London Boat Show attendance drops but passes the magic 100,000

by Event media on 20 Jan 2009
The London International Boat Show closed at the weekend claiming a fantastic result considering the challenging economic conditions. A boost over the final days pushed the attendance past the magic 100,000 to 112,000 a drop of 12% in attendance compared with 2008.

On the whole, exhibitors reported more interest and business than expected, with the majority cautiously optimistic about the results achieved. Some exhibitors had excellent Shows, while others have done very well - In general, Show exhibitors reported that business is definitely there, only harder to secure. Greater marketing and sales innovations are being used to attract customer interest, a development illustrated by the 1000 sq. meter Suzuki Indoor Harbour.

Andrew Williams, Managing Director, National Boat Shows (NBS) commented: 'We’re delighted by the success of the Show. Over the past 10 days we’ve enjoyed plentiful media interest, positive feedback from both our visitors and exhibitors and a healthy flow of visitors, with an increase in the North Hall which was our aim. The results show the benefits of a succeeding Show during difficult times to showcase products of all ranges to buyers in the market.'

Several exhibitors chose the London International Boat Show to unveil exciting new additions to their fleet. Sunseeker International’s display of 14 vessels was boosted by the world launch of a 30 metre yacht, Fairline revealed their Squadron 70 to assembled press and public, while Princess Yachts premiered its Princess V42.

Anecdotal feedback from exhibitors ensured the Show concluded on a high note.
Richard Whittaker, Suzuki Indoor Harbour said: 'We have achieved all our objectives that we set prior to the Show. Footfall has been great and we have sold a good number of boat engine packages. Having the feature in the South Hall has certainly drawn people towards us, and given the current climate we are very happy.'

Rick Reading, Topper commented: 'The quality of visitor here has been excellent, despite the overall numbers being down. We’ve had really good sales over the entire range. The new catamaran has gone down particularly well, and we sold a Topaz16CX on the opening day of the Show. The layout of the Show has really worked this year, especially the location of the Main Stage - powered by Fairline in the North Hall corner. We worked with National Boat Shows on the Design a Sail project, which couldn’t have turned out better - it’s always great to get the kids involved in boating at a young age.'

Norma Brown, Honnor Marine added: 'It doesn’t matter about a slightly decreased attendance figure - we have sold sold sold! We have particularly noticed interest from the foreign market this time round, and have had six sales to date with our order books full until April 2010.'

Frank Stevens, Crownline said: 'Fabulous! We’ve sold seven or eight boats so far, and have plenty of other leads going forward. The response has been tremendous, and there are certainly still people buying.'

David Dare, Oxfordshire Narrowboats reported: 'A very good Show. We’ve had better bookings than last year and have secured over £10,000 of holiday bookings. We’ve also had a very strong lead on a boat sale, as well as attracting the interest of a sponsor. We’ll be returning next year - it’s about quality, not quantity.'

Of the 500 plus exhibitors at the Show, 80 were new this year. One of these, Becci Eplett, J-UK, said:

'After a year out from the London International Boat Show we’re glad to be back. It’s definitely worth being here. Everyone is aware of the struggles in the market, but there are definitely people buying boats here - even if you have to work a little bit harder. We are very pleased with the Show layout, and feel that grouping the sail boats and electronics was a very logical move. The lead time on sail boats is short, and so we can point buyers directly over to suppliers - all in one area.'

Andrew Williams concluded: 'The London International Boat Show is a celebration of all things marine; designed to illustrate the diversity and accessibility of boating, the Show proves there’s an on-water hobby for everyone to enjoy, whether you’re an amateur or a professional.