As the iconic 62nd London Boat Show drew to a close yesterday (Sunday 17 January), 90,328 people had been welcomed to ExCeL London to experience the very best that the boating industry has to offer.
As the iconic 62nd London Boat Show drew to a close yesterday (Sunday 17 January), 90,328 people had been welcomed to ExCeL London to experience the very best that the boating industry has to offer.
The Show saw over 132 boats make their debut, including the largest ever boat to be globally launched at the Show - a 40.05m Sunseeker 131 Yacht which was berthed out on the dockside.
Strong sales have been reported throughout the duration of the Show, with many companies reporting an increase on last year’s figures including numerous multi-million pound deals. There were close to 400 boats showcased during the ten-day event with several new brands such as Adidas Sailing and Bainbridge International exhibiting at the Show for the very first time.
Over 1,000 beginners and experienced skippers got out on the Mediterranean Bay – a purpose-built pool spanning 500sqm and overlooked by a Mediterranean-themed village. Hosting a variety of activities, including Seabobbing, water walking and Stand Up Paddleboarding, it provided visitors with the opportunity to get out on the water for free and brush up on their essential boating knowledge.
The Show’s very own Theatre welcomed a line-up of some of the world’s leading boating experts talking on the latest technology and innovations. Alec Wilkinson, one of Britain’s top live sailing presenters, hosted daily panel discussions with guests including America’s Cup commentator, Tucker Thompson, world-class Olympic sailor, Sir Ben Ainslie, Land Rover BAR’s Fitness Coach, Ben Williams, Volvo Ocean Race winner, Ian Walker, and record-breaking female sailor, Dee Caffari MBE.
The Show was opened in style with Made in Chelsea star, model and sailing enthusiast, Lucy Watson, cutting the ribbon during a lavish ceremony on the first day. Other celebrities made appearances during the ten days with Adrian Chiles, Hugh Bonneville, The Overtones and Floella Benjamin all being spotted browsing the aisles. There were award ceremonies galore and a competition for the next generation of budding superyacht designers took place live on the Show floor hosted by Superyacht UK.
Murray Ellis, Managing Director at British Marine Boat Shows, said: “The quality of business achieved coupled with the fantastic attractions on offer and celebrity faces seen, has resulted in the 62nd London Boat Show being yet another successful Show. At the heart of one of the world’s most pioneering capital cities, we have showcased the rich heritage of both British and international boating, latest marine innovations and designs to a global audience.
Exhibitors have reported excellent sales this year with visitors having the opportunity to purchase from a variety of products from inflatable Stand Up Paddleboards and foldaway sailing boats to a multi-million pound superyacht and everything in between. The atmosphere has been exuberant, once again confirming the London Boat Show as one of the top ten Boat Shows in the world.”
Exhibitor quotes from the 2016 London Boat Show:
Sean Robertson, Sales Director at Sunseeker, commented: “This has been our most successful London Boat Show for a number of years, with confirmed boat orders worth £40m of retail sales (exc. tax) and several more sales in the pipeline. It’s very good news for the sector because it’s the first Show of the year and it is an excellent barometer of sales to come in 2016. We were especially delighted to debut the eagerly anticipated 131 Yacht this year, which is the largest ever to be launched at the London Boat Show in history.
“It was a real pleasure to welcome so many visitors and special guests to the stand with clients and prospects at a record high – exceeding even 2008 figures. This is a reflection of the most up-to-date product range across 50-150 feet, a first class and truly global dealer network offering sales and after-sales support, and an iconic British brand that customers are proud to be associated with. We are looking forward to launching three new boat models over the year – the 116 and 95 Yachts in the spring and the Manhattan 52 in the summer – for which we’ve already received numerous confirmed retail orders.
“Overall, it’s very encouraging to see so much confidence in the Sunseeker brand and our exceptional yachts, and with our current 2016 forward order book up 55% on the same period in 2015 we are excited about the year ahead.”
Ben Metcalfe, Managing Director at Landau UK, commented: “London Boat Show has been very positive for us, with some great cash sales at the Show as well as a number of sales enquiries which the Landau team will be following up on after the Show. The Mediterranean Bay proved a great success and most of all provided a fun atmosphere!
