Germany | Boat Shows

Germany’s boat shows are back for 2022 following two years of Covid disruption that impacted no show more so than the country’s flagship event, boot Düsseldorf, which had to be cancelled three times because of corona spikes. Now boot Düsseldorf  director Petros Michelidakis is certain that the next show will run on schedule: “The expiration of the Covid measures, the broad protection of the population by the vaccinations and the new therapy possibilities increase our confidence. So, boot Düsseldorf will take place from January 21 to 29, 2023. No further postponement is planned.”

Completing Germany’s show calendar will be Boot & Fun Berlin (Nov. 24-27), which was a regular event last year with a gala night and Best of Boats Award; the Hamburg Yacht Festival (May 20-22), scheduled under new management after a two-year hiatus; and the just-completed Magdeboot regional show (March 10-12, 2023) are also scheduled to take place as planned over the next 12 months. Interboot (Sept. 17-25) and Boot & Fun Inwater (Sept. 2-4) in Werder are also on track. Both events dodged Covid disruption and managed to take place in 2020 and 2021 too.

Innovation tasks for boat show organisers

Despite the return of the shows organisers acknowledge that the world and boating market is a different place now. “A lot has changed since the pandemic,” says Interboot project manager Dirk Kreidenweis. ”There will probably not be a simple ’business as usual’ approach - not just because of the two years that boating has boomed, but also because of long delivery times and the changing audience.” Kreidenweis says boat shows and the wider industry must get closer to the new consumers that he says heard the boating “wake-up call.” In a bid to offer the industry the very best sales platform, Kreidenweis believes it will be key to target different niche groups rather than adopting a ‘one size fit all’ approach.

Engagement is key. A subtle shift is evident in the approach of show organisers. At boot Düsseldorf there’s a slight shift in focus - it’s not just about the iconic image of large yachts in Hall 6 - there is a definite push to get hands on, embracing those new consumers. “Workshops and specialist programs, especially on sustainability and marine conservation, will be a particular focus at boot 2023,” Michelidakis said. In addition to exhibitors, he names representatives of European politics and the European Boating Industry association as partners for the planned Blue Innovation Dock.

”Few other shows have been as impacted by the pandemic as boot Düsseldorf.”

Apart from this, he said, Düsseldorf will focus on its own solid base in the coming years. According to market research, typical visitors are fans of classic water sports - i.e. sailing, power boating, diving, surfing and paddle boarding - with a wish to buy. Messe Düsseldorf also wants to drive forward the dovetailing with caravanning and travel industries.

For Daniel Barkowski, project manager of the two Boot & Fun fairs, it is essential to build trust now. “It’s very clear that we’re spreading confidence that trade shows are risk-free,” and “can be attended and used without worry or postponement.” Heiko Zimmermann, who has taken over the yacht festival in Neustadt, sees the biggest challenges in the still existing pandemic and the associated planning uncertainty.

Lots of USPs

There is no other trade fair of the size and diversity of boot Düsseldorf, either indoors or on or near the water. “Companies know that only in Düsseldorf do they have comprehensive access to the Central and Northern European market with its purchasing power,” says boot CEO Petros Michelidakis.

Interboot claims to be the optimal time to hold an indoor and inwater show in parallel. The event location Friedrichshafen has an “has excellent logistics being in the heart of the prosperous D-A-CH region (Germany, Austrian & Switzerland)”, says the longtime Interboot project manager, and offers with its natural water areas “optimal demonstration and test conditions” for all kinds of water sports.

The Boot & Fun team also claims good timing for its events. They want to create a year-round marketing concept for exhibitors and visitors this year, says project manager Daniel Barkowski - with the Inwater show in late summer and the indoor show in Berlin in November. The Hamburg Yachting Festival at the Baltic Sea used to be the largest inwater boat show in Germany. Zimmermann hopes this year’s edition in May will be sold out.

Best of virtual and live

Not surprisingly, traditional show organisers believe physical boat shows trump the virtual hands-down, but most agree that even physical shows need an online presence to ensure optimal relevance. “Digital offerings to complement the physical program at the show will be there,” Michelidakis said. “Exhibitors will also benefit from their participation after boot.” With the visitor “Club boot” already in place, Messe Düsseldorf should find it easier than other trade shows to roll out digital offerings throughout the year. Boot & Fun has announced an online concept, which so far includes a YouTube channel and an online boat exchange. The event showcased its technical expertise during the lockdown with the industry’s only live event at the 2021 Best of Boats Awards.

“For me, virtual is not a substitute,” says Yachtfestival 365 founder Heiko Zimmermann, who plans digital activities in addition to two inwater shows, the Neustadt Yachtfestival and a small inwater show in Flensburg. In 2023, he wants to “combine the virtual world aMess an information platform with the real experience”, says Zimmermann. For the Interboot team the same strategy applies: “No one will get around the expansion of meaningful digital offerings”, says Dirk Kreidenweis, without being more specific. At Lake Constance, the focus for this trade fair season is, above all, the “live encounter that cannot be replaced”.