Please select your home edition
Edition
X-Yachts Leaderboard 2024 1

The onus is on Boat Show organisers- Get it right, or risk dying out

by Jeni Bone on 3 Sep 2012
Barcelona Boat Show SW
Boat shows dot the calendar all over the world, with countries hosting up to 10 (or in the case of China, planning as many as 20) major events per annum, aiming to push boat sales and aspiration towards the boating lifestyle in all its guises. But what should drive organisers' objectives and how can stakeholders measure their effectiveness? Jurij Korenc, President of the International Federation of Boat Show Organisers (IFBSO) reveals some of the contemporary challenges and the realities of staging a boat show.



Q. What should be the main objectives of a boat show?

Jurij Korenc: To deliver a profit or other benefit to the stakeholders (which may be a boating industry association, an independent exhibition organiser, an exhibition centre or a combination of interests), both now and in the future
We can’t really ascribe any loftier motives than this as the primary objective.

For a regional government it might be enough that the show provides direct employment for local people and also fills hotels, restaurants etc; for a BIA, the show might be the cash cow that provides the funding for the BIA’s activities, or a means of ensuring that the industry gets a more cost-effective shop window than would be provided by an outsider.



Q. What are the main factors that should be considered to judge a boat show 'successful'?

JK: In this respect, therefore, the measure of success is whether the show delivers the desired benefits in a sustainable manner. And there is the crux: sustainability.

Any street corner merchant can make a profit by fleecing customers, because he has a constant stream of new prospects coming along the pavement and because the fleeced customers never get to swap stories. Boat shows are right at the other end of the scale.

They only happen once a year, and their customers, whether exhibitors or visitors, are all too ready to gather round the village pump to discuss their experiences at the show. So the organisers have to get it right, this time and every time:
* for the exhibitors, who want qualified visitors with the money and the enthusiasm to buy;
* for the wider industry, which expects the show to develop the market by generating interest in boating in the non-boating public;
* for the visitors, who want to see, touch and compare great products, and talk with experts and fellow enthusiasts;
* for their sponsors, who expect the event to reflect their brand values and deliver the expected results to the target market;
* for the stakeholders, who all have their own objectives as mentioned.
That’s sustainability.



Q. The Australian marine industry is obsessed with boat show attendance as a measure of a boat show, judging large events as superior to smaller – is visitation a relevant factor for comparison?

JK: The boss of Sunseeker once said, 'I don’t care if only 100 people come to the boat show, as long as they’re the right ones for me'.

Since he was president of National Boat Shows, which owns the London and Southampton Boat Shows, at the time, the comment didn’t go down too well with the industry – but it served to make a point: that every exhibitor has his own target market.

The greatest divide is between the top brands like Sunseeker and the 'boatswain’s locker' type of exhibitor, for whom every visitor is a potential sale. Evidence suggests that the biggest names frequently do better when attendance falls, because there are fewer distractions both on stand and in the aisles from members of the public who wouldn’t be in the market for high-priced items anyway.

Unfortunately, though, total attendance remains the primary benchmark for the success of a show. An end-of-show release from an event that has suffered a fall in visitation might say something like 'the visitor numbers were down, but those who came were well motivated to buy…' or cite numerous exhibitors whose show 'exceeded expectations', but it’s rarely a convincing line.

Q. How are boat shows around the world combating falling visitation? Are these strategies working – both to drive attendance and boat sales?

JK: Boat show attendance and boat sales are closely correlated, not least because very few people ever buy a boat off a magazine page or website. They need to see it first, and shows remain the best platform to view and compare different craft. So what is true of building attendance is true of generating sales.

The boating industry faces both short-term problems in consumer confidence and credit availability, both of which are essential for its sales, and a long-term decline as other pastimes and interests stake a claim on the leisure dollar, pound or euro. An ageing demographic means that, in Germany for instance, three high-spending older boaters are lost to the industry every year for each new enthusiast that joins at entry level.

The difficulty at the moment is not how to grow attendance or sales, but how to arrest decline. We are seeing more intelligent use of closely targeted marketing efforts that make the most of the appropriate modern media for each need, and less of the blanket press advertising that used to be the mainstay of boat show marketing.

Using a variety of social media to create a buzz about boats and boating, the best shows are perhaps beginning to make some progress. But it’s going to be a long climb back before recovery turns to growth.

More at www.ifbso.com

About IFBSO

IFBSO is the International Federation of Boat Show Organisers, founded in 1964 to help the development of boat shows and marine trade exhibitions worldwide. Today all member shows comply with the IFBSO Code of Excellence, ensuring that they meet the highest expectations of exhibitors and visitors.

Switch One DesignZhik 2024 DecemberCyclops Marine 2023 November - FOOTER

Related Articles

Rolex Fastnet Race: IRC Two Preview
With 73 entries in IRC Two, the Rolex Fastnet Race is set to deliver a striking display. Could two new JPK 1050s upset the apple cart in IRC Two? Jean-Pierre Kelbert has a habit of breaking the mould in IRC racing, and his new 34-footer may well be a game changer in this competitive division with 73 entries.
Posted today at 10:36 am
Dragon Edinburgh Cup in Torbay overall
Tight Racing and Tactical Brilliance The final day of the 2025 Edinburgh Cup brought sunshine, shifting breeze, and two exciting races that kept the championship wide open until the very last run.
Posted today at 8:13 am
Seldén Rodkicker 50 - manual rigid vang
Specifically sized for yachts between 50 and 55 feet A Rodkicker rigid vang is designed to enhance sail handling during reefing and allows for greater sail trim control.
Posted today at 8:00 am
WASZP Games 2025: Talent & fun descend on Weymouth
Poised to be the largest and most competitive in the class's history The 2025 International WASZP Games, set to take place from July 19–25 at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, are poised to be the largest and most competitive in the class's history.
Posted today at 7:23 am
Transpac 2025 Update: Moon River Tonight!
The magic of offshore racing in the 2025 Transpac A vast ocean separates Los Angeles, California, from Honolulu, Hawaii, but the boats racing in this year's Transpac have now crossed the halfway mark. Race leaders are in the tradewinds and making their approach to the Aloha State.
Posted today at 12:26 am
20 Canadians set for Long Beach Grand Slam Event
The Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta will be held July 12-20 20 Canadian sailors will take part in the fourth and next-to-last event of the 2025 Sailing Grand Slam Series, the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta, to be held July 12-20 at one of the two Olympic venues for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Posted on 10 Jul
All smiles among first finishers of the AEGEAN 600
The fastest teams crossed the finish line today at Cape Sounion As the fastest teams crossed the finish line today at Cape Sounion and made their way to the harbour at Olympic Marine, there were exhausted smiles all around.
Posted on 10 Jul
British Classic Week day 4
It was a classic Solent day in Cowes for the OneSails inshore race It was a classic Solent day in Cowes for day 4 of British Classic Week with hot temperatures, sunshine and no breeze in the morning before the sea breeze kicked in from the west and it was time to go racing.
Posted on 10 Jul
iQFOiL Worlds a Aarhus day 5
Finalists locked in for new Medal Series format With the sea breeze stubbornly refusing to make an appearance, Day 5 of the iQFOiL World Championship turned into a long waiting game both ashore and on the water.
Posted on 10 Jul
Jazz Turner Video Interview
How she Faced Everything And Rose during Project FEAR I travelled to Brighton Marina to catch up with Jazz, talking about her own sailing, the challenges she faced during the circumnavigation, how the money raised will be used, and a glimpse of her future projects!
Posted on 10 Jul