A new layout, more boats on the water and a shorter format in store for the 2013 Genoa Boat Show
Organisers of the Genoa Boat Show are working hard on changes to this year’s event to arrest an alarming decline in attendance.
Back in 2007, the Genoa event was riding high as Europe’s biggest boat show but the onset of the global economic crisis saw hemorrhaging visitors, dropping from a six-year high of 324,000 to 176,282 in 2012.
In response, the exhibitions’s organisers, Fiera di Genova and Ucina, have brought the show forward this year to start on October 2 and shortened it from nine to five days.
Other big changes include a new layout, a wider variety of exhibition areas, new services and a commitment “to create a dialogue with Genoa itself”.
“The evolution of the event has been planned after listening to and investigating the issues raised and the points made by several parties at the end of last year’s show,” organisers said.
“A listening exercise which was conducted by Ucina… and by Fiera di Genova. This and much more input information was used to redesign the show, in a manner that would better respond to the market’s new requirements, with the aim to maintain the event’s leadership status.”
The big change from a visitor’s perspective will be an increased number of boats on the water, a number of which will be available to sea trial at the show itself.
The new layout and signpost system, meanwhile, are designed to create a better flow around the fairground, saving both time and your feet.
More food and beverage areas, new interactive exhibition spaces focusing on the “main trends in the boating sector”, improved Wi-Fi access and discounted online ticketing should also help Genoa recapture some of its lost mojo.
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