The recently concluded revamped 53rd edition of the Genoa International Boat Show was a resounding success. The five-day event featured 750 exhibitors, 180,000 square metre display area, 1,000 boats, about 115,000 visitors, more than 550 meetings for professionals from 14 nations, 14 conferences, as well as more than 1,200 “test drives”.
Genoa International Boat Show 2013
6 visits by ministers and public authorities, 3 agreement protocols signed in favour of the environment and the nautical industry, 10 press conferences in the exhibition area, 20 live tv programmes, 1,300 journalists from 26 countries.
These are the principal facts and figures presented at today’s press conference at the end of the show headed by Sara Armella, the Fair’s President, Anton Francesco Albertoni, UCINA President, Marina Stella, UCINA General Director, Antonio Bruzzone, Genoa Fair CEO, Carla Sibilla, Culture and Tourism Councillor and Paolo Odone, President of the Genoa Chamber of Commerce.
“These results are very satisfactory and reflect the effort made in these months to offer a new boat show in tune with the present market and close to the needs of both exhibitors and public,” say the Fair’s organizers and Ucina, the nautical industry consortium. “In particular the exhibitors have noted a quiet optimism and signs of interest and vitality in a market which, we mustn’t forget, has lost 60% of its turnover in the last five years.”
53rd Genoa International Boat Show
“The presence of the Transport minister, Maurizio Lupi, the Environment minister Andrea Orlando and the Director of Inland Revenue Attilio Befera and their declarations confirm the importance of the show as well as giving important signs of both the government’s and the institutions’ intent to provide new measures of support for the whole sector.”
Apart from the many positive notes from the exhibitors there have also naturally been comments and requests for future improvement that the organizers will obviously bear in mind.
Concerning visitor enjoyment and appreciation, early results of a sample taken from visitors interviewed on leaving the show reveal that the layout, the division in themes and the Red Wall “the symbol of the event” were all positively received
Moreover from a representative sample of 750 interviews, 86% of the public judged the new format as elegant, 86% considered access to the area improved, while 75% found the exhibition more enjoyable as a whole and 80% appreciated the greater presence of boats at sea.
Genoa Boat Show 2013 attended by about 150,000 visitors
Some aspects however still require work as for example the catering which was considered to need improvement by 68% of those interviewed.
The media importance of the show which benefited the city as a whole has been confirmed: twenty national and international tv crews, 74 tv and radio programmes, and 1,300 journalists from 26 countries
The show was a great success with the social media and the official website received over 450,000 registered contacts with over 566,00 total visitors.
Facebook registered more than 17,000 fans and in the last week 4,500 (25% of total) chatted indicating the show is followed by an active community.
Luxury yachts on display at the 2013 Genoa Boat Show
Over five million viewed the show’s Facebook page over a period of four months and this greatly exceeds similar events in the sector and brings the show within sight of such important cultural museums as the Uffizi Gallery, Genoa’s Ducal Palace and the Genoa Aquarium
The great effort of the city itself to welcome visitors to the 53rd boat show cannot be overlooked. Services were enhanced, both the public and private sector increased their availablility and combined efforts were made to relay cultural information to the public. AMT, Aster, Municipal Police and the Genoa town council worked together to guarantee more effective services and easier access to the city throughout the five days of the show thus gaining public satisfaction
Positive results were also to be had from GenovaInBlu, the “fringe” event of the show which obtained great public participation. Around 10,000 attended the 25 evening events.
Finally the Genoa Boat Show once again confirmed itself as a great opportunity to get to know the city itself. The benefits of the new entrance ticket, the Enjoy Genoa pass will become apparent in the next few months since the discounts and advantages available can be used throughout October and again in December.
