. Looking for advice on living in Portugal from the experts? Then pay a visit to the afpop stand and have a chat with the friendly staff who will be able to point you in the right direction.
For medical matters take your pick from conventional practitioners to chiropractors and even hospital services while for more aesthetic concerns there will be various beauty therapists on hand.
Meanwhile, create your perfect home in the Algarve with products for interiors and exteriors or learn about financial services designed especially for foreign residents from one of the experts at the exhibition.
There really is something for everyone at BLiP and with everything under one roof, it is a one stop shop for Better Living in Portugal.
The BLiP exhibition is free to enter and is open between 10am and 7pm on Saturday and from 11am until 6pm on Sunday.
New features this year!
Every year, the BLiP exhibition works to introduce new companies and initiatives for visitors, keeping the exhibition fresh and exciting for regular guests and new alike and BLiP 2010 is no exception with several new features to keep everyone busy, informed and entertained.
Green Algarve – adopt a greener attitude
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Sustainable living will be coming to BLiP this year and everyone is invited to get involved and to go green.
Sustainable living is a win/win concept which sees people making changes to their lives that not only benefit the environment as a whole but also help to save money.
In the GreenAlgarve area on the first floor of the pavilion there will be several green issues being introduced to visitors including renewable energy, green building and how to spend money now to be able to save money in the future.
Experts will be available to answer questions while also letting visitors know about companies in the Algarve that are able to offer independent sustainable living advice.
Everyone can get involved in making the Algarve a greener place to live and an easy way to do so is to participate in the vintage clothing section where a mixture of designer and high street clothing will be available to buy with all proceeds going to Madrugada, a charity which supports people with life limiting illness.
Contribute to saving the environment and helping a great Algarve charity by buying items from the shop or by donating new or nearly new clothing and shoes to the stall.
All items need to be donated on or before Monday, October 11 and should be clean while shoes and underwear must be new.
Donations can be made at various locations across the Algarve including the Madrugada Charity Shop in Praia da Luz, PC Centre, Lagos, Winkworths in Carvoeiro and Quinta do Lago, The Resident Group offices, Lagoa, Absolute Zero at the Vale de Lousas Retail Park and Ibex in Boliqueime.
Do something amazing
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Giving blood is one of the greatest gifts a person can give, helping to save the lives of people who need essential life saving medical treatments.
While many of us are keen to be a blood donor the how’s, when’s and where’s often get in the way of this important act when living in the Algarve.
This year a special mobile blood donation unit will be situated at the BLiP exhibition, taking all the hassle out of donating blood with a fast and simple donation process, so important in the Algarve where blood supply levels are constantly put under strain due to the number of visitors to the region.
The Western Algarve Blood Donors Association (ADBSA) will be collecting blood on both days of the exhibition between 11am and 2pm and then between 3pm and 6pm so come along and do something amazing while you are at BLiP this year.
Celebrating local wine
There was a time when the words “Algarve” and “wine” were never uttered in a positive sentence.
However, those days are long gone and a new crop of wineries have emerged in the Algarve producing quality, award winning wines that have led to the region being re-established as a centre for wine.
In celebration of the wealth of local producers an especially dedicated wine area has been created at the BLiP exhibition to be located on the first floor of the pavilion.
Already some of the best wineries in the region have confirmed their presence at the show, including Monte da Casteja, Herdade dos Pimenteis, Quinta da Penina, Única and the Adega do Cantor.
Visitors to the area will be able to sample some of these top quality wines while learning from the companies that produce them, and if you like what you have tried, why not take a couple of bottles home with you?
WIN with The Resident Group
Visitors to BLiP will be pleased to know that the team responsible for the Algarve Resident, Algarve Goodlife Magazine and the Algarve Golf & Property Magazine will be on hand to answer any of your questions during the exhibition weekend.
Do you have an issue you would like to talk about with a member of the editorial team? Would you like to meet with the Editor or the creative minds behind the publications?
Meanwhile, for any residents concerned with the impending tolls on the A22, there will be a chance to share your views and talk about petitions against the tolls with members of the team.
Whatever your question, a member of The Resident Group team will be happy to help you, while introducing visitors to the numerous quality publications produced by the group.
While, at the stand readers old and new will be able to take part in a fabulous free prize draw.
Simply come to the stand and enter your details to be in with a chance of winning great prizes including wine from the Adega do Cantor winery in Guia, a shopping voucher from Intermarché supermarket in Lagoa, a 50 Euro voucher for the prestigious Victor Picardo hairdressing salons and rounds of golf at Boavista Golf near Lagos and at Castro
Marim Golfe.
For younger readers inspired by the Ryder Cup, there will be six months worth of golf lessons at the Balaia Junior Golf Academy up for grabs, as well as a fabulous set of Titleist junior clubs complete with bag and polo shirts all kindly donated by the Balaia Golf Village in Albufeira.
The Resident Group prides itself in being part of the community so come along to the stand and take this opportunity to meet with the team behind the Algarve community’s English language newspaper.
