News
GENOA INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW BRINGS BACK THE ICONIC SPORTS ARENA
MARKET GROWTH CONTINUES: OVER A THOUSAND BRANDS AND BOATS ON DISPLAY, WITH 100 NEW PRODUCTS AND 30+ PREMIERES
INNOVATION THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND A GREEN-FOCUSED YACHTING INDUSTRY
ONLINE TICKET SALES: +16% AS OF THE SAME DATE COMPARED TO 2023.
Genoa, 2nd September – A press conference was held this morning to present the 64th Genoa International Boat Show, scheduled to take place from 19th to 24th September.
After the opening speech by the President of The Italian Marine Industry Association Confindustria Nautica, Saverio Cecchi, who announced the conclusion of the implementation procedures regarding regulations in Italy’s Recreational Boating Code and the adoption of the final decree aimed at making the new simplified professional title for yacht chartering operational, President of I Saloni Nautici Andrea Razeto took the floor to outline the framework of a global Boat Show that is expected to be a powerful spectacle in every respect.
“The 64th edition of the Genoa International Boat Show promises to be a moment of affirmation and consolidation. The international macroeconomic scenario, which offers a double reading between political-military tensions and announced interest rate cuts, for the moment seems not to have affected the positive trend that has characterised the sector for some years now,” stated Razeto. “Even without that quite emotional post-Covid drive, the growth numbers remain in double figures, suggesting that the wave of new entries into the yachting world has not been – for the most part – a transient or fleeting phenomenon. The audience for those who, for various reasons, have approached this world has unquestionably broadened, the average age of boat users has fallen, and the spending power of some of these new customers is proving to be substantial“.
This year, the Genoa International Boat Show will also feature the iconic indoor sports arena, known as Genoa’s Palasport, a symbolic building now back in shape and at the heart of the Show, boasting a restyling signed by renowned architect Renzo Piano. Having long since surpassed the threshold of one thousand brands and boats on display –this year 1,052 and 1,030 respectively- and with the potential to still improve its overall capacity, having kept a selection of spaces free in order to avoid interfering with the final touches on the larger Waterfront di Levante project while alsoensuring visitors enjoy a greater sense of continuity throughout their walk through the Show, the layout allows for a unique and engaging visiting experience across a seamless exhibition route. In total, 220 thousand square metres of exhibition space between land and water, with 85% of areas outdoors: 5,000 square metres more than in 2023. The number of foreign exhibitors is also on the rise: in the production segment alone the number has risen by 23 and there will also be more than 100 new products on show with 30 premieres. Online ticket sales have also seen an increase of 16% as of the same date this year, compared to 2023.
The guiding element throughout whichever direction visitors choose to follow according to their varying interests will be that of innovation, an innovation defined by the challenge of implementing materials and propulsion systems ever more capable of guaranteeing the protection of the environment, and not just that of the sea. From boats to engines to the extensive range of equipment and components, the vast array on offer will be inspired by that same dedication that now characterises entire production chain.
“The leadership of ‘Made in Italy’ yachting in the world has remained consolidated for over twenty years,” added Razeto. “In 2023, the global production leadership of Italian superyachts registered +21% compared to the previous year, representing 51% of global orders: one boat out of every two in the world’s seas is Made in Italy. In this framework, the Genoa International Boat Show is the instrument that has always supported and amplified the sector’s drive towards internationalisation, making our values known abroad. With this goal in mind, the programme carried out together with the Italian Trade Agency – for which I would like to thank President Matteo Zoppas – has seen the organisation of collectives featuring Italian companies and the presentation of the 64th edition of the Boat Show worldwide in Düsseldorf, Miami, Dubai, New York for the NY Design Week, Southampton, and Hamburg. As part of the implementation of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation’s Made in Italy Promotion Plan, an international business and press tour will bring to the Genoa Boat Show the most important operators in the sector along with key members of the sector’s foreign press, who this year will be coming from over 30 different countries from all five continents”.
“The Genoa Boat Show – which, also thanks to the role of the Italian yachting industry at an international level, is increasingly becoming a reference point for everything revolving around the sea worldwide – will feature a full calendar of conferences and conventions to discuss and explore today’s driving factors of the industry with national and international experts and stakeholders,” continued Marina Stella, General Manager of the Italian Marine Industry Association. “The prestige of the Genoa Boat Show’s FORUM24 events programme is attested by the European Commission’s patronage, confirming the breadth and importance of the activities that the Italian Marine Industry Association carries out on a European level as well“.
