On August 22nd, 2020, Reed Expo, organizer of the Cannes Yachting Festival, announced the cancellation of the autumn boat show, following the refusal of derogation to the maximum tonnage of 5000 people by the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture. Michel Vilair, General Manager of Reed Expo and Sylvie Ernoult, the show's commissioner, answer questions on the consequences of this decision for exhibitors, for their company and its commitment to the boating industry.
Following cancellation, what is your policy towards exhibitors?
Sylvie Ernoult: First of all, I would like to point out that all the changes linked to the organisation of the exhibition were made in consultation with the exhibitors, whom we consulted regularly. Withdrawal was made entirely free of charge before June 15 and some companies made this choice. From 15 June onwards, the commitment was made and the normal cancellation rules applied, although we were aware that provision was made for a refund of the deposits in the event of cancellation due to Covid-19, as was unfortunately the case. All those who remained committed to us until this decision will therefore be refunded the full registration fee at Reed.
What are the consequences for Reed Expo of a cancellation 3 weeks before the start of the Cannes Yachting Festival?
Michel Vilair: Without going into financial details, this is a situation we have been facing since the end of February when we had to cancel or postpone a dozen shows following the government decision. We are in the same situation for Cannes. We will deal with it. It's part of the ups and downs of a company's life. We will suffer the financial consequences without making our clients suffer them
How does the event impact the organisation of the Cannes Yachting Festival 2021 and Reed's involvement in boating, in the context of the ongoing procedure with the Federation of Nautical Industries on the attribution of the show?
Michel Vilair: The judgment was due in 2020, but will probably be handed down in 2021 in view of the situation. We will continue to manage the show with the Federation of Nautical Industries as we have done since the beginning of the crisis. We will prepare the 2021 edition. This doesn't call into question our ambition in relation to the Cannes Yachting Festival and our investments in the show. The proof of this is our desire to keep the 2 ports in 2020, whereas regrouping everything on 1 site would have reduced costs.
We are going to think about the conditions for re-booking for 2021 and we are going to ask ourselves questions about the organization of the show according to the evolution of the environment, without necessarily changing the format. After 2008, it took 10 years for the yachting industry to return to its pre-crisis sales levels. These are experiences to be taken into account. In any case, Reed Expo is a long-term project.
