A Place in the Sun will host a new show in Scotland this October, following record attendance at its London show.

The event, which took place at Olympia London from Friday 6th to Sunday 8th May, saw 8,585 people attend to get more information on buying property overseas.

The show, which is based on the popular Channel 4 TV show, saw audiences over the three days jump 10 per cent compared to last year’s spring show, echoing a similar rise in visitor numbers at its Manchester show in March 2016.

Presenters from the small screen were in attendance too, from Jasmine Harman and Amanda Lamb to Ben Hillman and Ryan Philpott, with panellists and hosts presenting seminar sessions and interviews on a central stage to a packed crowd – despite the scorching sunshine outside.

“It was encouraging to see an increase in visitors to the London show, we would have liked a few more on the Sunday but when it reaches 26 degrees understandably some people’s plans change,” Andy Bridge, Managing Director, A Place in the Sun, told OPP.Today, noting that the mezzanine level at the Olympia was opened to allow for more stands and cafes.

“A 10 per cent increase on the same show last year is a clear sign more people want to buy overseas,” he added.

Indeed, Brits’ appetite for homes in Europe and further afield remains strong despite the debate currently surrounding the UK’s referendum over EU membership, with recent tax changes on second homes in the UK thought to have encouraged buers to look overseas.

Particularly popular were the pavilions dedicated to French, Italian, Portuguese and Florida property, with 190 exhibitors in total presenting property to the public.

Now, the organisers have announced that they will introduce a new show in October. The event will take place at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) Glasgow from 29th to 30th October.

“Having established A Place in the Sun Live in Manchester we wondered whether there was sufficient density of interest elsewhere without canibalising existing audiences,” said Bridge.

“The number of users making property enquiries on aplaceinthesun.com in Glasgow and Edinburgh combined was a substantial number so we’ve decided to see if there’s a market for an exhibition – it’s a smaller, two-day show and we have enough clients keen to target new regions with us.”

Before then, A Place in the Sun Live will also return to NEC Birmingham from 23rd to 25th September 2016.

A Place in the Sun Live returns to London as Brit appetite stays strong

6th May 2016

A Place in the Sun Live returns to London today, as British appetite for overseas property remains strong.

Europe’s largest overseas property exhibition kicks off today at Olympic London, running from 6th May to Sunday 8th May. Over 150 exhibitors will offer advice to attendees on finance, tax and legal matters over the three days, with agents from around the world presenting their properties.

The show arrives as British demand remains strong for homes overseas, particularly for popular European lifestyle markets. Enquiries for Italian real estate jumped 30 per cent year-on-year in 2015, according to PropertyGuide.com.

“British buyers appear to be spearheading the recovery in Italy, in particular in the mid-to-high end of the market in Tuscany, Umbria, Florence and around the Lakes,” says Elaine Ferguson, Head of the company’s Resource Centre.

France, meanwhile, has rarely been more popular, thanks to record low mortgage rates and a stabilising market. According to the FNAIM (the national association of French estate agents), a record-breaking 800,000 older properties were sold in 2015, with enquiries up 60 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2016, according to Home Hunts’ latest report.

Spanish property sales surged by a third in 2015, according to Barcelona-based agency Lucas Fox, with sales to Brits up 50 per cent year-on-year.

Portugal has also enjoyed ongoing popularity among buyers, thanks to the market’s continuing, gradual recovery. Indeed, Portuguese property even overtook Spanish property in TheMoveChannel.com’s latest Top of the Props report, becoming the second most sought-after destination on the site in April 2016.

A Place in the Sun now runs three shows a year, including an event in Birmingham and Manchester as well as London. This weekend, the show will offer a dedicated “French village”, as well as specialist pavilions dedicated to Italy, Portugal and Florida.

“The Hub”, a live stage area, will be packed with presentations and seminars from leading overseas property experts from all over the world, chaired by A Place in the Sun Magazine’s editor, Liz Rowlinson. The presenters of the television show, Jasmine Harman, Laura Hamilton, Ben Hillman and Amanda Lamb will also be on hand to answer questions and sign magazines.

For more information on the show, or to book a ticket for the event, click here – or head this way to keep up to date on the latest shows and exhibitions with our property events calendar.