On Thursday 19th September, the 64th edition of Genoa the International Boat Show will kick off with the conference ” POLITICHE DEL MARE: Le nuove rotte per la competitività dell’Italia, le prospettive dell’industria nautica” (Sea Policy: charting new courses for Italy’s competitiveness, an outlook for the yachting industry)“, a key moment of debate aimed at outlining the sector’s future strategies. The presence of the Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Infrastructures, Matteo Salvini, the Minister for Business and Made in Italy production, Adolfo Urso, and the Minister for Sea Policies, Nello Musumeci, has already been confirmed, demonstrating the Genoa Boat Show’s value as a reference point for discussing and guiding national industry policies supporting the competitiveness of the yachting sector, and the Italian Marine Industry Association’s role as a privileged interlocutor for defining Italy’s industrial policies.
The events calendar is brimming with insightful conferences and talks. To mention just a few, the eagerly awaited Boating Economic Forecast with the presentation of the latest update of market data by the Italian Marine Industry Association’s Market Intelligence and Research department in partnership with the Edison Foundation; “Nautica, Fisco e Dogane” (Yachting, Tax and Customs); an event organised by the Leonardo Foundation and the Ansaldo Foundation for Marconi’s 150th anniversary; the National Conference on Nautical Tourism; the “European Boating roundtable“, organised in cooperation with EBI, the European Boating Federation, which will see representatives from the European Commission, European Parliament members, and entrepreneurs from the yachting sector debate sustainability with a focus on nautical tourism.
The Genoa International Boat Show and the Italian Marine Industry Association’s commitment to a sustainable future will also be expressed in the third edition of the Shaping The Future – World Yachting Sustainability Forum, the forum organised by the Italian Marine Industry Association in cooperation with IBI – International Boat Industry. This year the focus will be on Life Cycle Assessment, an in-depth analysis of applications, economic benefits, and its impact on innovation.
“The bond between sustainability and innovation, now inseparable, is the lynchpin in a constantly evolving sector like the yachting industry,” concluded Stella. “The Design Innovation Award, established by the Italian Marine Industry Association and the Genoa International Boat Show, was created precisely with the aim of highlighting excellence in nautical design and rewarding products that represent the best in technological and stylistic innovation. The fifth edition, which sees the return of Maria Porro, President of Milan’s Design and Furniture Show, the Salone del Mobile, as President of the Jury, will reward projects that stand out for cutting-edge technological solutions, innovative design and sustainable materials, helping to shape the future of yachting”.
This year, the Genoa Boat Show is launching its commitment to promoting culture through publishing with the BITTA64 project, a book presentation programme that will bring to Genoa Giovanni Grasso, journalist and writer as well as Communication Advisor to the Italy’s head of state, the President of the Republic, with “L’Amore non lo vede nessuno” (“No one sees love”) and Antonio Caprarica, Italian journalist, writer and essayist with the book “La fine dell’Inghilterra. Un Paese smarrito, un trono vacillante (“The fall of England. A lost country, a wavering throne”).
Last but not least, and always with a focus on social sustainability and social healthcare, this year the Genoa Boat Show and the Italian Marine Industry Association’s commitment to support the Giannina Gaslini Children’s Hospital, one of the most important paediatric hospitals in the world in terms of treatment and research, continues. In fact, thanks to the cooperation established with the Gaslininsieme Foundation, this year even by simply purchasing e-tickets for the Boat Show, visitors will be contributing to the fundraising with the aim of donating a neonatal ventilator system to the Children’s Hospital.
Sustainability represents a major challenge for the yachting industry and for the Boat Show itself, but at the same time a great opportunity for development. Maurizio Grosso, the Boat Show’s Technical and Sustainability Director, emphasised how “in following this path, the Italian Marine Industry Association and I Saloni Nautici adopted the Sustainability Honor Code in 2020, which was shared with exhibitors and all those involved in the process of organising and setting up Genoa Boat Show, a standard that has become an international benchmark for our industry. In this 64th edition, we wanted to design an event increasingly adhering to sustainability standards, setting ourselves the goal of achieving ISO20121 Certification for the organisation of sustainable events“.
