Yachting / MONACO YACHT SHOW

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Clients have turned to yachting to escape the gloomy context that the pandemic has brought about and the frustration of having their freedom restricted. Therefore, 2021 has been a win-win for everyone involved in yachting.

Gaëlle Tallarida

General Director of the Monaco Yacht Show

TRIOMPHE!

by Andrea Dini

After two long years, the Monaco Yacht Show returned with gusto.

MYS 2021 rose up to the industry-wide challenge set forth a few months ago by expectant exhibitors and visitors, building the show around the visitor experience and that – in particular – of future yacht buyers.

While 300 exhibitors and a maximum of 90 yachts had originally been announced, these numbers increased to an impressive 440 exhibitors and 101 superyachts on the day, half of which were launched in 2020 and 2021. Combined, these yachts saw an estimated total of €3.6 billion moored in and around Port Hercule; this included 37 new launches and 14 superyachts measuring over 70m in length.

Even though the return of MYS was highly celebrated within the industry, visitor numbers were purposefully reduced to ensure health regulations were met. This allowed organisers to also focus on specific profiles and facilitate those all important connections between exhibitors and (potential) clientele.

The show was split into clear-cut themed exhibition areas, aimed at improving the visitor experience. Day 1 of the show – invite only – was targeted at yacht owners and future buyers and charterers. 300 special guests were able to enjoy exclusive access to the yachts, tenders, designers, brokers and shipyards represented at the show, as well as meet with other exhibitors within the comfortable setting of air-conditioned tents set up on Quai Antoine 1er.

Early reports from the exhibiting yacht builders and brokers suggest that this exclusive approach saw their visiting schedules full from the very start of the event with clients who had serious intent to buy. This trend certainly fits in with the current rise in yacht sales.

"The 2021 edition of the Monaco Yacht Show was the first opportunity to see the results of a change in approach to the show, by placing the focus firmly on the customers of the industry rather than the business activities within it. The result was a more relaxed atmosphere, and with no overcrowding of the quays the experience for those customers was much more in line with the superyacht experience itself. " - Theo Hooning, Secretary General of SYBAss.

Returning too this year was the 5th edition of the Monaco Yacht Summit, welcoming 60 owners, charters and future buyers (or their representatives). Before visiting the show the following day, participants had the opportunity to talk with various speakers, designers, brokers and builders, gleaning essential information in order to safely embark on their yacht construction, chartering or purchasing projects.

Among the new additions to this year’s show was the Yacht Design & Innovation Hub. This offered visitors a better understanding of a custom yacht’s construction process and a look into the future of superyacht design, thanks to lectures by designers Espen Øino, Luiz De Basto Designs, Sam Sorgiovanni, Sinot Yacht Architecture and Design and Winch Design. This interactive space also allowed attending designers to present their work, giving visitors an opportunity to meet the experts who will design their future yacht.

The new Sailing Yacht Area featured no less than 12 large sailing yachts. A fitting number, given that sail boats currently represent 15% of the world’s yachting fleet. This space dedicated to sailing yachts targeted a new yachting clientele, showcasing the benefits of a sportier and more environmentally friendly way of sailing, whilst still enjoying the same level of comfort, technology and facilities as on board motor yachts.

The 2021 edition thus marks a key step in the MYS’s new approach for the coming years, aimed at offering a tailor-made platform for a new generation of customers.

The next edition of the Monaco Yacht Show will take place 28 September - 1 October 2022

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