The 2011 Genoa International Boat Show will be held at the Fiera di Genoa from 1st to 9th October, 2011. The 51st edition of the show was presented to day in Intesa SanPaolo bank’s conference hall at the Palazzo Besana in Milan. Fiera di Genova SpA’s newly-appointed Chairman – Ms Sara Armella – and CEO – Mr Beppe De Simone – illustrated the main features of this year’s Show together with the President and General Director of UCINA (the Boating Industry Confederation), Mr Anton Francesco Albertoni and Ms Marina Stella, respectively.
51st Genoa International Boat Show to be held from 1st to 9th October 2011
Genoa Boat Show will once more be the showcase for the top Italian and international boating industry operators and products, and will be characterised by a perfect blend of design, innovation and craftsmanship. Thanks to its unrivalled product range – from the smallest boats to mega-yachts, from accessories to engines, all the way to technical apparel – Genoa Boat Show is the reference event for the boating industry at a global level and for all pleasure boaters: a successful combination of business and training opportunities, sea culture, sports and entertainment.
Monday 3 and Tuesday 4 October will be the preferential days devoted to B2B meetings at Tech Trade, the large section devoted to pleasure boating components and accessories.
Genoa International Boat Show - Italy
In order to increasingly enhance direct contacts between boatyards and visitors, this year the “Boat Show experience” will also include the opportunity to perform sea trials; moreover, a dedicated reception will be set up in the mega-yachts area. One of the new features of the 51st edition of the Show will be the late opening hours on the first day of the Show, Saturday 1 October: it will be a night of true celebrations, with events and performances held in the various pavilions and at the exhibitors’ stands, which will offer all visitors an even more enthralling experience and really breathtaking views. Involving the public is indeed one of the goals Fiera di Genova and UCINA have been working to achieve: the result will be the zero-edition of GenovaInBlu, a sort of Boat Show’s “Fringe Festival” organised in cooperation with and under the aegis of the bodies making up Genoa Promotion Board, particularly Genoa Chamber of Commerce and Genoa City Council.
During the nine days of the Boat Show, Genoa’s outstanding artistic and cultural heritage will be in the spotlight thanks to dedicated events, performances and special initiatives related to the pleasure boating world.
Such an effective and complex organisation is the result of a whole year of hard work and will once more bear witness to the key role played by Genoa International Boat Show in the boating sector worldwide, as confirmed also by its impressive figures: 1,300 exhibitors are indeed expected to take part in the Show; more than 2,000 boats will be on display, 450 of which in the water; 450 new crafts will be presented.
The layout
The Show extends over three pavilions, two wide marinas and large outdoor areas overlooking the sea. Its layout, which has evolved over the years so as to optimise the recommended routes, enhances the breathtaking views of the floating part. In the new basin, one of the outer quays will mainly host the crafts that will be used for sea trials, while the mega-yacht dock will be directly accessible from a special reception. New tensile structures will shelter the outdoor pathway connecting pavilion C and the Blue pavilion, allowing visitors to continue their tour even more comfortably. The tensile structure hosting Mondoinvela has also been widened, making the visit more enjoyable. Inflatable boats will be concentrated in the Blue pavilion and in the outdoor areas along pavilion C, package boats remain in pavilion S. The layout by product category has been further optimised by moving sailing boats from the western docks to the marinas, thus highlighting the increasingly central role played by this sector. New location also for the sea gate, with the ferry boat mooring area and the ticket counters close to the quay connecting Marina 2 and the new basin.
Fast transfer services are currently being defined and should include courtesy cars, motor boats and a helicopter.
The general scenario
Trend estimates for the boating sector referring to the first quarter 2011 highlight some encouraging signs, in terms of both turnover (+3.9% compared to the same period of the previous year) and orders, which went back to a positive trend. These data could possibly indicate a possible levelling-off of the market after two years of strong contraction (about 45% in 2010 compared to 2008, when the sector’s value amounted to approximately 6.2 billion Euros).
Within this framework, other relevant elements are confirming the capacity of the Italian boating industry to maintain its leadership at an international level. This is how some indicators should be interpreted, such as the boatyards’ export share of production, which in 2010 accounted for more than two thirds of the turnover. This is clearly the result of the strong boost to internationalization given by the companies operating in this sector, since boats rank 4th among the “Made in Italy” products most widely exported to foreign countries.
With reference to the trend of the labour market, the number of direct employees at the end of 2010 was approximately 27,000, with only a slight decrease compared to 2009 thanks to the use of the redundancy fund, which allowed protecting skilled labour, the key element of Italian boatyard production excellence. Employment in the boating sector also shows some encouraging signs, with a constant drop in the use of the redundancy fund by companies.
Conferences, meetings, and other events
The Boat Show features a rich calendar of conferences and side events. The conferences, organised by UCINA, will be focused on relevant topics, aiming at providing an overview on the boating industry system in Italy and some food for thought about the most important issues of the sector.
