VENE 20 BÅT – HELSINKI INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW 2020
MORE VISITORS AT THE VENE 20 BÅT – HELSINKI INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW 2020
Boating interests people. There was an 8.7 % increase in the number of visitors at the Vene 20 Båt – Helsinki International Boat Show, which is the largest growth percentage in the eighteen years of the Show. Almost 70 900 persons interested in boating visited this years’ Boat Show. The Show was arranged on 7-16 February 2020 at Messukeskus Helsinki.
”Boat launching is now more tangible than it was earlier. It is easy to make purchases when the boating season is nearer than ever. The long boating season that now is to be expected increases the popularity of boating,” according to Jarkko Pajusalo, Managing Director of the Finnish Marine Industries Federation Finnboat, commisioner of the Boat Show. ”The Boat Show has developed much during the past years. The Show offers experiences to an even broader target audience and has nicely changed its format. The Boat Show introduces boating to new audiences and offered them more programme than ever this year.”
According to Managing Director Mikael Winqvist from AMT-boats Ltd, the Boat Show was commercially better than last year.
”This was a top exhibition for us. We have made more deals and offers than last year. The premier presented AMT 165 BR, which was chosen 0pen Boat of the Show, attracted much attention, but also other models were of interest. About half of our boat sales have something to do with the Boat Show. We sell directly to boaters at the exhibition, but it is also very important to meet international and other partners. Nowhere else is our entire model range so well presented as here,” Winqvist says. ”At the exhibition this year we met many clients who have sold their old boats or have had a boating pause for some years. It seems people now want to spend more time at their cottages and boating in Finland. There seems to be a growing interest in boating and boats.”
This year Ajola Yachts invested more in the Boat Show than previously and brought two Beneteau-sailboats and two smaller sailboats instead of only one. ”Participating in the Boat Show increases the awareness of the label and strengthens the brand, ” Ajola Yachts Managing Director Antti Saarisalo says. ”We received much positive response due to our participation and reached new sailing audiences who are ready to buy new sailboats instead of used ones. The interest in daycruising also seems to be increasing. I strongly recommend other sailboat companies to participate in the exhibition in order to increase interest in sailing and the overall supply of sailing boats at the exhibition.”
Satisfied visitors that make more purchases than before
Kantar conducted a visitors survey and interviewed 300 visitors at the fair. According to the survey, the Boat Show attracted more motorboaters than previously. 46% replied that they were motorboaters, while last year’s figure was 38%. The next largest visitor groups were cottage boaters 23%, fishers 18% and sailor 18%. Of the visitors 75% said they owned a boat. Visitors were mostly interested in motorboats, boating equipment and supplies as well as in boating clothing and shoes. Interest in all these increased by over 6%. 74% of persons that replied to the survey said that the Boat Show will effect their coming purchases compared to 63% last year.
96% replied that they were more satisfied with the event and 92% said that they will come to the Boat Show even next year.
The largest boating event in Northern Europe
The Vene 20 Båt – Helsinki International Boat Show 20 was arranged 7-16 February 2020 at Messukeskus Helsinki. Vene 20 Båt – Helsinki International Boat Show was organized by Messukeskus on behalf of the Finnish Marine Industries Federation Finnboat. The partners of the event were Mercedes-Benz and the #OURSEA-campaign. This year the Boat Show presented more responsibility issues and especially environmental themes regarding the cleanliness of seas. How to start boating was also largely presented at the fair. The fishing theme area has grown annually and it has become a remarkable meeting place for fishers.
