Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show to be a bumper event

by Ruby Public Relations on 12 Feb 2015 For the 2015 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show some of the marine industry’s biggest names have already signed up. In fact, bookings are on par with this time last year – where 307 exhibitors turned out – which bodes well for another bumper event.

Among the standouts on-water are Maritimo, Fleming Australia, Horizon, Outer Reef, Integrity, Meridian, Elandra, Bering Yachts and an array of sailing brands, mono and multihull.

In the main pavilion, the electronics brands and accessories will be back in numbers, among them Navico, Raymarine, Furuno, GME, Coursemaster, Ronstan, Garmin and Humminbird, as well as some of the leading names in chandlery, apparel, shoes, maps and charts and marinas.

The Superyacht Pavilion will include Superior Jetties who will showcase their range of pontoon products with the theme 'Walk on Water'.

They will be joined by companies like Pantaenius, Bellingham, P&W Marine Engineers, Ultimate Marine Power, along with Australian manufacturers such as Aqualumain the section known as 'AIMEX/Superyacht Australia Alley'.

Around the Marina Village, space is selling quickly, with the likes of JSW Powersports, Runaway Bay Pontoon Boats, All Marine Spares, Nitro Marine, Collins Marine and engine brands Yanmar, Isuzu, Scania, among many others, signing up for another year.

Johan Hasser, General Manager for Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show, welcomes new and long-standing exhibitors for the 2015 SCIBS.

'We are heartened by the support for the show this year from the marine industry, exhibitors, sponsors and partners. The Sanctuary Cove tenants and residents, and the Gold Coast community are right behind us for our 27th show, ' Mr Hasser said.

'We are at 80 percent capacity in the pavilions, and the open spaces are filling fast. In 2014 in the final few weeks before SCIBS, there was high demand for space in the trailerboat segment, so exhibitors wishing to secure space should do so soon, either online or by phone.'

Naval architect Scott Blee is looking forward to his first Sanctuary Cove Boat Show. 'Our company is interested in developing our presence in Australia and New Zealand markets. We believe our boats are the great fit for Australian customer requirements and for the cruising conditions of the area. Our featured boat for SCIBS is Namaste, B65 Expedition Yacht.'

This particular boat was launched in 2013 and since then has made about 7,000 nm traveling from Hong Kong to Brisbane via Subik Bay, Philippines, Singapore, Phuket, Thailand, Bali, Indonesia, Timor and Darwin. Her range is 5,000 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 7 knots.

'During the show, Alexei Michailov, President of Bering Yachts and Leonardo Brie, the owner of B65 will be available to speak to people about Bering Yachts and Namaste,' said Scott, who is keen to experience SCIBS, which he admits is a new market for the company.

'SCIBS 2015 is a very interesting and exciting avenue for Bering Yachts and a new area of potential growth. We are looking forward to meeting Australian customers, boat owners and specialists from the boatbuilding industry.'
Another new exhibitor at SCIBS, SACS Marine will be presenting a brand new product with two models from the SACS super tender brand, premium Italian RIBS that will undoubtedly make an impact at SCIBS.

'SACS boats are a premium product that needs to reach a certain market,' says dealer principal, Matt Azar, who has high hopes for the brand in Australia. 'We are offering 8m to 18m luxury RIBS that are unlike anything on the market. They have a wide beam, provide a dry ride and they’re exceptionally quiet, with either inboard or outboard motors.'
Azar will be displaying two boats: the Strider 10, which with two Mercury 300 Verado engines can achieve 53 knots, and the Sport class S780, a versatile tender or dayboat.

'All SACS boats can double as a day boat,' explains Matt. 'They have a bimini for shade, and in some models, a cabin below with WC and basin, and a kitchenette on deck.'

For this new luxury product, Matt says the decision was simple: 'It’s Sanctuary Cove and Sydney for us. They offer access to the ideal markets and exposure. SCIBS will deliver the Queensland boating market with the bonus of interstate visitors as well. We are also keen to take advantage of the trade and B2B aspect of SCIBS and explore opportunities for local dealers or brokers.'