Institutions, policy-makers, operators, and opinion leaders will share opinions about tax-related and infrastructure policies, EU policies, network contracts, state allotment within the framework of the new National organization, and about training projects and opportunities connected to the pleasure boating industry.
This year the conference calendar will feature the first edition of Genoa International Boating Forum, an international round table organized by Fiera di Genova and UCINA and chaired by a journalist of The Financial Times – a unique opportunity for listening to the leading players of the boating industry worldwide.
The 51st Boat Show will also host the 2011 edition of SMART, the brokerage event of the Enterprise Europe Network organised by Unioncamere Liguria and La Spezia Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with EEN, UCINA and Fiera di Genova. SMART, which will take place on 6 and 7 October 2011, is addressed to the boating and boatyard industry and to all related economic sectors, with one-to-one international business meetings, aiming to create business as well technological and research project opportunities. This year SMART features two new elements, resulting from the cooperation between UNCINA, Unioncamere Liguria, ENN, and La Spezia Chamber of Commerce: the conference “Sailing towards innovation” – a great opportunity for European companies, Public Entities, and professional associations to share their opinions about development strategies of the boating industry and the tools made available by the European Union for the 2014-2020 programming period – and the breakfast speeches, organised in collaboration with UCINA. Between 3 and 7 October, short sessions will be organized to show new technologies and innovative solutions to support the development of the boating industry. The most voted proposals will be awarded on the occasion of the National Meeting of the EEN Network.
Besides conferences, many activities will also take place at the Sea Theatre, offering the public the opportunity to get to know the boating sector and the sea. Conferences, meetings, and sports initiatives will be held inside the fairground and in the floating areas hosting the activities of the project “Navigar m’è dolce” (Sweet Navigation) – the last leg of UCINA’s yearly campaign for the promotion of “boating for all”.
The main sponsor
The successful partnership with Rolex, the “official watch” of the Show, has been confirmed for the third consecutive year. On the 51st edition of the Show Rolex will set up a large exhibition area devoted to its new watch collections, particularly sporty models and watches created for sea lovers, like Submariner and Yacht Master.
The Boat Show’s website is a vital tool ensuring dialogue between the organisers and the exhibitors and allowing to effectively manage all necessary formal procedures. Moreover, thanks to a dedicated, constantly updated information section it will be possible to purchase tickets on-line, find useful information on accommodation and initiatives in town, previews on new models on display at the Show, and even consult the Show’s catalogue.
The catalogue, all new products on display, the day-to-day calendar of events, information on how to reach the fairground and a lot more will be available on the Boat Show’s app, a new tool and a new way to visit the Show.
The “Welcoming Project”
Shuttle buses from the Rivieras, the airport, railway stations, parking areas and the main hotels in town (including 3-star hotels), an information kit for all Show guests, and a large information stand at the fairground: this is the “Welcoming Project” organised for next Genoa Boat Show by Fiera di Genova and UCINA in cooperation with Genoa Promotion Board (whose members are Genoa City Council, Genoa Province Council, Genoa Chamber of Commerce and Genoa Port Authority) and the Liguria Region Council. This project includes a series of services that have been constantly increased and improved over the years, to meet the needs of both visitors and exhibitors and to make their stay in town increasingly enjoyable.
The services will also include a bus connecting the Show to the city centre, devoted to shopping and a tour of Genoa. More specifically, this year transfers from the fairground to the city centre will be organised so as to allow the public to take part in most of the initiatives of the GenovaInBlu fringe programme, developed in cooperation with the City Promotion Board, particularly, Genoa Chamber of Commerce and Genoa City Council.
Opening hours, entrances, parking in town, and boat services
The Show is open every day from 10 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. On Saturday 1 October – the Show’s opening day – the Show will exceptionally close at 10.30 pm. The entrance ticket costs 15 Euros, concessions 12 Euros. Free entrance for children under the age of 6, concessions for groups of at least 30 people and for children aged between 6 and 14 years. Dogs, obviously on the leash and muzzled, are admitted to the Show. Tickets can be purchased on line on the Genoa Boat Show website.
There will be several accessways to the Show: from the Eastern Gate in Piazzale Kennedy, from the quay reserved to the ferry boats of the consortium Consorzio Liguria Via Mare transporting passengers from the Old port, from the ferry boat terminal, from the Marina in Sestri Ponente, and from Molo Archetti in Pegli.
Moving freely around the fairground
For those who have difficulties in walking, this year too Fiera di Genova – in cooperation with Terre di Mare (Genoa Provincial centre for accessibility and tourism for the disabled) and with the technical-operating support of the social cooperative La Cruna – will set up a dedicated ticket counter and accessway in Piazzale Kennedy as well as a welcoming service making available four-wheel electrical scooters and wheelchairs to ensure everyone can visit the Show freely. An ad-hoc map showing the recommended routes will be distributed, while an on-demand shuttle service will connect nearby parking areas to the Show. Reservations and information: +39 339.1309249 – +39 010.542098
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