Exhibitors happy as Hutchwilco NZ Boat Show show delivers strong sales

by Mike Rose on 19 May 2010 Exhibitors at this year's Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show are celebrating increased levels of both sales and inquiries.

With visitor numbers appearing to be about the same as for the 2009 show, exhibitors reported more sales, more genuine inquiries and more certainty than at last year's show.

Long time major exhibitor and boat show Hall of Famer, Roger Arkell from Rogers Boatshop said sales were up 20% over 2009.

'There was also a better level of inquiry and substantially better quality of interest,' he says. 'The Saturday of the show was the busiest day at a show I have experienced in nearly 40 years of exhibiting.'

Dave Larsen, general manager of Rayglass Boats, agreed. He said Rayglass completed more sales at the show than in 2009 and were buoyed by the level of interest in their Legend 4000 (the largest and most expensive boat at the show) and in their new Pro-Jet, which won the inaugural Aquatech Most innovative Local Product Award.

Other manufacturers also reported strong sales with the most interest appearing to be in larger boats, over 6 metres.

Show organiser Dave Gibbs says the increased level of sales and inquiries shows Kiwis are still passionate about their boating, regardless of the economic climate.

'New Zealanders love their boating and fishing and it was great to see around 30,000 of them here over the last four days: checking out the new models, enjoying the numerous attractions and buying everything from new armoury for their tackle boxes to luxurious 12 metre launches – and literally everything in between.'

The 2010 show also featured a new layout, with the immensely popular Hauraki Fishing Hall moving to the larger Hall 1. As well as again being New Zealand's largest fishing supermarket (with over $2 million dollars worth of rods, reel and tackle on sale), the Hall was home to new attractions such as the Hiwi the Kiwi and Minstrel show on the New Zealand Sports Fishing stand; the new Fisherchick Haven, the impressive Q Sub and the chance to win a $7600 trip to Vava'u, Tonga with Hakula Lodge.

The annual boat show, now well into its fifth decade, also showed why it is rightly called the Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show, attracting visitors from right around the country.

'This truly is a New Zealand boat show,' says Dave Gibbs. 'We gave away 34 $1000 Viking Kayak Packages during the four days of the show. Only 19 of the winners were from Auckland.'

Three of the hour kayak draw winners were from New Plymouth and others came from as far afield as Ohope, Wellington, Rotorua, Palmerston North, Tauranga, Taupiri, Tairua and Warkworth.

History was also made at the show's annual BoatingNZ/NZ Fishing News Boat of the Show Awards. For the first time in the 11-year history of the Awards in their current format, there was a tie in a major category: both the Extreme 650 Game King and the Stabicraft 2150 Supercab receiving exactly the same number of points from the three judges in the Aluminium Fishing Boat 6-7 Metres category.

The coveted Boat of the Show Overall Winner Award went to the McLay 735S. It is only the second time in the 11 years, the other being in 2002, that an aluminium boat has won the prestigious Overall Award.

Other winners were: Launch: Rayglass Legend 4000; Sports/Ski Boat: Ski Nautique 200 Open Bow; GRP Fishing Boat Under 6 Metres: Smuggler Multisport 570; GRP Fishing Boat Open: Tristram 881 Offshore; Aluminium Fishing Boat Under 6m: Extreme 570 Game King; Aluminium Fishing Boat Open: McLay 735S; All Purpose Under 6m: Haines Signature 553C;
All Purpose 6-7 Metres: Buccaneer 685 Excess and All Purpose Open: Custom 800 by Dickey Boats.

This year's awards also included two new innovation awards, with the second, the Aquatech Most innovative Imported Product Award, being won by Fusion for their new MS-RA200 marine stereo.

lThe Quick Natutica Equipment Stand of the Show awards went to Stabicraft Marine (Most Innovative Stand), C.M. Trailer Equipment (Best Small Stand, for the third year in a row) and Yamaha Motor NZ Ltd (Best Commercial Stand).

Yamaha's New Zealand marine manager, Greg Fenwick was also inducted into the New Zealand Boat Show Hall of Fame at this year's Awards. The popular 'Mr Yamaha' was recognised for his contribution to both the industry and the boat show over the past 37 years.

In 1982, Greg Fenwick was instrumental in the creation of a Gate Prize for the show and has often contributed engines for the show's Gate Pizes in the 28 years since then. He has also has been the driving force behind Yamaha's growth into the top-selling outboard brand in the country and has supported many marine events and teams including offshore, thundercat and ski racing; the Boating Industry Training organisation's Marine Trades Challenge and numerous Team New Zealand campaigns for the America's Cup.

Organiser Dave Gibbs says planning is already well underway for the 2011 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show, which will be held on May 12-15.