Marine industry looks forward with an air of optimism at PSP
Southampton Boat Show
The world-class PSP Southampton Boat Show finished yesterday
(Sunday 22 September) with a genuine air of optimism for the marine
industry
With an
increased audience of 111,963 (+2%), visitors enjoyed the Show, got
out on the water, talked to boating experts and personalities and
importantly spent money.
Marine companies were cautiously optimistic coming into the
Show, hopeful of capitalising on the good weather of the summer.
And many were pleasantly surprised by how much business they did.
In addition to actual sales there was a lot of interest and genuine
enquiries which gives businesses plenty of leads to convert over
the coming months.
More than 600 exhibitors, from 22 countries around the world,
took the opportunity to showcase their boats and products on this
global stage. More than 120 new boats made their debut - whether to
the World, Europe, UK or Show visitors - whilst hundreds of
products and services were also unveiled, from electronics to
engines, clothing to marinas.
Murray Ellis, Managing Director at National Boat Shows said:
"This year's PSP Southampton Boat Show has been another world-class
event. Visitors have enjoyed their day out with us and a good
number have taken the opportunity to try different types of boating
and watersports. Seeing marine businesses making sales here
confirms this Show as a strong selling platform; people visit our
Southampton Show to buy boats and this has been very evident this
year."
Frank Dixie, Managing Director at PSP added: "We have had a
really successful sixth year of sponsorship and are delighted to
have been heavily involved in all aspects of the Show. This has
paid dividends for our business and we have secured a number of
promising leads and deals over the 10 days. We are already looking
forward to next year's PSP Southampton Boat Show, which will once
again be a world-renowned event."
Sales were made from the very start of the PSP Southampton Boat
Show. By the end of the first weekend Fairline had sold two
Squadron 78s, at the end of Tuesday four Merryfisher 755s,
Sunseeker's 40M and a Broom 35 Coupe were sold and up to the
midpoint of the Show, Wednesday 18, a 4.8m Ribquest RIB and
Stingray 235 were just two of many more.
Wider highlights from the PSP Southampton Boat Show:
- More than 10,000 visitors took the chance to go on - or in -
the water at this year's PSP Southampton Boat Show. Kids learnt
dinghy sailing and stand up paddleboarding with
Rockley while visitors have chosen their choice of craft from
Try-a-Boat, satisfied their need for speed with
Suzuki's RIB rides and travelled in style on the
Princess Platinum Boat. Geoff Holt MBE has taken
visitors out on WetWheels, Act!ve Nation has
introduced families to canoeing and kayaking whilst serious sailors
have taken on the two new challenges offered by the Global
Challenge sailing Experience and Artemis' Go
Solo experience. Andark got people under
the water by teaching them the basics of scuba diving
- The Show's feature boats wowed the crowds, with unique craft
such as Bessie Ellen, one of the last surviving
West Country trading ketches; Phoenicia, a
reconstruction of a Phoenician/Mediterranean trading vessel; and
two round-the-world Global Ocean Race yachts
- Boaters have developed their boating skills and learnt new ones
here at the Show, with a variety of attractions designed to give a
greater understanding of sea faring techniques, such as navigation
and speed with Skipper Skills, safety information
from the Safety Zone, and Berthing and Boat
Handling with the RYA Active Marina
Experience
- The Wooden Boatbuilders' Trade Association
(WBTA) demonstrated live an array of traditional and modern
construction methods, with constant crowds throughout the Show
- Personalities and dignitaries at the Show included: Top Gear's
Richard Hammond launching Sunseeker's three new models, the
Manhattan 55, the Sport Yacht 68 and the Sport Yacht 80; boating
personalities Geoff Holt MBE, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Shelley
Jory-Leigh and Dee Caffari; the celebrity cast - including Lesley
Joseph and Brian Conley - from The Mayflower Theatre's aptly themed
Christmas pantomime 'Robinson Crusoe and the Caribbean Pirates';
the Premier of the Cayman Islands and the Sheriff of Southampton;
seven MPs and one Lord, including Mike Thornton MP for Eastleigh,
who has the highest concentration of BMF members in his
constituency; endurance swimmer Anna Wardley and British No 1 Ski
Cross champion Emily Sarsfield
The UK marine industry will next gather together at the London
Boat Show in January at ExCeL London. Running from 4-12 January
2014 the Show will be celebrating its 60th edition. For more
information and to buy tickets visit www.londonboatshow.com
Next year's PSP Southampton Boat Show will take place from 12-21
September 2014 and will host the start of the Global Ocean Race and
its Race Village.
Exhibitor quotes:
Ancasta International Boat Sales, Ashley
Overton (Sales Director): "Not only is there a feel good factor,
but after several years people are putting hands in their pockets
and spending money. Sales have been good; we're up on last year, on
both power and sail boats"
Lombard, Ian Braham (Head of Lombard Marine):
"We've been delighted to see that enthusiasts are still so keen on
boating with the level of enquiries into marine finance at this
year's Show very encouraging and up by 10% compared with the 2012
Show. This year Lombard Marine has seen an increased uptake in
funding of leisure boats which has grown by 26% in the first half
of 2013 to the same period in 2012."
