Duesseldorf, DEU, 19.01.2013. Foto: Messe
It is not simple dealing about the Dusseldorf Boat Show without being repetitive.
In the years of crisis, while almost all the other show of the same field was loosing pieces, credibility and visitors, the Dusseldorf Boot grew up until to become the most important in Europe.
The progressive breakdown of the Mediterranean shows in Genoa, Barcelona, Paris and London has inevitably brought professionals and public to turn to Dusseldorf, the first exhibition on the calendar and the biggest in the world entirely indoor.
Over 1900 exhibitors has participated this year, of which 50% were non-German, representing 68 nations (more or less one hundred Italians), an impeccable organisation (German style) very easy for both professionals and visitors and, finally, the city likewise focused on the services offered in spite of the weather and the season.
This was the key to success of an exhibition, which has no comparison with the other realities such as – sorry to underline it once again – the Boat Show of Genoa.
Personally, every year, “I discover” something new and positive from the organisational and usability point of view. We have already talked about the parking, the shuttle and the connections.
This year, we arrived (as exhibitors) by car the day before the opening in the evening and we needed to bring to the stand the necessary for the final touches. We were resigned to long discussions in order to enter, at lest on foot, and make a long walk to the stand.
Accustomed to the muddled management for the permits and passes at the Genoa Boat Show, where a hard bureaucracy were mixed to the chaos and rigidities by the Ligurian, we could hardly believe when the bar raised and we saw the directions to park (a few metres from the stand).
The time required for the authorisation, requested electronically by the operator at the bar: less than a minute, included the controls and everything without getting off the car.
After this boring, German, efficiency let’s talk about the visitors.
The official data show 247.000 visitors (242.000 in 2017) which confirm the Boot as the European exhibition most visited.
The nautical show in Paris has registered 200.000 visitors while the one in Genoa has counted 148.223 entrances.
Historically the Boot was a boat show entirely Middle-European, due to the geographic position and the presence of several shipyard coming from the Northern Europe, with niche products dedicated to Middle-European customers: inland waters, protected seas (Netherlands), Northern climes and seas.
The offer undoubtedly complete – from the canoe to the raft to the superyacht – and the good organisation towards the customer – visitor have modified and increased the range of visitors including several Mediterranean Countries.
Even this year, indeed, in the pavilions, there were lots of Italian and French speakers, especially during the weekend.
The sensation – obvious – is that even the “quality” of the foreign visitors is different, consisting not only of enthusiasts but also of a high percentage of possible buyers.
There was a high attendance even in the charter field with many companies that find the opportunity to make contact with the powerful German agencies.
The Dusseldorf Exhibition will hardly be able to modify the results of the purchase relating to the season in opening but, of course, a positive result is a good sign for everyone, Italian and not, for the following seasons.
Translated by Federica Izzo