Long-time exhibitor, Ross Brain from Active Water Sports has been at SCIBS for 16 editions. 'It really has a great atmosphere,' he said. 'Plus, SCIBS draws the right clientele to suit our products.'

Ross says 'For visitors, being able to meet exhibitors and see products up close has far more impact that advertising alone. The exposure that we get from SCIBS is great. We will be displaying the original line of Walker Bay Boats, Airis inflatable kayaks and SUPs and many more.'

Whitsunday Rent A Yacht will be returning to SCBS for its 27th year as exhibitors and will be providing the major prize for this year's pre-show online tickets sales: a5-night charter onboard the sublime Perry 43 Sailing Catamaran.
'SCIBS is an integral part of our annual marketing campaign, as it gives us scope to actively promote the Whitsunday region and our unique product to the SE Queensland consumer, one of our largest target markets,' explains Joscelyn O'Keefe, Sales & Marketing Manager at WRAY.

'The success of previous shows in terms of quality sales leads and industry contacts are the main reasons that the SCIBS remains high on our agenda. This year we will be running our highly successful online charter auction - Live Deals - showcasing a new vessel to the fleet, our Conquest 44 power catamaran.'

Maritimo will again have one of the largest on-water displays at this year’s SCIBS. Company founder and industry icon Bill Barry-Cotter has been involved in every SCIBS since its inception and says that involvement will continue.

'The Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show has a reputation nationally and internationally that cannot be beaten and Maritimo will again have a major investment in the show,' he said.

'People come to Sanctuary Cove for the atmosphere, to view the very latest boats and all things marine and to enjoy the whole package and that includes the shops, the restaurants, the hotel, the village ambience the whole thing. It is unique and will stay that way.'

Maritimo’s sales and marketing manager Greg Haines said the company would have the world premiere of two of its state-of-the-art new models, the M65 cruising motoryacht and the M48 cruising motoryacht. Maritimo will be again partnering with Maserati and B&O at their stand.

The Maritimo Offshore Racing’s world championship winning race boat will also be on display.

'Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show is a major part of our annual marketing program and we are looking forward to a highly successful show again this year,' Greg said.

An exhibitor since the company’s launch in 2007, Horizon Motor Yachts Australia is looking forward to another busy SCIBS. Based at Sanctuary Cove, the team, under new ownership of Matt Yapp and Gary Wahlstedt, are thrilled to be hosting the Australian debut of the V72 and PC52 Catamaran. There will also be a Horizon E56 on show, along with a yet to be decided fourth vessel.

According to Erica Rae at HMYA, SCIBS is the company’s biggest event on the calendar. 'We have clients who come from all over Australia and NZ to see our new models, socialise with other Horizon owners and enjoy the great atmosphere at Sanctuary Cove. It really is a special show!'

Long-time exhibitors Multihull Central will be back at SCIBS in 2015, with the biggest display they have presented for many years, including one world launch and several Australian debuts. 'We are planning to have five boats on water – our largest for several years,' says Brent Vaughan, Director at Multihull Central, Dealer of the Year for the Outremer brand in 2014.

'The new Seawind 1160 LITE will be on show for the first time alongside Seawind’s flagship, the Seawind 1250. We are also excited to have the world launch of the all new Corsair Pulse 600. This exciting sports trailer trimaran offers the thrills of a fast multihull, but as an affordable one design class. The bigger brother, the Corsair Dash 750 will also be on display at the show.

'And, for the first time, we are hoping to have the 59-foot Outremer 5X on show. This supercat won the 2013 European Boat of the Year and was awarded Boat of the Year in 2014 by Cruising World magazine.'

For Navico, the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show offers theirbrands 'the opportunity to demonstrate products to key potential customers and the ability to support local dealers in the region', says Liam McIlveen, marketing co-ordinator.

'Navico is excited to launch our new GoFree brand, which will extend the experience from devices into the online space. The Lowrance brand will unveil its new generation with the HDS Gen3 Multi-function display – the ultimate weapon for anglers.'

