Southampton Boat Show

Update for the Event

Organisers are looking forward to an even bigger and more successful edition of the Southampton Boat Show in 2024. The event will be held live in Mayflower Park between 13.09.2024 and 22.09.2024. The venue will not include Covid-19 safety precautions due to the UK removing its domestic and travel restrictions.  

A Brief Overview of Southampton Boat Show

Whether you’re looking to sell boats or involve the general public into maritime sports, you’ll find no other event for the job than the Southampton Boat Show. Part boat exhibition and part festival, the international fair is the beating heart of the maritime leisure sector in the UK. Southampton is host to hundreds of vessels and thousands of visitors over the course of ten exciting days. It’s the best environment to make yourself known, connect with the public and showcase new boat models.

There’s always a lot of interest in hotel rooms during the Southampton Boat Show. The 2022 edition is no exception. Beat all the rest to the top hotel rates in Southampton and keep expenses to the absolute minimum. GETA ltd has worked in cities all over the world and knows all the good spots in the city. Complete your hotel reservation within hours and enjoy a stay close to Mayflower Park. Walking to the marina is just a relaxing walk away and you’re close to public transport stops and stations. Build the perfect business trip with GETA ltd and our sizeable portfolio of travel services. 

Why Your Visit Is Worth It

What elevates Southampton Boat Show and makes it a viable source of income for the exhibitors who showcase there? There’s the prestige and the legacy involved, of course, but even more so it has to be the foot traffic the trade show generates. The Southampton Boat Show is a must-see event that appeals to sailors as well as the general public. 

You’ll also see that even the pandemic hasn’t been able to diminish its popularity. The first post-pandemic edition performed quite well. Check out the key data points:  

• 600+ international exhibitors showcased at the event;
• 88,000+ international visitors made the trip;
• 30 new debuts on the marina or on land;
• 500+ boats on display.

Industry Relevance

The Southampton Boat Show has been an integral part of the city’s history since 1969 – the year of its very first edition. Fifty years later, the trade show enjoys even greater popularity and fills Mayflower Park with thousands of visitors every single year. After the boat show increased its run to ten days in total, organisers also constructed a manmade beach. And it hasn’t stopped growing! The 2021 edition introduced new changes to the event. The layout was significantly changed and new areas were introduced such as the Dinghy Zone meant for the British Olympic sailing team.

Southampton Boat Show showcases a variety of vessels like motor boats, pleasure boats, yachts, sailboats and superyachts, but there’s so much more on display such as water sport shopping equipment, clothing and chandlery, navigation equipment, radar equipment, radio equipment, sonar equipment, sails and even marine finances. It’s the perfect platform to have your products showcased and meet with enthusiastic buyers. The boat show creates the perfect conditions to get would-be customers interested in buying by giving them the opportunity to see your vessel out on the water, and get on board for a tour. All boats are displayed on the show marina and available to everyone, but serious buyers can request a specific appointment to meet with the manufacturer and discuss the details. 

Who Are You Going to Meet There?

What this question basically means is ‘will I be able to make sales?’ and the answer is a resounding yes, since the Southampton Boat Show is known as the largest boat show in the United Kingdom so that naturally attracts celebrities, socialites and big spenders. You’ll be happy to know that in the past 84% of total visitors are firmly in the AB demographic. What this means is that they command an average annual household income of around £100,000 and that’s just a rough number. It means you’re in the right place to attract high-status buyers from the UK and around the rest of Europe.

The smartest thing you can do during the Southampton Boat Show is to launch a new boat. You’ll see plenty of the biggest manufacturers do exactly that. Sunseeker, Princess Yachts, Fairline, Corby Yachts, Bray Marine Sales, Val Wyatt Marine, Cockwells and Swallow Yachts.

The festival portion of the show attracts a large audience from the general public. More than 13,000 people came by to check out the boats, enjoy family time and even participate in maritime sports like kayaking and waterboarding. Exhibitors specialising in water sports are bound to find potential buyers as well as receive valuable consumer feedback in person. 

Additional Value of Attendance 

A key ingredient to the show’s success is the Watersports Zone. It’s where visitors interested in stand-up paddleboards, surfboards, wakeboards and water-skis, kite-surfs, windsurfs, canoes, and kayaks have the opportunity to make purchases for their personal use. Plus, the zone features a lot of sports activities from boat tours to kayaking to water skis. Whether visitors seek out a peaceful group activity or chase adrenaline, this is where they can find it. 

There’s also a dedicated area for models that are a far cry from modern megayachts. The Classic and Day Boat Zone displays traditional designs with a lot of wooden decks and coloured sails. All the glory of the past that’s been captured and shown to the next generation. The area is meant for day boats, wooden and classic boats, equipment, materials and even training.