Online registration for the 34th MYBA Charter Show opened at the end of January and, if yacht applications can be considered to be one of the indicators of success, the event is on course for a great year. More than 30 yachts signed up in the first 48 hours!
The 2024 Show will be held in Marina Molo Vecchio, in Genoa, from the 22nd to the 25th of April and will mark the return of the B2B event to Italy. A highly anticipated move that has the onsite Show Managers, the Pesto Sea Group, working closely with MYBA to ensure its success. What we do know at this point is that a new layout will be introduced, the social agenda will be enriched and the “All Hands on Deck” competition (for deck crew) will make its return.
One of the important changes in layout concerns the exhibitors who will not be lined up on the quay but will come together in an Exhibitors’ Village. The modular Village will be a user-friendly and dynamic space that aims to generate more leads for exhibitors by providing multiple opportunities for Show attendees to see and interact with them.
All attendees will have to pass through the main entrance every day in order to collect the “bracelet of the day” and, after that, they will have to make their way through the exhibiting area in order to reach the quays. The concept bar, another 2024 innovation, will also be located on the ground floor and accessible via what we have heard referred to as the exhibitors’ “avenue”.
As the Show Owners themselves said “all roads lead to the exhibiting area!”
A new category of attendee has also been created and concerns exhibitors’ guests. These guests will be registered by confirmed exhibitors and will have access to the exhibiting area and seminar rooms but not to the quays and yachts.
Another of the new features at the 2024 MYBA Charter Show will be the dedicated Crew Lounge which will be adjacent to the Exhibitors’ Village.The space will be designed specifically for the superyacht crew to relax and enjoy a break from the hustle and bustle of the Show. Its doors will be open for all Captains and crew members working on board yachts that are participating in the Show and will provide free refreshments & snacks, music and entertainment.
The intention of the Show Organisers is to offer a programme of informative discussions revolving around career development as well as seminars, powered by sponsors, in order to complete the picture and provide valuable learning. The Crew Lounge is destined to become a central meeting point and one where attendees can connect with crew members in a meaningful manner.
The 2024 Show will also bring a new challenge to the table for superyacht chefs with the theme for the MYBA Superyacht Chefs’ Competition being “An Italian Fusion Dinner Party”. The theme was chosen in order to honour the return of the MYBA Charter Show to Italy and superyacht chefs will be tasked with preparing a three-course dinner party fusing Italian cuisine with the cuisine of another country of their choice. Nikkei cuisine, a fusion of Peruvian and Japanese, served as the inspiration. However, this time, Italy will be the culinary base, and chefs must combine elements from a second country in each dish.
A second competition will run in parallel for the interior crew: to create a tablescape based on the theme of the Italian fusion dinner in the most sophisticated way possible and, at the same time, to provide the judges with clues regarding the second country. Once a chef has registered for the competition, the tablescaping competition will be automatically open for the interior crew. Registrations are being accepted online on a first-come, first-served basis. With only 10 places available for each category, it is advisable to sign up now.
If all of the above have whetted your appetite, you have saved the dates and intend to travel to Genoa for the Show, it’s an excellent time to start making travel arrangements. To facilitate the arrangements of attendees, the assistance of the Convention Bureau of Genoa has been enlisted and a selection of hotels with preferential tariffs can be found on the Show’s official website, in the section “Hotel Bookings”.The online booking system is available to all participants and, as reservations are increasing by the day, it is advisable not to leave matters to the last minute.
And last but not least, as Genoa is home to some of Europe’s most impressive architectural structures with many dating back to the Middle Ages, word has it that we should be prepared for a palatial Opening Cocktail and Captains’ Dinner. So, much as we appreciate those sensible walking shoes and comfortable clothes for the long days, we suggest that you pack something a little more glamourous for the evenings.
