boat show

Record number of exhibitors at 58th edition of international fair that this year focuses on "care of the marine environment"

The event attracted more than 56,000 visitors, many coming from overseas

From the 14^th to the 18^th of October, Barcelona will host a new edition of the International Boat Show. 260 exhibitors from all over the world will present their wares in sports and recreational boats, distributed throughout the 50,000-square metre exhibition, with the biggest being displayed afloat and the floor hosting smaller boats and components. The Fair's President, Luis Conde, forecasts a "spectacular edition" this year, as the nautical sector "is recovering, in line with the rest of the economy". In fact, the number of boats registered this year has increased by 10%. According to Conde, the Barcelona International Boat Show "is the main platform of the nautical sector in Spain" and a must in any boat lover's agenda.

Barcelona will be hosting the International Boat Show 2014, between the 15^th and the 19^th of October. The 54^th Edition of the Show is expected to be the most successful yet, and organizers are confident it will show that the marine industry has left the crisis behind for the first time in 7 years. The Port of Barcelona is the perfect location for such an event, and is a significant contributor to the Catalan economy. An exhibition of both commercial and recreational marine vessels, organizers expect high levels of participation and sales. One of the highlights of the exhibition will be Lehr and Nautigas, maker of the innovative engine that runs on propane, leading the way in environmentally-friendly vessels. Among the show’s 19 facilities there will also be organic fuels on display, with explanations of both their environmental and financial benefits.  

This week, the Port of Barcelona has become the world cruise capital, hosting the Seatrade Med 3000, an international conference bringing together 3,000 professionals from the all around the world. It is the leading conference in the field of Mediterranean cruise and is taking place between the 16^th and 18^th of September. This adds to Barcelona’s existing reputation as the European and Mediterranean cruise capital, confirmed with the arrival last Saturday of the world’s largest cruise liner, the Oasis of the Seas, whose first stop after leaving the Caribbean was the Catalan city. Home both to the Oasis of the Seas and the international Seatrade Med 3000 means Barcelona is making nautical headlines worldwide.  

Fira de Barcelona - the Catalan capital trade fair organisation - expects to end 2013 with revenues of €117.2 million, meaning 10.9 % more than targeted, 1.7 % more than last year and 2.2 % more than in 2011. The institution’s management stressed that such good results came from the “ability to attract major international events”, such as the Mobile World Congress or the EVS27, dedicated to the electric vehicle. The foreign sector already contributes to 50% of the Fira de Barcelona revenues. Indeed, the institution, apart from welcoming professionals from all around the world, has also created other trade fairs in foreign countries and next year it will open new fairs in Qatar or Japan.

ICTINEU 3, a scientific submersible designed and build in Catalonia, has entered the water for the very first time in a test dive near Barcelona. For over ten years, particular donations have helped construct this submarine that will be dedicated to “underwater exploration, scientific research and underwater intervention”. This first test was used to verify that all of the submarine’s systems could function underwater, and the next step will be a dive in seawater. ICTINEU 3 was named after the very first air independent and combustion engine driven submarine, ICTINEU 1, which was invented by Figueres’ engineer Narcís Monturiol and dived for the first time in the Catalan capital’s harbour.

35 companies united with public institutions formed a Boating Industry Cluster to make Barcelona an international leader in the sector. The cluster will help achieve higher levels of productivity and competitiveness. It builds on Barcelona’s deep tradition as a maritime city. In fact, Barcelona hosts the most important trade fair in the boating industry in Europe and it is the world’s 4^th largest port for cruise ships. Furthermore, more than 1,000 companies related to this sector are based in Catalonia, as well as prestigious university schools. This initiative follows Barcelona’s strategy to identify specific business sectors and create clusters to strengthen them, as it has previously done with sectors such as biomedicine, automation and mobile technologies.

The 50th edition of one of Europe’s most important nautical trade fairs came to an end having “exceeded” initial expectations “despite the complex economic situation”, said the show Director. The organisation has highlighted the preservation of trust in the exhibition, as the number of exhibitors only dropped by 5%. This year’s edition focused on boat innovation and engine efficiency to attract a public economically undermined by the crisis.

The Barcelona International Boat Show begun last weekend and will run until the 14th of November. This year’s exhibit features ecological and sustainable boats.