Closing the conference, Alessandro Modestino, Founder and CEO of Meloria Comunicazione presented the new logo and the ADV campaign of the 64th Genoa International Boat Show. The Show’s new logo is inspired by the shape of a prow breaking through the waves and advancing towards new horizons. The combination of the Boat Show’s initials and the stylised shape of the prow gave birth to a distinctive symbol that, from a passing wake, becomes a memorable and unmistakable signature on the sea, represented by the blue graphic. To enhance the sinuous shape of the ‘S’, a fluid and dynamic stroke was chosen that expresses elegance and, at the same time, the energy of movement that breaks the mould. The letter, in fact, emerges from the square in which it is inscribed, a shape chosen to symbolise solidity.
The new campaign – Boat Show. We are made of sea – aims to highlight how the Genoa International Boat Show is constantly developing and transforming, increasingly consolidating its position as the reference point for the national and international yachting market. Its form evolves, but its DNA remains faithful to itself and its values. Fluid and solid, identity and change coexist in a single soul inspired by the sea. “We are made of sea” is not just a payoff but a precise commitment to continue along the path traced for years for the defence and respect of the sea and more generally for sustainability, as described by Maurizio Grosso in his speech.
“A Boat Show,” concluded Marina Stella, “that is proudly Italian and is represented by the focus in its Italian name ‘Nautico’ but with a global spirit underlined by its defining description as the ‘Genoa International Boat show‘”.
THE PARTNERS OF THE 64th GENOA INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW
The strategic importance of the Genoa International Boat Show, which is positioned as the most prestigious showcase for the latest innovations and market trends, is also proven by the support of sponsors who have chosen to confirm their investment and commitment to the event. For the fourth consecutive year, Mercedes is the official car of the Boat Show. And again, Eberhard & Co. is confirmed as the official timepiece along with Helly Hansen, the event’s official clothing partner. Also in 2024, BPER Banca will welcome visitors as the show’s Welcome partner, a cooperation that has been accompanying the industry for years with specialised consultancy and dedicated financial services. Moreover, Sara Assicurazioni, Genuina Pet Food, Kartell, Waterfront di Levante, and Amiu, the Boat Show’s environmental partner, will also be present.
“Yachting represents an area that has a strong affinity with our brands. The partnership with the Genoa International Boat Show offers us an important gateway into a world with which we share values such as excellence, performance, sustainability and innovation,” stated Mirco Scarchilli, Head of Marketing Communication Experience at Mercedes-Benz Italy. “During the days of the Show, our exhibition space is to be experienced as an exclusive yacht club that allows us to get in touch with customers and enthusiasts, laying the foundations for new, important opportunities for building relationships.”
Mario Peserico, General Manager Eberhard & Co.: “We are proud to once again be Official Timekeeper of the Genoa Boat Show. The brand’s connection with the marine world is profound and pervades our entire history, from our beginnings to the present day. To celebrate this bond, we will unveil an exclusive limited edition of the Scafograf, the dial of which pays tribute to the waves at sea, a symbol of the flow of time, the past propagating into the present and the incessant motion towards the future.”
“Once again in 2024 BPER Banca will welcome the hundreds of thousands of visitors expected in Genoa to admire the Boat Show. We are delighted to be the Welcome Partner of this international showcase of Made in Italy excellence, which exhibits the crown jewels of our yachting industry and showcases to the world a driving sector for the economy of our territories. A sector that BPER has always supported with its specialist advice and dedicated financial services,” commented Luigi Zanti, Regional Director of Liguria BPER Banca.
“That between Helly Hansen and the Genoa Boat Show is an entirely natural bond between two leaders of the international yachting industry. We are proud to once again be technical partners of the largest and most important boat show on the Mediterranean, which in these years of successful collaboration has grown in size and reputation, contributing to the development of sailing and yachting in Italy,” stated Michele Battocchio, Helly Hansen‘s country manager for Italy. “This year, the Genoa International Boat Show falls perfectly in the middle of the America’s Cup, the most prestigious sailing competition in the world in which Helly Hansen is involved as sponsor and technical partner of US team American Magic, challenger of the New York Yacht Club“.
