• The organisers point out that this year the nautical event did not have the benefit of taking place on a national bank holiday
• High expectations for the 2017 edition of the fair which will be held from the 28th of April to the 2nd of May
With just hours till closing time, over 35.000 people have visited the 33rd edition of the Palma International Boat Show and the 4th edition of the Palma SuperYacht Show. »It is a significant number considering the fact that usually the nautical event coincides with a bank holiday, and it did not this year, and that the weather was bad for most of the time the show was on,» said the Boat Show organisers.
As for the public, it is worth highlighting the great turn out over the five days, and the fact that this time the visitor profile was more specialised in the yachting sector in comparison to other years; it was more compatible with the fair’s target market, very technical and professional. In fact, most of the exhibitors indicated that most of the visitors showed a great deal of interest.
The organisers also said that in this edition »business has been shared out across the fair; in other words, all the Boat Show’s commercial aspects have benefited from increases in business volume.»
This year’s edition, organised by the Institut d’Innovació Empresarial, part of the Balearic Government’s department for Trade, Employment and Industry directed by the minister Iago Negueruela, was presented as one of the fairs with the most business potential as well as as the most specialised and technical of all the fairs held so far – 99% of the businesses present are directly related to the recreational sector of the nautical industry.
The Palma SuperYacht Show, organised by the Minister for Employment and the Balearic Yacht Brokers Association (BYBA) highlighted the »quality of the visitors and the wide variety of nationalities represented by visitors to the fair.»
It is worth noting that this edition features 220 exhibitors, over 170 yachts, 65 of which are mega yachts of up to 50 metres long, and that 95% of the exhibitors are directly related to the recreational yachting sector.
As for the Palma SuperYacht Show, dedicated to brokers and to the presentation of yachts meant for charters, it grew by 20% this year.
High expectations for 2017
Looking ahead to next year, 90 per cent of the exhibitors present at the fair have indicated their interest in repeating next year, and this is creating high expectations. »We can therefore already say that we will be completely sold out of stands,» said the organisers. The dates will be the same as this year, from the 28th of April to the 2nd of May.