WA-based PowerDive has been exhibiting at Sanctuary Cove Boat Show since1997, and Aaron Hawke, director, says it’s well worth the trip from the west coast! 'Not only is the show our most profitable it is also my personal favourite. SCIBS offers the combination of the outdoors, sunshine and a relaxed happy atmosphere that makes doing business at the show a pleasure.'

Boat Books Australia has exhibited at SCIBS for about 20 years, and Christian Brook says he has always found it worth attending. 'It is the number one show in Queensland,' he states. 'We see this year being no different and it gives us a great opportunity to display our books and charts to the large number of customers who come to the show.

'This year we will again be presenting all the latest Nautical Books, Charts – paper and Electronic, Navigation equipment and gift items.'

Simon Hutchinson, Director at Fixtech says SCIBS 'makes sense' for the products his company manufactures and represents in Australia.

'Flexiteek is the market leader in providing UV-resistant, colour-stable, waterproof (fully welded), non- slip, marine decking that is better that traditional teak decks. In 2014 some 50,000sqm of Flexiteek decking was installed around the world – a massive 66 percent increase from 2013.'

This year at SCIBS, Flexiteek will launch the next generation in marine decking, a 30 percent lighter, cooler marine decking in Australia for the first time.

'We are also looking to establish a distributor in Australia. SCIBS is the show we can use to reach consumer, B2B and trade markets.'

In the trailerable boat and personal watercraft (PWC) segment, JSWPowersports will be back to display their exciting lineup of new models from SeaDoo.

This year, JSW will also be presenting the new Sea Fox 266 Commander centre console and the new dual console Sea Fox 226 Traveler. The new G2 Etec engines will be among the products on show.

According to Lina Heldon, 'Sanctuary Cove is always a strong boat show for us and works very well for us and positions us as a leading boat and PWC dealer in the Australian market.'

SCIBS is always a top show for JSW, says Lina. 'SCIBS has a great name as a quality boat show which showcases the best of the best and it also has a great social atmosphere in a beautiful world-class location. In addition, there are opportunities for networking with other local, interstate and international exhibitors.

Another stalwart on the marina, Multihull Solutions, will be back in force for 2015.

According to Managing Director, Mark Elkington, Mutihull Solutions will be staging the exclusive Southern Hemisphere launch of three stunning new multihulls from Fountaine Pajot’s sail and power range: the Saba 50 sailing catamaran, and the impressive MY37 and Cumberland 47 Long Range power catamarans.

Also on show, the Liparai 41 Evolution sail catamaran.

'Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show is one of the major sales events on our annual calendar, and many of our owners have purchased their new multihull at the show in previous years,' says Mark. 'At last year’s show, Multihull Solutions sold seven new boats and engaged with a substantial number of genuine multihull enthusiasts who expressed their interest in both new and pre-owned power and sail multihulls.

As well as the laid-back and social atmosphere, Mark says the results from SCIBS are what draws them back year after year. 'Every year SCIBS yields a huge number of new qualified contacts, we are able to introduce existing clients to the latest in our product range and have the chance to catch up with our existing owners as part of the Multihull Owners Club.

'The show's organisers do a great job each year to get all of the most important marine products in the one place, providing excellent support for exhibitors to ensure a hassle-free event. The strong number of local, interstate and international visitors makes it a truly worthwhile event to effectively engage with key target markets.'

The $A2 billion Sanctuary Cove Resort, located on the northern Gold Coast, is Australia’s leading and most successful master-planned community.

Featuring two 18 hole championship golf courses, a 330 berth marina, five-star InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort, Country Club including full fitness centre, tennis courts and 25m swimming pool, Sanctuary Cove is also home to some of the most diverse waterfront, golf course fronting or hilltop residential house and land options on the Gold Coast.

At the heart of the community is The Marine Village – Sanctuary Cove’s vibrant precinct featuring more than 80 tenancies, including a selection of shopping, cafes, business services, restaurants and bars.

ENDS
For all media enquiries please contact Sarah Staerk or Chanelle Rodger at Ruby Public Relations on (07) 5514 8575 or email sarah@rubypublicrelations.com.au / chanelle@rubypublicrelations.com.au