Trade partners get behind Meatup

Posted on May 23, 2018

As plans for the meat industry’s very own exhibition are put in place for 2019, show organisers, YPL Exhibitions & Events, have confirmed that 18 major trade bodies are to partner Meatup, which will take place at ArenaMK in Milton Keynes on 30th and 31st October 2019.

Visitors enjoying Meatup 2017.

The show, which will feature a wide range of exhibits, will also include a competition arena and a free to attend seminar theatre.

Show director Graham Yandell comments: “We are really delighted that we have the endorsement of these trade bodies and we look forward to welcoming many members and of course others from the wider industry across the two days of the show. The venue at Milton Keynes proved popular with many exhibitors back in 2017 so for 2019 we are staging Meatup once again in Milton Keynes, but later in the year with new October dates apparently being the preferred time for many visitors, according to our research. As the show continues, we hope the venue will become increasingly popular with visitors as a convenient, modern venue with great logistics and free parking.”

The show will once again feature craft competitions and displays. Yandell continued: “We hope to announce our plans for 2019 soon. The competition arena is always popular and adds an interesting feature to engage people in addition to the range of exhibitors to be found by visitors to Meatup, plus a great menu of speakers to be found in the seminar theatre.”

The Meatup trade partners for 2019 are as follows:

• Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS)
• British Meat Processors Association (BMPA)
• Bord Bia
• British Poultry Council (BPC)
• Foodchain and Biomass Renewables Association Ltd (FABRA)
• Food & Drink Training & Education Council (FTC)
• Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC / MPW)
• International Meat Trade Association (IMTA)
• The Institute of Meat (IoM)
• Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland (LMCNI)
• National Association of Catering Butchers (NACB)
• National Federation of Meat & Food Traders (NFMFT)
• Q Guild
• Provision Trade Federation (PTF)
• Quality Meat Scotland (QMS)
• Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW)
• Scottish Federation of Meat Traders Association (SFMT)
• The Worshipful Company of Butchers (WCB)

Keith Fisher the Chief Executive of the Institute of Meat was typical in his comment: “The meat industry in the UK is a very, very substantial business and merits its own show. It’s an opportunity for all parts of the business to come together and communicate face to face. The competition arena is fantastic and its always a pleasure to be involved. I also think the new October dates will work well.”

Keith Fisher.

Arthur Pynenburg of Treif UK was one of the very first to book a stand for the next Meatup when dates were released, commenting: “We really like the venue at Milton Keynes and it worked very well for us last time. We hope that it will become the permanent home for Meatup and that the trade will really get behind it. We need a good independent meat industry show and the initiative merits our support. We also did business in 2017 so it’s all positive for us.”