IFBSO held its 51st Congress in conjunction with ICOMIA in Cape Town, South Africa at the end of April.

Congress presents a unique opportunity for managers of the world’s leading boat shows to come together and discuss issues that affect them all: improving the product, increasing revenue, reducing costs, supporting the marine industry and ultimately ensuring the long-term viability of the event. Although the credit crunch is now three years in the past, its devastating effect on the boating market has never gone away and the industry is still suffering the fallout. In the world’s largest boating market, the US, turnover has halved and hundreds of companies have closed their doors. For boat shows, this means fewer exhibitors, fewer visitors, and an increasing sense that business will never return to pre-crunch levels.

With this in mind, IFBSO and ICOMIA this year doubled the number of joint sessions where the two organisations come together. This provided the opportunity for a number of valuable cross-industry panel discussions on the subject of broadening the demographic variety of the boating market, boosting falling boat show attendances and helping exhibitors to maximise their return on investment.

IFBSO is currently developing a new free resource for exhibitors focusing on, but not limited to, exhibitor training. Although there are many aspects of a show presence that can affect an exhibitor's results, it is generally felt that well-trained and motivated stand staff are the key - their performance is the low-hanging fruit where small changes can produce the greatest improvements.   

Following the retirement of New Zealand’s Peter Busfield from the Executive Committee, Sue Thomson of Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show was elected to replace him, ensuring continued representation of IFBSO’s Southern Hemisphere member shows on the Committee.

The AGM, held on the last day of Congress, admitted a new IFBSO member in the shape of the China Xiamen International Boat Show. Just a few miles from north Taiwan, Xiamen is the site of a major new development combining marina, boating and boatbuilding facilities and exhibition centre poised to take advantage of the thawing of relations and opening up of tourist traffic between the two areas.

The Federation also welcomed back an old face, as the Grand Pavois of La Rochelle, France, rejoined after a gap of three years. Christophe Vieux. manager of the show, which this year celebrates its 40th anniversary, is "very happy to be back with Grand Pavois as a member of IFBSO".   

The last IFBSO member show of 2011 finally brought a weak ray of sun to a very gloomy autumn. METS ended its three-day run on November 17 reporting an upturn in visitors from 18,861 last year to 19,232 this, and exhibitor numbers up from 1,320 to 1,331.

There was also an encouraging number of new products launched at the show – over 270, according to IBI's review of the exhibition. Heading the list of the DAME award winners was a revolving portlight from Italian manufacturers SCM (above right) – a clever reworking of a traditional product to meet modern requirements and an encouraging sign of the industry looking toward better times ahead.

The IFBSO 2012 calendar starts on January 6 with the opening of the Tullett Prebon London Boat Show.

The International Federation of Boat Show Organisers (IFBSO) ended a successful 2011 Congress on a high note, with the admission of two new members to the exclusive association.

At the AGM, held on the final day of Congress on June 11 in the Dutch city of Rotterdam, members voted to admit two new boat shows into their midst, the Korea International Boat Show and Eurasia Boat Show from Turkey.

The Korean show is held in Hwaseong City, on the west coast of South Korea about 50km from Seoul, and by coincidence its fourth edition was taking place at the same time as IFBSO members were considering its membership application in Europe. Uniquely for an IFBSO show, it is owned and organised by the local authority, the Gyeonggi Provincial Government. Surrounding the capital, Gyeonggi is the most populous of South Korea's provinces.

Turkey's Eurasia Boat Show was first held in February 2007, making 2011 its fifth edition. Taking place in Istanbul, it is owned by the exhibition centre CNR Expo and supported by DENTUR, the Turkish marine industry association. IFBSO now has two members with shows in Istanbul, the other being the International Istanbul Shop & Miles Boat Show that takes place in the Marinturk Istanbul City Port each October.

Membership of IFBSO is granted only to established boat and marine trade shows that meet stringent criteria laid out in the IFBSO Code of Excellence.

Members also elected a new President at the AGM. Jurij Korenc of Internautica Boat Show, Slovenia, who took over as Acting President in January after former President Andy Williams stood down, will serve a two-year term as full President.  

The three-day Congress in Rotterdam was the 49th to be held in conjunction with ICOMIA, the International Council of Marine Industry Associations. 

Details of the ICOMIA-IFBSO Congress due to take place in Rotterdam from June 8-11 2011 have now been posted on this site. The Congress is being hosted by Amsterdam RAI and the Dutch marine industry association HISWA, and is open to all members of IFBSO and ICOMIA.

Invitation to Rotterdam