Superyachts hot for 'South Pacific' following Ft Lauderdale show

by Jeni Bone on 14 Nov 2009 Fort Lauderdale’s 50th anniversary event may have been a quieter affair this year, with visitor numbers down almost 30% and cancellations from exhibitors right up until the final week prior the show, but according to SYBA, the superyacht sector was extremely active and Australia was well and truly in the spotlight.

Richard Morris, representing SYBA along with five others, says the show was “very different from previous years”.
“It has always had that element of being a family show’, with around 350,000 people through the gates and the venues bursting at the seams with everything from kayaks to megayachts. But this year, you could tell numbers were down. Many exhibitors pulled out. The convention centre is normally packed over three floors, but this year two floors were empty.”

Total attendance was estimated at about 100,000, down from about 140,000 last year, according to Show Management. Sales figures are not available at this stage, but the number of vendors was forecast to be down about 17%.

But while the small boat market appears to be suffering most, and possibly is yet to hit bottom, the superyacht segment “was bigger and more impressive than ever”, says Morris. “The quality of people there was good too,” he continues. “There were plenty of owners and Captains there, people were buying. There were quite a few Aussies there buying, since there’s never been a better time with the dollar so high.”

Crucial to SYBA’s mission at Fort Lauderdale, was contact with international crews and superyacht owners. “We only had a ‘light version’ of our usual stand – a basic stand, since it’s so expensive. But we had a 15ft sign and spent most of the time networking and promoting Australia as a destination.”

Muir Winches was also part of the SYBA stand, generating plenty of interest for this Tasmanian based company – and world leader. “The quality that comes from Australia in terms of our products and also our infrastructure for visiting yachts is evident. Our message has started to get through.”

The main objective, says Morris, is to show the ideal target market that Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Fiji Tahiti and the surrounding islands can be seen as a group considered “the South Pacific” – the ideal cruising region for a three to six month sojourn, or longer if a boat is to be chartered out.

“It’s important to show them how close we all are and what a great experience it can be to explore new regions, other than the Med, Riviera and Caribbean. Another thing in our favour, as well as being thought of as ‘exotic’ and ‘unexplored’ for the most part, is that a lot of yacht owners don’t want to be highly visible to the media and public, considering the state of the economy. They want to enjoy their boats discretely. Being so remote, Australia offers that.”

Overall, the show was exceptionally positive for SYBA. Says Morris: “We made many contacts and renewed long-standing relationships. I can tell you, after 10 years of marketing, we have reached them. I am busy booking berths, researching routes and charter opportunities, gathering refit quotes – and I’m just one person. They are coming.”

Next on the agenda is METS (17-19 November) where SYBA has teamed up with AIMEX for a presence at the world’s largest trade-only show in Amsterdam. It’s a concept that could work in other shows and arenas as well, admits Morris. “It makes sense to present a cohesive brand Australia to the rest of the world. It’s time for all of us in the South Pacific to join forces and promote our region.”

SYBA will hold a Board Meeting, Friday 4 December, to work out its plan for 2010, including strategies for shows such as Abu Dhabi and the potential for working closer with AIMEX.

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