Hello Monaco magazine Winter 2018 - issue HM02 | Page 124

EVENT WELCOME TO THE HOUSE OF FINE YACHTING MONACO YACHT SHOW 2017 Every year, the Monaco Yacht Show strives to outdo the last and the 2017 edition was no exception. Three new exciting developments this year ensured that visitors and exhibitors alike were offered the best experience possible. Catering particularly to UHNWI, these esteemed guests were offered the unique opportunity to fully appreciate their next potential superyacht. F rom last in Monaco, The world’s greatest superyacht event was held in Monaco this past 27 to 30 September, bringing together an exceptional collection of superyachts presented in an outstanding exhibition of quality on the quayside. The 27th edition of the Monaco Yacht Show (MYS) thus fulfilled all its promises and reflected a more buoyant market, supported notably by the strong attendance of American and Russian clients on the quays of Port Hercules, offering 125 superyachts. This year’s fleet was larger and younger (average length 49m, 50% of the yachts less than two years old) and according to Gaëlle Tallarida, Managing Director of the Show, it appealed to visitors right from the start: «The exhibitors were busy from Wednesday morning with business meetings on their stands and a full list of bookings for yacht visits. We felt that the whole industry was concerned by an event they’ve been preparing for months, with high trade expectations. By midday this impression was shared by all the different participants, brokers or shipyards who already confirmed negotiations with visitors interested in chartering or purchasing a yacht.» A new superyacht clientele invited by the MYS Organisers Attendance at this year’s edition was higher than last year, with 36,400 participants - an 8% increase - made up of international business clientele and private visitors invited by the MYS organisers, via the «Sapphire Experience». 160 ultra-qualified individuals thus enjoyed a bespoke stay in Monaco with visits of the superyachts displayed in Port Hercules. Around 400 appointments* were scheduled aboard with the yachts’ 122 / Hello Monaco – Winter 2018 representatives (one «Sapphire Experience» guest had already placed an order for a yacht) (*calculated according to the aggregate total of visits scheduled for each guest). On the eve of the MYS, the 2nd edition of the Monaco Yacht Summit welcomed some fifty potential new superyacht clients – or their representatives – to discuss the key information to be borne in mind when chartering or purchasing a luxury yacht for the first time. The presence of these future owners or charterers in Port Hercules was the tangible result of the marketing and public relations actions managed by Gaëlle Tallarida and her team to promote encounters between the 580 exhibitors and new clients. She said: «The Monaco Yacht Show has become a brand with a strong identity, clearly defined since the first edition in 1991. The MYS is unique in being the only «hybrid» show in the world exclusively dedicated to the universe of superyachting. We are proud to host both the B2B community and today’s and tomorrow’s superyacht purchasers. They make a perfect fit. A new yacht order generates important business activity for all sectors in the yachting industry. Owners are more and more involved in the building of their yachts. At the MYS, future buyers also meet the nautical suppliers to discover the latest interior designs, cutting-edge equipments or brand- new gadgets. And they love it! » An enthusiasm that was also obvious on Quai Antoine Ier with «Tenders & Toys», the new exhibition dedicated to the trendiest luxury tenders and water toys on the market. An area unanimously praised by its exhibitors, who signed great sales and who have already requested bigger exhibition spaces for 2018. This success confirmed the boom of leisure activities linked with yachting, appreciated by a younger generation of clientele, who represent a large percentage of yacht chartering.