Fairline, Oliver Winbolt (Head of Marketing):
"Fairline has enjoyed another exciting and successful PSP
Southampton Boat Show. This event is one of the highlights of the
international show season, with the relaxed on-water environment
giving our guests a real taste of what the Fairline lifestyle has
to offer. Sales have been strong, with some models now sold out
until the middle of 2014. Fairline would like to thank the BMF and
National Boat Shows team for their continued hard work and we look
forward to returning next year with an even greater presence."
Seaward Marine, Mike Burnham: "We are delighted
with the Show and our decision to bring an additional third boat.
We have sold a brokerage boat and a new build during the Show and
have numerous leads to follow up over the coming weeks. We will be
recruiting additional staff next week as a result of the business
that the Show has generated."
Fuel Cell Systems, Karen Sperrey (Operations
Director): "It has been a great show for Fuel Cell Systems with
enquiries up by 150% on last year so we have already re-booked our
stand for 2014."
Wifi on board, David Walker (Owner): "We
launched the company here and we've doubled what we expected to do.
We've had really positive responses and have sold 40 units here. We
look forward to coming back next year and building on our boat show
experience."
Brig Inflatables, Leon Petersons (Director):
"It's been a very slow start but with our brand the Show is a
wonderful platform. Now in our third show, we're now accelerating
and the interest in our product has been absolutely outstanding.
We've sold many many boats and have had so many leads and will
continue to sell from these for the next year. We've certainly done
as well as the last two years for lack of sun! We've introduced
inflatables for the first time this year, sold loads and had an
outstanding response."
Piranha Ribs, Nick Edgington (Sales Director):
"The Show has been better than last year. We have had more interest
and collected more contacts this year so the potential is much
better. I think the market is more buoyant and there is more
confidence so we are hoping there will be more sales from the Show.
We have generated a lot of interest and that is what the Show is
about for us. We will be back next year definitely."
Hydropool, Mark Lee (International Sales
Director): "The Show has been really good. We have sold 26 hot tubs
and five swim spas so it has been a good Show for us and we are up
in sales over last year. We are very happy to continue our
relationship with National Boat Shows and we look forward to the
London Boat Show in January."
Suzuki, Rob Cooper (Sales & Marketing
Coordinator): "The Show has been really good, we had a great start.
We have seen an increase in the number of enquiries on our stand
and down on the berths. In terms of sales and enquiries taken it
has been better than last year and we are signing up for next
year."
Princess Yachts International, Chris Gates
(Managing Director): "We have been very encouraged by the positive
start to the 2013 boat show season which has continued at a
successful PSP Southampton Boat Show. We have received excellent
feedback on our three new models launched at the show, the Princess
43, 88 Motor Yacht and V48 which has driven a strong amount of
interest not only in these new models but across ourentire range
resulting in strong retail sales from the UK and an international
audience."
Dean & Reddyhoff, Russ Levett (Marina
Manager Portland): "We have enjoyed a steady Show, having welcomed
a large percentage of our existing berth holders to the stand.
We've also signed up some new faces on our Boat Show 2+ year deal
and will be back in the same place in 2014."
TR Fastenings Poole UK, Jerry Howe: "At TR
Fastenings Marine Divison based in Poole, we have received over 45
genuine leads from UK manufactures looking for supply solutions.
It's great for us to follow up next week. There's been more
activity this year, more desire to review current practices."
Williams Performance Tenders, Mathew Hornsby
(Sales Director): "We have had a tremendously successful week at
Southampton this year, and most notably a high level of trade
interest. This probably reflects the better times that some of the
larger boatbuilders are enjoying, and we have been very pleased to
see such positive sentiment around the show in general."
Sunseeker International, Sean Robertson (Sales
Director): "Despite inclement weather, the PSP Southampton Boat
Show has turned into a successful Show with sales achieved across
the whole size range from the Portofino 40 through to the 40 Metre
Yacht. Although now overlapping with other European shows, the PSP
Southampton Boat Show continues to draw both UK and International
clients to view the UK builders latest innovations."
Seatrack, Peter Scholfield (MD): "It's the
first show in three years where I've come away feeling optimistic.
This is from the interest, the quality of leads and the sales. I
get the impression that people are willing to spend money
again - they're no longer sitting on their wallets!"
Neptune Navigation Software, Sandra Emptage
(owner): "The quality of customers has been very high. It's an
indication that something's happening that's encouraging. We're
very pleased with the leads and sales."
Flexisail, Richard Pierpoint: The Show has been
surprisingly good despite the weather and the total number of
enquiries. We are 20% up on last year's sales, and more business is
yet to float through. We're very pleased."
Habitent, Christine and Brian Hamilton
(Directors/Designers of Habitent): "This will be our third year and
with our improved location it's radically improved takeup of our
product. We've had a really good show regardless of the weather! We
hope to be bringing another product to the show next year. We're
very pleased to be here and think we'll be back next year."
Mastervolt, Nick Holland (UK Marine Sales
Manager): "I think it's been a good Show - certainly the
second half of the week. I thought before that the Show would be
good. The second Saturday was a great day for us. In terms of
quality people, this has been better than the last two years. We
have really good quality and interested potential customers. My gut
feeling is I think we'll get good business from it. We've already
booked and will be back for next year. Things are starting to move
now - boatbuilders have had a really good show and it's all
pointing to a bit of a shift in the marketplace."