“We look forward to next year but also Southampton Boat Show, where we hope to make our stand even more interactive for customers and a fun experience for all.”
Kiran Haslam, Marketing Director at Princess Yachts, commented: “We are very pleased with the outcome of another fantastic London Boat Show. This event continues to be an important date in our calendar. And thanks to working collaboratively with British Marine Boat Shows we have started 2016 in great shape.”
Clive Hancock, Technical Manager at A Glaze, said: “We’ve had an amazing Show with a consistent buzz throughout the week. Each day at the Show we have had more business this year in comparison to the last. We shall of course be returning in 2017 supporting this important Show.”
John Arnold, UK Sales Manager at Torqeedo, said: “Business has been great at this year’s London Boat Show. We launched a range of innovative new electric engines to the UK market, which included the new Deep Blue Saildrive and Cruise POD drives – which have been greatly received at the Show. It was also great to see TorqBoard – a Torqeedo-powered, motorised Stand Up Paddleboard, which was launched at the Show – on display at the Mediterranean Bay as well as on our stand. We look forward to following up on some strong business leads and an exciting year ahead.”
Paul Botterill, Managing Director of Barton Marine, added: “This year’s London Boat Show was very positive for Barton Marine. It was the perfect platform for us to launch our new products to the UK market, including our new Victory Heritage wooden blocks, the new clear wear pads, a high-end line of Marine Hatches and our new furler design. We are delighted to report strong sales and enquiries at the Show and our competition to win a £100 product voucher has been a great success! We look forward to exhibiting next year.”
Greg Houlston, General Manager at Broom Marine Services, commented: “This has been our first time attending the Show as a standalone brand, and we have been delighted with both the positive feedback received and the number of sales achieved. We have received strong enquiries and orders for service work and completed product sales for our Volvo Penta, Raymarine and Fusion offerings, along with a bulk order for the recently launched Engineguard security device for outboards, and boat demonstrations booked for Seakeeper boat stabilisation. We now look forward to the remainder of 2016 with optimism and returning to the London Boat Show in 2017.”
Peter Thomas, Managing Director at Cornish Crabbers, said: “We’re really pleased with the interest we’ve had from visitors at the Show this year - even more so after our radio interview on BBC Cornwall earlier in the week. Sales have been up on last year and the quality of visitors is undoubtable. We’ve sold six boats at the Show including two of our new 21 foot Shrimpers.”
Harald Charters, General Manager of General Ecology, remarked: "I am a strong advocate of British Marine Boat Shows as its Shows are a crucial element in the growth and awareness of our business. Without the Shows our audience wouldn't know us and our products well. We have been attending both Southampton and London Boat Shows for 20 years and we will keep returning. Our company has been brought by the US and I run the European Division. I am highly impressed with the success of the company via the Show and have already committed to attending both forthcoming Boat Shows."
Nick Meadow, UK OEM Technical Sales Executive, remarked: “London Boat Show has been a great platform for Garmin to gain traction for our new range of products, especially across the diving and fishing markets. Our new echoMAP series has been particularly popular with customers, and we are delighted to report excellent sales at the Show. We’ve also experienced an increased awareness and interest in our Panoptix range, which is really positive!”
Ewan Clark, Director of Coppercoat, commented: "It's been a great Show for us as we've had an increase in sales compared to last year. That's likely due to a higher quality of visitor attending the Show this year who are more purposeful in their visit."
Richard Hartley, Managing Director of Hartley Boats, remarked: “We’ve had a great week at the London Boat Show 2016 and our new location near the Show entrance is great. The diversity of craft seen upon entering the Show is a great selling point. We are here showcasing a host of new sailing craft, alongside leading motor yachts and this has allowed us to meet potential new customers we would otherwise have never met.”
Mathew Hornsby, Sales Director at Williams Jet Tenders, commented: “The 2016 London Boat Show has provided a great launch pad for our new Minijet tender, as well as consolidating strong orders for the existing range. As soon as this revolutionary new jet tender is on the water, we have a long list of boat owners wishing to test her. This year saw the Sportjet 400 debut at the London Boat Show, the model was of particular interest for those who visited the Williams Jet Tenders stand and appealed to many owners of 75ft yachts and upwards. The Dieseljet 565, in black and silver, was our largest boat at the show and our team showed a number of clients the tender from leading yacht manufacturers. Several orders of both the Dieseljet 565 and Dieseljet 625 were taken for delivery this season, further adding to the success of the show and a great way to kick off 2016.”
