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28/11/2005
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The most International of all the Barcelona boat Shows closed its doors after a series of succesful activities and meetings
With 118 side events and the announcement of over 30 races
Yesterday, the International Boat Show of Barcelona closed the Port Vell International On-Water Exhibition which, from the 26th of October to the 2nd November, exhibited 250 large boats as a complement to the show in the Gran Vía exhibition centre, which closed its doors in the 30th of October. This year’s show, which featured 600 national and foreign exhibitors, reached an all-time high. It hosted 118 side events and was marked by major international participation.
The activities programme included Internáutica 2005, an international business forum which put together companies from 8 European and Latin American countries, with the aim of promoting trade relations between the SMEs on both continents and exchanging information on processes related to new technologies. Internáutica’05 was organised by the Centro Europeo de Empresas e Innovación de Galicia (CEEI Galicia, S.A) and by the Instituto Galego de Promoción Económica (IGAPE) within the framework of the AL-INVEST III programme promoted by the European Union. Another professional event was the 2nd Nautical Tourism Booking Exchange Market, which brought together international tour operators and companies dedicated to nautical sports activities.
Sports aspect
The announcement of over 30 international races, such as the Volvo Ocean Race, the Barcelona World Race, the King’s Cup, the Christmas Race, the Breitling and La Ruta de la Sal, was another highlight this year, together with the presence of the Desafio Español in the America’s Cup in Port Vell. The sports events attracted numerous racers, Olympic medal winners and navigators of international prestige to the Barcelona Boat Show.
Another very popular sporting highlight was the Boat Show Pro Am Sailing race, in which Olympians and other famous personalities participated. Throughout the week, various groups learnt the theory and practice of navigation in clinics taught by experts.
Technological innovation in the nautical industry was also featured in a space organised by Innovamar, as well as R&D&I awards ceremonies. The results of the SNB-MDY prizes for Technological Innovation and Yacht Design were announced during the Boat Show. 15 projects were entered in the contest, 11 of which were Spanish and 4 foreign.
Major Trade Platform
Overall audience figures for the 44th Boat Show were similar to last year: 175,000 visitors between the two exhibition centres (Gran Vía and Port Vell). This is a sign of the success of the event, at which visitors showed interest in purchasing nautical products, in participating in the programmed activities and seeing the new products exhibited. 70% of Spanish sales are initiated at the Barcelona International Boat Show, making it an outstanding trade platform for sales of boats and other sports and recreational boating products.
Several groups of buyers from Norway, France, Denmark, Portugal, Russia and Italy visited the Barcelona Show, which is one of the leaders in Europe. Its exposure is endorsed by the 566 accredited journalists, 80 of which were foreign from 18 countries.
An all time high: 100,000 m2 of exhibition space
For the first time, the Show had 100,000 square meters net of exhibition space; 60,000 in the Gran Vía exhibition centre and 40,000 in Port Vell. The Gran Vía venue had three pavilions (1, 2 and 3) compared to two last year, in addition to the exhibition centre’s outdoor areas. Another dock was incorporated in Port Vell to accommodate the 250 large boats in the On-Water Show, which has grown considerably (160 boats in 2004), as has the rise of the large boat segment in the international market.
The next International Boat Show of Barcelona will be held from the 4th to the 12th November 2006. The organisers forecast an increase in space in both the Gran Vía exhibition centre, with the incorporation of new pavilions, and in the Port Vell docks for the On-Water Show on the same dates.
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(Informationsquelle: Fira BCN)
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