Doing the Shows

Southampton Boat Show

The UK is blessed (or should that be cursed?) with a large number of boat shows covering all segments of the market from smaller local shows (such as London on the Water, Bristol or Liverpool), shows focusing on particular segments (such as narrow boats or boat jumble) to the largest show – the YachtMarket.com Southampton Boat Show (or SBS for short).

Perhaps unfortunately, the London Boat Show at Excel had its swansong this year; with no London show planned for 2019. However, the good news is that the SBS in September is thriving, and this year is planned to be as great as ever.

Also, there are some great shows abroad, at many glamorous locations such as Phuket, Miami International, Dubai, Moscow, Qatar, Palm Beach, Kuwait, Croatia, Singapore, Sydney, Cannes and Monaco among many others.

(Maybe it’s a matter of opinion as to whether or not Moscow could be regarded as glamorous!). Some shows focus on segments of the market, such as superyachts.

We know what shows are like for us as exhibitors – in a word, exhausting! SBS is 10 long days, and with all the parties and dinners to go to, as well as manning (is there a gender-neutral word ‘personning’?) the stand we are exhausted at the end of it. It’s a hard life!

However, this article is a short guide to help you – the client – make the most of your time at boat shows.

KEY EVENTS

With a typical (lack of) modesty, I have to point out one major event at the SBS – a talk on the central stage – namely the talk on ‘Buying a Boat’ given on each of the Fridays at 2:00 pm on the central stage. (There may be additional times / dates – but not confirmed at the time of writing.) Yes, I am giving the talk, so this is definitely one not to be missed! There are also other talks and events on the stage, so it is certainly worthwhile looking at the final table of events there.

FREEBIES AND DISCOUNTS

Of course, it’s always nice to have some freebies at any show. At our stand (Go Earth J425) we will be giving away special show issues of Boat Trader, as well as some other goodies.

Perhaps more importantly, if you are thinking of buying a boat, we are giving free, no obligation, no hassle, 20-minute consultations on the science and art of boat buying. If you are thinking of buying your first, or your next boat, then this consultation should help you make the right choice and possibly save you money. Just come to the stand and make an appointment to have a chat. (We even provide settees to rest your weary feet.)

Go Earth also offers Masterclasses in SuperYachts. If you have serious interest in us giving a talk in your organisation or private club, come and speak to a director at J425.

Like many other exhibitors, we are also giving some ‘show only’ discounts on some of our services – in our case it is a massive discount of 25% on some of our service offerings. As is usual ‘terms and conditions apply’. Please note that most exhibitors mean it when they say
‘show only’ – they usually will not give the same discount for purchases after the show.

TIME

Fundamentally, you need to allow enough time to really explore everything you want to.
Let’s do some maths (sorry about that!).

This year, there are about 580 exhibitors at the SBS.

You are at the show for the full 8 hours. Allow an hour off for lunch etc. Imagine trying to do 580 stands in 7 hours. That gives you about one 43 seconds per stand! Of course, there will be some stands that you will spend much more time at. That might leave you with about two seconds per stand for the rest!

Then, at SBS, there are numerous boats in the marina…

The risk for you is that you might miss something really important and useful (such as, just for example, the Go Earth stand at J425!)

What to do?

PLAN

The first and obvious thing is to try and plan what your focus is going to be. Are you looking for that new superyacht, upgrading some electronics, need advice on your first ever boat, buy some oddments for your boat, or just to see what is new on the market?

If there is something that may be of particular interest, why not phone or email the exhibitor in advance and arrange to meet at the show. Many companies (including us at Go Earth) would be delighted to make a specific appointment, so that there is enough time to fully deal with your enquiry, and you can make the best use of your time. This also ensures that a sufficiently knowledgeable or senior person is available for you.

The official show guide and the website can help you orientate yourself as to where everything is.

LOOK AND TALK

We often see people walking past the stands without really spending enough time finding out what the exhibitor does. Don’t be afraid to ask the exhibitor how they can help you. Most exhibitors are happy to talk to people – we are – even if you are not immediately buying anything. Of course, it is a matter of balance. Please don’t spend two hours talking to an exhibitor if you really have no interest.

Look at the stand. What products do they have display? What do the background panels say? Don’t be afraid to stand and spend a moment or two examining the products and reading the background panels. You are there in part to get information, so take the time to do so.

NUMBER OF DAYS

Think about the number of days you are going to spend there. Many shows require two or even more days to ‘do’ them properly. The very largest show – Southampton – probably requires four or five days (and plenty of shoe leather, as well as your credit cards) to do properly.

If you are out of town, you need to think – in advance – of accommodation and transport. At the big shows, local accommodation can get booked up very quickly – so book early.

ENJOY

Boat shows are meant to be enjoyable for you. We hope that they are. You may learn something, buy something, see new ideas, and chat to fellow boaters. Have fun – that is what boating is all about!