18 JANUARY 2009
55th London International Boat Show closes on a high note
The London International Boat Show drew to a close today, Sunday
18 January, concluding 10 of the busiest days in the capital’s
boating calendar.
The Show, which is the largest marine exhibition in London,
hosted more than 500 exhibitors and showcased hundreds of boats,
ranging from 1.4 metre sailing dinghies to 37 metre tri-deck motor
yachts. The Show provided a vital platform for the industry to
showcase its quality, with exhibitors spanning power and sail
boats, dinghies, deck equipment, charter holidays, sailing courses,
chandlery and more.
Model, actress and TV presenter Kelly Brook ensured a sparkling
start by officially opening the Show on Friday 9 January. Kelly was
joined on the Main Stage – Powered by Fairline by crew members of
attending Navy frigate, HMS Westminster. Kelly was one of many
famous faces to be seen at the Show; among them HRH Princess Royal
enjoyed an official tour of the Show on Wednesday 14 January and
Bee Gees star Robin Gibb also paid a visit.
Stars of the boating world were present throughout the Show.
Dame Ellen MacArthur and Mike Golding on his return to the country
were joined by members of Skandia Team GBR, including Olympic gold
medallists Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and flatwater canoer Tim
Brabants, all of whom were recently decorated in the New Year’s
Honours list.
Overall attendance at the Show was 112,000*, 12% below that of
2008, which is a fantastic result considering the challenging
economic conditions. The Show’s success has been attributed to the
excellent features, improved layouts and enormous range of
exhibitors who have helped create a rich industry showcase.
On the whole, exhibitors have 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 – International Paints and
Navigators & General, for example, were up on last year’s Show
performance. 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.”
LONDON INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW REVIEW
Visitors were almost spoiled for choice with the action-packed
schedule of daily events, displays and interactive features,
guaranteeing something for everyone. The Show is as popular with
novices as it is with seasoned sailors, offering a fantastic
introduction to the world of boating as well as a comprehensive
showcase of sailing products and services.
NBS was thrilled to welcome Royal Navy frigate HMS Westminster
to the marina. Over the course of the Show, almost 20,000 guests
climbed aboard to explore the warship. Visitors were keen to pit
their boating skills against family and friends in the Deck Games
zone, with model yacht racing and kayaking bringing out many
visitors’ competitive streaks. The same enthusiasm surrounded the
Brushboarding exhibit. New to the Show this year, Brushboarding is
set to become a sporting craze – like surfing but without the
water, Brushboarders build core strength and fitness while
improving balance and co-ordination, in an exciting and innovative
way.
By way of contrast, many visitors enjoyed the Classic Boat
feature - in association with Classic Boat, Old Pulteney and
International Paints. The boats on display included a gorgeous
four-berth gaff rigged cutter, a pretty little trailer-sailing
ketch, and a majestically sleek Thames launch. Visitors also
received a progress update on the Cutty Sark conservation project.
Several artefacts from the famous tea clipper were on view,
accompanied by the craftsmen responsible for returning the vessel
to her former glory.
Two young artists were crowned winners of the NBS Design A Sail
competition on Saturday 10 January. Launched at the PSP Southampton
Boat Show in September, designers of all ages were invited to
decorate a sail. Thomas Middleton from Croxley and Matthew Kiddle
from Grimsby successfully beat over 200 entrants to scoop victory
in the under 16 and over 16 age categories respectively. Their
triumph was announced on the Main Stage – Powered by Fairline by
RYA Young Sailor of the Year, Katie Miller. Thomas and Matthew had
their sails hoisted aloft a Topper dinghy, which remained on
display throughout the Show.
Further Show highlights included a daily dose of Life As A… live
talks designed to give a flavour of life in a variety of marine
professions – from a coastguard helicopter pilot to a yachting
instructor. Boating heroes took to the Main Stage – Powered by
Fairline to showcase their sailing experiences; Dame Ellen
MacArthur, Sir Keith Mills, Geoff Holt, Adrian Flanagan and Katie
Miller were just some of the inspirational speakers to grip the
Boat Show crowds.
Each day visitors were dazzled by performances of ‘A Mermaid’s
Tale’, an aerial display of extreme acrobatics, dance and music.
Adding to the glamour, guests enjoyed regular fashion shows that
paraded the latest designs in marine, leisure and offshore
clothing. Among the collections shown were those of Henri Lloyd,
Puma, Elizabeth Hurly Beach and Helly Hansen.
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.
“NBS would like to thank all exhibitors for the support they
have given in developing our features and their marketing efforts
with ticket sales. We look forward to working closely to build on
this success and to focus on an ever more impressive Show in
2010.”
-ENDS-
* Unaudited
For more information, please contact:
The National Boat Show Media Team on 020 7632 2432 or email
boatshow@publicasity.co.uk
Notes to Editors:
• High resolution pictures are available upon request
• The 2009 London International Boat Show is organised by
National Boat Shows Ltd (NBS). NBS, which also organises the
Southampton Boat Show in association with ITV Meridian, is a
subsidiary of the British Marine Federation (BMF), the trade
association for the UK boating industry
• Visit the Show website at www.londonboatshow.com