Autumn boat show schedule shrunk to a trickle
After the cancellation of the spring shows following the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic, health concerns seem to be overriding the autumn boating events. The return of yachting will not take place at the Cannes Yachting Festival, which was cancelled on August 21st, and the Grand Pavois is in question. Genoa looks like a survivor on the Mediterranean coast. More discreet than the shipyards, equipment and engine manufacturers are also affected by the situation. We asked them about its consequences and their strategies in relation to the market.
Image issues
The Cannes Yachting Festival is a place of representation, with an international vocation, and an important window of visibility for equipment manufacturers. " For Raymarine, Cannes has become a truly international trade show for all subsidiaries "explains Roger Desbois, head of the French subsidiary of the marine electronics brand. " We had a small booth set up to be present. This is important for our customers, whether professionals or yachtsmen "confirms Parick Leroux of inboard engine manufacturer Cummins.
At the Suzuki outboard specialist, the decision to withdraw for health reasons had already been imposed by the Japanese group a few weeks before. " It was difficult to bring the presidents from Japan with the travel restrictions. However, we had kept the partnerships on the motorization of the footbridges and the exhibition of engines "says Nathalie Geslin, in charge of brand communication in France.
Concerns for boat builders
The original equipment market is crystallizing the concerns of the equipment manufacturers questioned. " Today, the main impact of Covid is on the building sites that have stopped ordering equipment from us. On the other hand, in the aftermarket, we've almost caught up on the containment delay in June and July! Cannes would have been an indicator for the shipyards to restart their production. The fear is that in the absence of an indicator, they would be in a fallback position. If buyers wait for Düsseldorf in January, the recovery of the business will be set back "worries Roger Desbois. " How will shipyards manage to sell large boats over 40 feet without customers being able to visit them at boat shows? "asks Patrick Leroux, 95% of whose engines are sold directly to manufacturers. " We're going to continue to follow the construction sites as partners in their VIP weekends ".
Virtual communication, but not that..
Faced with the situation, everyone imagines their own way of working. " It's always complicated to do without the trade shows, but we've been able to adapt in some years "says Antoine Thoreau of equipment manufacturer Kent Marine, who was to have his own stand in Port Canto and to be able to influence those of suppliers such as Quick or SidePower. " We're going to rely on our direct links with our customers, use emailing, the web and social networks, coupled with actions in the field to promote our new product lines. "
" We were able to adapt in the car when we launched a new car right after the lockdown. We'll know how to do it for our new 140 HP outboard, with small regional operations. The same goes for the dealer and press convention, with several smaller events. We will also rely on our partnerships with Tara, Jérémie Beyou and Michel Desjoyeaux for communication "explains our contact at Suzuki Marine.
Cummins is also considering promotional activities. " We're going to have to get people to do maintenance on their boats. This will involve marketing incentives to support the agents, as the winter is likely to be long.. "notes Patrick Leroux.
