Palma International Boat Show expands exhibition grounds

The 2025 Palma International Boat Show (PIBS) is expanding its exhibition grounds with a new area to meet the strong business demand for the annual event. A new exhibition area of 5,000m² will be located in the Club de Mar and will be connected by sea to the Moll Vell site.

The next edition of the fair, organised by ADR Balears of the Conselleria de Empresa, Empleo y Energía, and the Balearic Yacht Brokers Association (BYBA), will be held from April 30-May 3.

PIBS 2025 will have two different exhibition areas, including the new one. The organisers have been looking for alternatives for years to expand the exhibition grounds to enable them to meet the growing demand for more companies and boats.

Given the impossibility of expanding at El Moll Vell, an agreement has finally been reached with the Club de Mar that will allow for a space for boats from 40m-100m (131ft-328ft), mainly sailboats. On land, an exhibition area will be set up with service and equipment companies for this type of yacht, incluing new-build, repair and maintenance, engineering and design firms.

The Regional Minister for Business, Employment and Energy, Alejandro Sáenz de San Pedro, who presented the new extension at international tourism trade fair Fitur, stressed his satisfaction at “having been able to respond to a historic demand from the nautical sector that called for an expansion of the fair. The new Club de Mar is a perfect marina for this type of yacht, with a long tradition and experience in the world of large vessels, which offers all the technical and logistical equipment for this exhibition.”

The presentation of the new edition of the fair was attended by the President of the Balearic Government, Margalida Prohens; the Vice President and Regional Minister for Economy, Finance and Innovation, Antoni Costa; the Regional Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sports, Jaume Bauzá; the General Director of Economy, Catalina Barceló; the manager of ADR Balears, Silvia Delgado; and the manager of Club de Mar, José Luis Arrom.

Sáenz de San Pedro has assured that this expansion not only represents a quantitative leap, but above all a qualitative one at PIBS, which will become the world reference event for large sailboats.

The councillor has stated that this action represents a first experience that aims to consolidate this space for future editions. It is expected that, in three years, it will be able to host more than 20 megayachts at sea and some 40 exhibitors on land.

The two exhibition sites, El Moll Vell and Club de Mar, will be connected by sea shuttles that will link the two areas in about five minutes. Visitors to the Palma International Boat Show will be able to visit both areas with the same ticket, which will make the experience at the fair much more attractive.

It is worth remembering that PIBS has more than 40 years of history and represents the fair that inaugurates the Mediterranean nautical season. With an average of 30,000 visitors per year and the participation of more than 280 companies, it has become an indispensable tool to stimulate an economic sector that is essential.

It should be noted that, according to data from the Balearic Marine Cluster, the nautical sector enjoys a solid business ecosystem with more than 850 companies and 5,150 employees. Each year the sector generates around €1.106m, which represents more than 3% of the Balearic GDP.