2006 London Boat Show numbers down

by IBI Magazine on 17 Jan 2006 The 2006 London Boat Show closed last night with final attendance figures estimated at around 140,000. This constitutes a 13 per cent drop compared to last year's figures, when around 160,000 people attended the show, and a 35 per cent drop over the ABC-audited attendance levels of 213,801 in 2004.

According to National Boat Shows (NBS), organiser of the event, general public attendance improved significantly this year, although trade attendance declined. This was attributed to the tube strike and waning confidence in London as a travel destination following the 7/7 attacks. The 2006 event was also one day shorter than last year's show, spanning 10 days in total.

Nevertheless, NBS says many exhibitors reported record sales. ‘We sold 20 boats at the show,’ said James Reinmand, managing director of Shetland Boats. ‘We are very pleased. It's been a record show for Shetland Boats.’

‘A very good show, with sales up on last year by 20 per cent,’ said John Hiltunen, sales director of Northshore Yachts. ‘Since day one every day has been good.’

Other companies that experienced strong results this year include Peters plc, which sold 56 boats across its power and sail divisions. ‘I am extremely pleased that our boat sales have held up at this show as we were uncertain of the strength of consumer confidence at the outset,’ said Peters chairman Brian Peters. ‘We now have a strong order book for the months ahead and with our new retail opportunity with the Azimut and Sealine brands already bearing fruit we can look forward to a very busy year.’

Lombard Marine Finance, which saw a 14 per cent increase in the number of loan applications taken out at the show, said that its average advance was £180,000, resulting in a 58 per cent rise in the total value of marine applications compared to last year. ‘It has been a really successful show after a fairly slow start,’ said Ian Braham, Lombard's head of marine finance. ‘From Wednesday the quantity and quality of the applications was phenomenal. The interesting statistic of power versus sail reflects the popularity of powerboats particularly at the higher end of the market. We have taken several applications for finance for motoryachts costing more than £1million.’

Beyond the exhibition floor, the British Marine Federation (BMF) used the 2006 event as a platform to engage with government, stimulate trade and to push the interests of the industry. A total of 469 meetings were organised with foreign buyers, while four government ministers and 12 politicians also made an appearance, enabling the BMF to reinforce key messages such as Red Diesel and planning regulations for marina developments.