Boat Asia Singapore wraps up on a positive note

by IBI Magazine/Mike Derrett on 25 Apr 2006 The 14th edition of Boat Asia, the main regional boat show in South East Asia, wrapped up Sunday on a positive note from exhibitors. Held at the new ONE°15 Marina on Sentosa Island, the four-day event brought a much increased visitor crowd on Saturday and Sunday than last year, a sure sign that business is increasing in the leisure boating sector in line with the growing economies of the region.

Ferretti Group Asia Pacific managing director Alessandro Diomedi was 'impressed with both the quality and quantity of visitors at the show and felt that the ONE°15 Marina development was a great stimulus for new boating customers needed to create a critical mass of boaters.'

Colleague Stevano Devivo, newly appointed Far East Area manager for Riva, commented: 'The show was bigger than I expected and I think that the quality of the marinas I have visited in the area will bring the type of customer Riva is looking for.'

Ferretti Yachts fielded three flybridge boats at the show — a 480, 731 and an 800 — and scooped up the regional award at the Boat Asia Prestige night for the Boat of the Year in the 70ft-100ft class.

Gordon Hui, managing director of Sunseeker Asia, agreed that 'the show is better than the 2005 edition and the market is following the economy of the region which really improved in 2005, the leisure boating market lags one to two years behind.' Sunseeker were awarded the Best Brand Presence Award at the Prestige night.

The Prestige night was a black tie dinner for 300 boating personalities and key members of the trade and ran at the upmarket Fullerton Hotel in Singapore on the Friday of the show. Jointly organised by Boat Asia and Asia Pacific Boating magazine, the event was sponsored by Christofle with magnificent prizes.

The publisher of Asia Pacific Boating, Olivier Burlot, recorded a record number of magazine subscription sales at the show and felt that 'the success of the show together with the investment by Singapore in education and training is further strengthening the importance of Singapore as a regional boating centre, aptly recognised by the award of the Best Asian Maritime City at the Prestige night against other nominees such as Hong Kong, Mumbai, Dubai and Shanghai.'

Boat Asia is owned and organised by Suntec Integrated Media of Singapore. Director Roel van Leeuwen announced the dates for the next show as April 19-22, 2007.