Helsinki International Boat Show
The largest boating event in Northern Europe, held at the Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre on 8–17 February 2013, is more versatile than ever. The Vene 13 Båt Helsinki International Boat Show introduces a new exhibition area for water and beach activities, a sailing-themed area, and bigger boats than in previous years. New Finnish vessels are comprehensively showcased at the boat show. Finns are a boating nation. On estimate, there are nearly 800,000 different watercrafts in Finland and, one way or another, approximately half of the population travel by boat each year.
More than 350 exhibitors take part in the Helsinki International Boat Show to present their products and services related to boating and being on the water in all seven of the Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre’s exhibition halls. In 2012, the event attracted nearly 72,000 visitors. In addition to Finnish boating people, Show is attended by a lot of international visitors. Last year, visitors came in larger numbers than ever before. The travel connections to Helsinki are convenient, and close proximity to Russia and the Baltic countries is a major asset for the event.
Bigger boats and Finnish boat expertise
Around 600 boats will be showcased at Helsinki International Boat Show. All Finnish boat manufacturers take part in the event to present their product lines almost in their entirety. A lot of important innovations will also be on display. This year, the event will showcase much bigger boats than in previous years, such as the Sunseeker 68 Predator, Princess 57, Delta 54 and Azimut 50.
New Wave WaterExpo offers experiences
A new type of event for experiencing water activities, the New Wave WaterExpo, gathers hobbies, services and products related to coastal lifestyle and life on the water on display in their own combined exhibition area. A large lagoon pool with a surrounding beach and a jetty will be constructed inside the Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre. The beach area will have booths, places for sunbathing on a towel, areas for hanging out, and bars that act as meeting places. Of course, visitors will have access to the pool if they want to try out the latest water activities equipment. This is a completely new experience for the boat show’s visitors to look forward to.
“We always want to offer our visitors experiences, and this will truly be a great one. New Wave offers a versatile programme and lots of experiences for young generation enthusiasts who are passionate about or interested in a coastal lifestyle, being on the water and doing water sports. This is one way of getting people to take up boating”, says Håkan Löfgren, Sales Manager for the Finnish Fair Corporation.
Boat Show’s theme is sailing
The special focus at the theme area for sailing is to inform people about how to take up sailing. The boat show has a wide range of sailboats on display, from starter boats to large sailboats for crossing oceans, providing a good overall picture of what sailing is. For experienced sailors, the theme area offers stories of sailboat voyages to destinations such as the Baltic countries, for example. The theme area’s offering also includes a comprehensive representation of boat class associations, visits by Olympic sailors, and an introduction of the new Finnish national team and their new head coach, telling their latest news at the boat show. The theme area for sailing, dinghies, sailing gear and sailmakers can be found in hall 4 on the upper level of the Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre, while habitable sailboats are on display at the north end of hall 7, the newest of the centre’s exhibition spaces.
Acknowledgements and awards
The Motorboat of the Show and the Sailboat of the Show are elected each year at the Helsinki International Boat Show. This time, the election of the Motorboat of the Show is divided into three categories: motor boat, day cruiser and cabin cruiser. The winners are elected by a jury of boat industry journalists and experts. The acknowledgements and awards are the Boat Show’s way of giving credit to boat industry actors, especially for their successful product development work.
The Finnish boating journalists’ association, Veneilytoimittajat ry – Båtjournalisterna rf, will present the 2012 Boating Achievement of the Year award during the opening day of Helsinki International Boat Show. The candidates for the Finnish Marine Industries Federation Finnboat’s award for the Best Boating Supply 2012 will be introduced at the boat show, and the public get to vote for their favourite product. The award is presented after the boat show has ended.
