|
Resurgance in Optimism Highlights German Boat Show
There may be troubled waters in the world economy, but things were far from grinding to a halt at this year's boot-Düsseldorf.
Hailing itself as the world’s No. 1 yachting and water sports fair, the January 17-25 event drew some 1,641 exhibitors from 57 countries, who staged boat premieres and showcased new water sports gear, equipment and accessories across 220,000 square metres of exhibition space.
No fewer than 238,000 visitors from 65 countries ensured that exhibitors from across the majority of product segments had something to smile about – often some surprisingly good business.
“boot 2009 was staged under some of the most difficult conditions imaginable for a consumer fair. As anticipated, there was a dip in visitor numbers but we managed to retain those yachting and watersports enthusiasts with high purchasing power and they have given the industry new impetus,” commented Werner Matthias Dornscheidt, President and CEO of Messe Düsseldorf, in a statement.
Also attesting to the high calibre and purchasing power of attendees are the initial visitor surveys. Some 71% of visitors indicated that they intended to buy boats, equipment or water sports gear in 2009. Just under 60% made purchases or placed orders at boot.
“boot 2009 was a big success for us," said Michael Schmidt, CEO of Greifswald-based HanseYachts AG. "In terms of sales, it was one of the best runs we’ve had in years – it was a truly excellent fair all round. Our expectations were far exceeded.”
Boats and yachts remained top of visitors’ agendas. A good two out of three came to gather information in this segment. Other areas of focus for visitors were boat equipment, engines and technical accessories (60 percent), water tourism offers, boat and yacht charters and, of course, diving.
The 2010 boot-Düsseldorf runs January 23 to 31.
>> Return to articles main
|
Share on Facebook
Printable Version
Larger text
