The show goes on
UK’s biggest aquaculture exhibition set for record year as founder bows out
D ahead, but then he decided to take on what would become his most important biggest aquaculture show.
Now, he really is standing down, having just
Although he has an advisory role in this he is leaving his business in excellent health.
130 at the last count, and visitors are expected ing the trade gathering and bringing it back to its Highlands roots.
He plays down the challenges involved, admits he didn’t know that when he plunged in 10 years ago.
move to the NEC in Glasgow, not the natural
lost in Glasgow,’ said Mack. ‘Once the show close to each other.
‘The industry had taken a dive in the early about 15 companies in the 1990s so there started to shrink.’
In 2004, there were only about 55 or 60 organisers to do something, but by 2006 it had shrunk even more, said Mack, who was then
other old hands in the business and we were you’ve got sod all to do, why don’t you run it, and I thought why not.
itors and they said we don’t like it here, we don’t like Glasgow, and we think this thing is dying.’
He suggested going back to Aviemore,
put chipboard on top, it was terrible. We all warm. Everyone was going around with numb
‘everyone said they’d go there like a shot’ when he canvassed opinions. The next week Aviemore’.
‘Whether they knew it was me or thought accepted 100 per cent.’
Mack’s contacts in the industry were no doubt instrumental in winning over exhibitors’
‘I wasn’t sure what was involved but I went expenses.’
They all gave him the money, though he said he didn’t need it in the end.