The World's biggest yacht and watersports show closed yesterday with over 1,550 exhibitors from 59 countries and 250.000 visitors / Business in the industry has picked up / Sailing and diving on course for growth.
From 22 to 30 January 2011 the world's biggest boat and watersports show took place in Düsseldorf - Germany.
In 2010, after a year marked by major falls in turnover, business in the international yacht and watersports industry gained momentum. And for boot Düsseldorf as the leading event in the sector, this means that things are looking up. Demand for exhibition space has picked up, increasing by a good 3 per cent or 3,000 square metres over the previous show. The number of exhibitors has stabilised at the 2010 level, with newcomers more than offsetting the losses caused by market consolidation.
The roughly 900 German and 650 international exhibitors at boot 2011 experienced a successful show. The prospects for sales growth are good, as German consumers are again digging into their pockets. In addition, the sector can bank on the spending mood of some 250,000 high-calibre international visitors that boot Düsseldorf attracted this year as the central European marketplace for the yacht and watersports industry.
In return, boot visitors who took the present opportunity to place orders for boats or equipment will receive excellent service. The difficult economic 
conditions of the last couple of years have tested and strengthened the industry’s innovative powers. The spectrum on show is marked by new boat concepts for beginners and those switching categories or classes, attractive price/performance ratios, and high-grade and eco-friendly equipment and drive solutions.
In 2011, boot is again revolving around boats and yachts. With 1,700 craft types of all sizes, ranging from canoes to large luxury yachts, this array spread across eleven exhibition halls is second to none internationally for an indoor show.
The sailing boat and sailing yacht segment is on course for growth. Along with Halls 16 and 17, areas of Hall 15 will also be occupied for the first time, particularly with catamarans and trimarans. Overall, about 150 exhibitors will be represented at boot with sailing boats and sailing yachts.
The situation for sports boats and motor yachts up to 20 metres long has stabilised. About 250 boatyards, dealers and importers provided a representative overview of motorised boating in a total of six exhibition halls.
Large, luxury yachts exhibited indoors are again a hallmark of boot Düsseldorf in 2011. Visitors have seen about 40 large yachts as well as high-end boats and tenders in Hall 6. The biggest motor yacht this year was a 27-metre long craft from the British Sunseeker boatyard.
All the same, the situation for over-20-metre yachts is still difficult. The used boat market is impacting purchases of large new series yachts. By contrast, boatyards concentrating on highly individual yacht projects do have the wind in their sails, and this was also experienced in Düsseldorf’s excellently attended Superyacht Show in Hall 7a, where plans and models for yacht projects and the associated services were on show. However, because of the time it takes to construct them, ships ready for showing in sizes capable of being exhibited indoors were not yet available for this year’s boot in the accustomed numbers.
To give the industry sustained support, Messe Düsseldorf has implemented a new strategy under the motto of “360° elegance live” that meets the wishes of top-flight customers for exclusivity, privacy, comfort and lifestyle. Being created is the Blue Motion Lounge occupying 500 square metres, a new business and shopping area with outstanding cuisine, boutiques and facilities for meetings and negotiations with customers. A separate entrance area was provided for VIPs.
There’s good news all round from the trend sports, diving, travel and boat supplies segments. Diversity is again proving to be boot’s trump card in 2001, offsetting fluctuations in business in individual segments and ensuring positive figures overall.
With some 320 international exhibitors in Halls 10 to 12, the market for equipment, marine electronics, engines/motors, accessories, functional wear and marina equipment looks in excellent shape.
The diving sports show at boot Düsseldorf is continuing its success story and, with the Underwater Pixel World, a new exhibition for underwater photography, was expanding into Hall 4. At the world’s biggest consumer show for diving in Halls 3 and 4 of boot, 390 exhibitors were participating with diving equipment, international travel destinations and dive sites, and provided extensive information on diving instruction, safety and underwater photography.
With a total of 54 leading manufacturers and dealers, the surfing and trend sports market is experiencing a revival.
Holiday-seekers were attracted to Halls 13 and 14 by the marine travel market at boot 2011. Anyone looking for the perfect travel destination for the coming summer, wanting to charter a boat or learn a new watersport was bound to find the right contact among the 350 international charter firms, tour operators and tourism organisations.
The “Experience 360° watersports” concept, successfully launched last year, has undergone consistent further development. In 14 adventure and theme worlds, ranging from the Beach World to cruise advice for people chartering boats, boot visitors can try out new sports and gain first-hand information from experts in all disciplines.
The big attractions this year included the Sailing Center in Hall 17, which took place with a line-up of top-notch guests. All the big names in the regatta and world circumnavigation scene were there. Jessica Watson, the Australian youngest-ever around-the-world sailor attracted huge attention during the first boot weekend.