Steve Arber, Ops Director for Tingdene Marinas, commented: “During the Show we have sold one of our boats and taken on plenty of bookings for the future. We are extremely pleased with how the Show went and have already signed up for both the forthcoming Southampton Boat Show and 2017’s London Boat Show.”
Tony, Sales Manager at Penguin Marine, said: "We've returned to the London Boat Show after three years with two of our ranges being relaunched, as we feel they appeal more to the London audience. The response was overwhelmingly positive and we will be returning to the Show next year."
Matt Forbes, Director of Sales & Marketing at Catamaran Sports Sia, commented: “We have had a great UK launch for Adidas Sailing at the London Boat Show 2016. The public have been very enthusiastic and interested to hear more about our products and how Adidas Sailing are supporting Team GB in Rio with their Olympic campaign, as well as our technical partnership with Land Rover BAR. I would like to say a big thank you to British Marine Boat Shows for all of their support.”
Rowan Carver, of Nisos Yacht Charter, remarked: "The Show has yet again delivered for Nisos Yacht Charter. The quality and number of visitors were very high this year, with many bookings taken on the stand from new and old customers which proves to us that the London Boat Show is a vital part of our marketing strategy. We put a lot of effort in to the stand this year to make it attractive to guests, with local Greek produce being offered to all visiting. It worked and will encourage us to keep evolving our exhibition stand into an interactive and interesting place to visit."
Greg Chiappini, Head of Aviation and Marine at Lombard, said: “The Show has been a busy one for us. In addition to welcoming visitors to our stand, we were delighted to support the Motor Boat Awards where I presented the Outstanding Customer Service Award to James Barke and Nick Barke from Boats.co.uk.
“In addition to learning more about the funding facilities available, visitors to the Lombard stand showed a lot of interest in talking to former England International and Wasps prop, Phil Vickery who on the stand on 14th January with the Six Nations Trophy. This was yet another excellent event and we believe that it puts down a marker for a successful year ahead for the UK marine industry.”
Tom Neale, Owner of Fine Wooden Boats, said: “We have had a superb time during the Show. We nearly wore out the carpet with the amount of visitors we received and would definitely love to exhibit again in the future.”
Alex, Crew member of Rannoch Adventures, commented: "It has been a highly productive 10 days for us as we have been able to raise a lot of awareness, as well as connecting with many representatives from the boating industry. The weekends have been particularly great and we've had many people of all ages take part in the rowing challenge that was on our stand."
Alasdair Flint, Managing Director of Arthur Beale, remarked: "Returning to the London Boat Show after 50 years, I am highly pleased with the response we have received. We are a founding member of the Boat Show and even have our very first stand on display at the Show. The audience familiarity has been great, as many people recognise us from our London-based shop. The Show allows us to create and maintain a great relationship with our customers."
Tamsin Mulcahy, Operations Manager at Turn to Starboard, said: “Our 92 ft Schooner, Spirit of Falmouth, has been a Show attraction and we have found the opportunity of having Spirit at the Show hugely engaging and successful, beyond our expectations. We couldn't be happier with the amount of public engagement and interest in what we are doing.”
Matt Abbiss, Co-founder of diYachting Ltd, commented: “For our first year exhibiting at the London Boat Show we have been delighted with the interest we’ve received from thousands of visitors, particularly on our very successful “Thirsty Thursday” drinks party. The layout of the Show means that people can experience both parts of the boating lifestyle - from what boat to buy to the personal touches that make it their own. Purchasing a boat along with the lifestyle that comes with it, may seem out of reach for some people. We feel like we offer a way for them to experience the millionaire lifestyle by chartering one of our luxury crewed yachts and take the next step in their boating holiday experience at an affordable price.”
The London Boat Show 2017 will take place from 6-15 January 2017 at ExCeL London. For more information visit: www.londonboatshow.com.
