METSTRADE

Event Update

All aboard for the 2024 edition of the METSTRADE, the marine equipment trade show! The live edition has been scheduled for 19.11.2024 and 21.11.2024, at Amsterdam RAI in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Coronavirus prevention protocols will not be in effect at the venue. This is due to the Netherlands removing its pandemic-related restrictions, including the ones affecting international travel.

A Brief Overview of METSTRADE

Want to inform yourself on what’s new in the world of maritime machinery? Every yacht builder and naval architect is set to come to METSTRADE – a major international trade show for several sectors and industries. The event is staged in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and covers the entire value chain from materials and systems to marine equipment. It’s the definitive platform for purchasing and innovation in Europe – a must-have on your business travel calendar!

Spare yourself the time and effort hunting down hotel rooms on your own and leave all the research to GETA ltd. We work with a large database of hotels in Amsterdam and locate the most fitting choices based on your price range, taste in accommodation and choice of location. Book hotels close to RAI Amsterdam, so you don’t have to lose additional time in commuting. We even give you exact information on which routes and public transport are best to use given your location! In addition to accommodation for trade shows, GETA ltd plans every single part of your business trip from airline tickets to booking meeting facilities to organising airport transfers. 

Why Your Visit Is Worth It?

METSTRADE occupies a very strong position in the maritime equipment sector with a slight focus on the leisure industry. You don’t find a better market to position your products, because it’s one of the most diverse and biggest events on the scene. Check out key attendance data points:

• 1600+ international exhibitors from 51 countries showcased at the event;
• 26,000+ international trade visitors from 121 countries made the trip;
• 19 country pavilions 
• 3 pavilions for special areas in the industry

Industry Relevance

METSTRADE is known under other names as well. It’s often shortened to METS, which stands for the MARINE EQUIPMENT TRADE SHOW. This successful brand has been running annually at RAI Amsterdam since 1988 and has managed to gain a lot of traction in the industry. Now it’s an authority on the sector and often the first place where the latest models of boats and yachts are showcased for the first time alongside other innovations. You can say it’s the definitive show for the leisure maritime industry and a thriving cross-border procurement platform. 

The product portfolio is comprehensive as the exhibition area is dedicated to propulsion, security equipment, ship fittings, boat accessories, boat electronics, boat equipment, navigation, paints, ship furniture, communication equipment, and sail clothes. Open to professionals, METSTRADE offers a wide mix of events such as social events, partner events, knowledge stages and special showcases. The trade show is known in the industry as a community building event, with a lot of events that help networking and the exchange of expertise. The superyacht industry has shown a sharp intake in revenue due to yachts being the preferred purchase in recent times.

Who Are You Going to Meet?

It’s not going to come as a surprise that METSTRADE is predominantly a European affair. The largest portion of visitors (88%) are European in origin and top countries outside the Netherlands include France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Trade visitors tend to be decision makers in their majority (72%) and come from all levels of the industry—dealers and retailers, distributors, importers and exporters, manufacturers, naval architects, yacht designers, interior designers, boat engineers, consultants, and marina management. 

If we’re to look at exhibitors, we see a sizable shift in the internationality, with 87% of exhibitors coming from outside the Netherlands. The countries with their own pavilions include Sweden, Germany, the United States, Turkey, Canada, Italy, Australia, and France, among others.

Additional Value of Attending 

METSTRADE is known for its supporting programme. It’s a tradition to begin each edition with the Breakfast Briefing, which features a prominent figure in the industry, giving a keynote speech on a specific topic. The keynote speech for 2022 is “Paragon or Pariah? Sustainability Challenges and Opportunities from the Sky to the Sea” delivered by Cory Combs. Afterwards, the audience will learn the winners of the 2022 DAME Design Award.

METSTRADE Theatre is another crowd favourite for its wide-reaching programme. Every day, a series of panels on topics such as sustainability challenges and the future of onboard superyacht technology take place. You’ll hear top experts in their field discuss at length. The other big-ticket event that generates buzz is the Superyacht Forum Live. The 2022 forum operates under the theme of ‘Evolve or Repeat’ and focuses on how the sector can adapt to current changes. 

On its agenda you find six keynote sessions, networking sessions, experiential activities, practice-oriented workshops and strategic meetings. The forum educates professionals on what processes are taking place in the maritime industry and how technologies apply. 

METSTRADE collaborates with British Marine and Soundings Trade Only for the highly awaited Women in the Marine Industry International. This two-hour breakfast event provides women in the leisure marine industry with knowledge about opportunities and challenges faced by women. Plus, ample opportunities to network and exchange experience. 

If you’re involved in the yacht construction sector, then the International HISWA Symposium is where you should head in order to hear from designers, yachtbuilders, suppliers and yacht brokers in a friendly environment. The 27th edition of the symposium is organised around the theme ‘Get Energized’. The other symposium on the programme is the HISWA Marina Symposium, which follows market developments for marinas in the Netherlands. Here is where you’ll discover a great many of the year’s innovations. The symposium is only available for members of HISWA.

Dutch superyacht companies take the stage in Hall 9 for the Holland Yachting Stage, which will reveal exciting news and insights from the Dutch sector. Younger professionals under the age of 35 years can participate in the METSTRADE Young Professionals Club meant for networking. In addition to taking place in person, visitors also have the opportunity to keep making contacts online as well. 

Finally, we have to highlight the two award shows that take place here. First is the DAME Design Award for design in all disciplines, and the second is the Boat Builder Awards for major business achievements when it comes to boat building.