More than 240,000 people attended last week’s event
The 53rd Nautic Paris Boat Show ended on Sunday on an upbeat note. According to the show’s organiser, more than 240,000 people made their way to the Parc des Expositions in the Porte de Versailles from December 7-15, despite public transport strikes.
The organiser said that business was good compared with 2012. Sales were up on the previous year, despite the uncertain economic outlook, and the rental market was stable.
Exhibitors were also satisfied with the first signs of an upturn in the French market. “It was a good boat show,” says Yannick Hemet, sales manager at Beneteau, which had some 30 boats on display. “We met our targets for both sailing boats and motorboats.”
Yves de Kergangat, sales manager at Fountaine-Pajot Flagship, was also satisfied. “The big units were a huge hit at the beginning of the show,” he says.
At the close of the event, Nathalie Bigaignon, general secretary of the Fédération des Industries Nautiques (FIN), told IBI that she had had positive feedback from the equipment makers and boatbuilders that she had met with. “These professionals have been overly pessimistic for several years now,” she said.
Sunseeker France, a subsidiary of Sunseeker London, exhibited at the show for the first time in seven years with a Portofino 40 and was pleased with the activity at its stand in Hall 4.
There were exceptions to the generally positive outlook, which remains to be confirmed by follow-up business. Importers of Italian RIBSs were disappointed, although Zodiac Marine, in its home market, was expecting to fulfil its targets.
Next year’s Nautic Paris Boat Show will be held once again at the Parc des Expositions in the Porte de Versailles from December 5-14, 2014.
