Helsinki show ends on strong note
By IBI Magazine
The 2010 Helsinki International Boat Show closed on Sunday with a slight 3.1 per cent drop in visitor numbers. Around 77,000 people visited this year's event, which ran from February 12-21 at the Helsinki Fair Centre, compared to 79,500 in 2009 and 89,000 in 2008.
Nevertheless, most exhibitors were satisfied with the show with many companies reporting a particularly high standard of visitor. Some 50 exhibitors have already confirmed their attendance at next year's event.
"The boat show once again managed to attract an audience bursting with purchasing power even though the aggregate turnover of the boating sector contracted by 40 per cent last year," says Jouko Huju, managing director of Finnish marine industry federation Finnboat. "Compared to the previous year, sales of boats and supplies both increased manifold at the fair."
According to Åke Björklund of Sailfish Boats, one of Finland's leading motorboat manufacturers, the challenging year that gripped the rest of the sector has not affected the family company's operations. Production for 2010 is already sold out.
"Buyers of our boats are allowed to influence the interior decoration colour scheme as well as the choice of wood materials during the manufacturing phase," says Björklund. "We found that this service provided a substantial sales boost also during this fair."
The 2011 Helsinki International Boat Show is scheduled to take place from February 11-20, 2011. The Finnish Marine Industries Federation Finnboat and the Finnish Fair Corporation have renewed their agreement for the organisation of the event.
(22 February 2010)
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