Offensive of the Nautical Industries Federation at the inauguration
The Cannes Yachting Festival is the subject, as we have mentioned several times on BoatIndustry, of a legal procedure concerning the ownership of the Mediterranean boat show and its management. It opposes Reed Expo and the Federation of Nautical Industries (FIN). While tensions between the parties were thought to have subsided, pending a judgment hoped for the end of the year, the speech of Yves Lyon-Caen, president of the FIN, transmitted to the press contrary to usual, has awakened the tensions. "I will not speak about the subjects which annoy, whose evocation could tarnish the pleasure of this inauguration: these subjects will be decided by the judges by the end of this year. These issues will be decided by the judges by the end of this year," began the representative of the profession, who however was quick to launch the offensive against the plans of Reed Expo for the 2019 edition of the show. Denouncing a "choice of fait accompli", he criticized a "diktat" imposed on exhibitors of sailing and marine equipment that will move to Port Canto next year. He finally concluded with a budgetary promise: "For its part, the board of directors of the FIN decided this morning, if justice rules in its favor, that it would allocate to this investment the additional financial margin released by the expansion of the show."
When asked by BoatIndustry about these statements, FIN's general delegate, Fabien Métayer, does not see any desire for controversy, but a great concern for the future of the show.
Reed Expo defends its project for the Port Canto Sailing Show
Invited by BoatIndustry to react to Yves Lyon-Caen's remarks, Michel Filzi, president of Reed Expo, defends his working method. "With the term fait accompli, the FIN pretends to ignore the work done. We started with a meeting in March 2018 with the 40 largest sailing and motor yards. Technical work was then done on several scenarios. Finally, one-on-one discussions in June 2018 with the 15 largest sailing shipyards allowed the new project to be presented. Nevertheless, I note a double convergence on the absolute need to expand the Cannes Yachting Festival and on the passage of sailing in Port Canto. ". He also indicates that he has already identified the difficulties highlighted by the president of the FIN, concerning transport, catering or stands. "We invest 200,000euros more in Port Canto, taken from the margin, to allow the proper development of the Cannes dual show. And if it wishes to participate, I invite the FIN to abound these investments with a part of the royalty that we pay him."
Everyone counts their troops
Last episode of the opposition, Reed Expo and the Federation of Nautical Industries invited on Thursday, September 13, the exhibitors at the same time, but in different places, to a meeting on the future of the show. Each one counted its troops. The FIN entrusted representatives of the various nautical professions with the task of transmitting their grievances to Reed Expo. It is now very difficult for observers to separate legitimate concerns about a new organization from a continuing power struggle. Let's hope for the sake of the profession that justice will decide as soon as possible and designate a single legitimate organizer for the Cannes Yachting Festival 2019.
