The number of boats at a major yacht show is an obvious measure of scale, but it is not necessarily what matters most to exhibitors. At Cannes Yachting Festival (CYF), the focus is increasingly on what the show offers visitors and brands – and how effectively that translates into engagement and business.
Thus, CYF is focusing on the quality and diversity of its offer rather than simply increasing the number of boats on display, according to the show’s director, Constance Brément, speaking on ICOMIA’s podcast.
With around 700 boats, 55,000 visitors and exhibitors from across the boating industry, the festival is also placing greater emphasis on the event’s commercial value, targeted visitor engagement and collaboration between boat shows.
Quality over quantity
The festival’s strategy is not simply to keep adding boats to an already crowded event, Brément says.
“The strategy is more: bringing quality – quality of the offer, diversity of the offer.”
The aim is to provide a broad range of boating products and experiences so that visitors can find something relevant to their particular interests.
“There is an answer to any kind of leisure boating really,” she adds.
The show currently brings together different parts of the market across its two-port format, including sailing boats, yachts, motorboats, brokers, powerboats, equipment, interiors and engines.
Exhibitor ROI under scrutiny
The commercial role of the event is particularly important as exhibitors look for measurable returns from major shows.
The festival attracts around 55,000 visitors each year, with 130 countries represented. While Brément does not have access to the full sales figures of individual exhibitors, she can track visitor numbers and receives information from exhibitors about contacts and leads generated during the event.
“At the end of the day our exhibitors want to sell,” she says.
The show therefore positions itself as a tool for exhibitors, with its role extending beyond the days when the boats are physically on display.
Its work takes place “before, during and after the show”, helping manufacturers and brands increase the visibility of new products and innovations and connect with potential customers.
From boat show to marketing platform
New model launches remain a significant part of CYF’s proposition, with around 150 premieres at the show.
Brément says the festival also has a role in highlighting developments that could influence innovation, sustainability and different approaches to boating.
That means the event is increasingly built around targeted activity rather than a single generic show message.
“We have targeted activations, targeted communication,” she says, with different content aimed at dayboat users, yacht customers, sailing enthusiasts and the trade.
The physical experience remains important too. Visitors can take part in boat trials, giving potential customers an opportunity to experience a product rather than simply viewing it on a stand.
“You can get this feeling for a visitor, a future buyer or a repeat buyer what the boat can be – and it can make the sale,” she says.
Boat shows looking to work together
The festival has also joined the International Federation of Boat Show Organisers (IFBSO), and Brément says the collaboration between shows is important to the wider industry.
“We are a piece of a puzzle and a customer journey,” she says. “It’s all about supporting the industry.”
The federation gives organisers a way to discuss difficulties, share developments and contribute to the wider boating industry, rather than operating solely within their individual events.
Included in that puzzle are smaller events which can provide local marketing activity and encourage people towards boat ownership, while larger international shows bring together a much wider concentration of brands, products, customers and industry professionals.
For CYF, the strategy is therefore not simply to become bigger, it is to remain relevant to a wide range of visitors, give exhibitors a commercial platform and maintain a diverse offer in an ever-chaging industry.
This conversation was recorded as part of the ICOMIA Podcast at Cannes Yachting Festival. It was hosted aboard a vessel provided by New Marine. The ICOMIA Podcast is supported by series sponsor Elite Marinas.
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