A form of relief
A few hours before the opening of Nautic 2022, the profession was buzzing with rumors about the future of the Parisian yachting event. Many were announcing "the last edition", with a mixture of apprehension and sadness for some and relief for others.
At the opening of the doors on Friday evening, the number of visitors in the aisles was enough to make one worry. And yet, as the days went by, we could perceive a form of relief among some. "It's not so bad... Except during the French Team games, we had a little bit of a crowd..."
We will wait for the numbers to make a factual judgment, at least in comparison to other years, as the counts are often questioned.
A future to be invented
And the salon, which some condemned at the opening, seemed to be able to survive. This will not happen without a rethink. For the first time, even the organizers agreed at the opening press conference. "The Nautic is not viable as it is A consultation with exhibitors should lead to proposals in spring 2023. An exercise regularly announced, which this year will have no room for error.
A shorter event, moving to the Porte de Versailles, a show afloat on the Seine in the spring... There is no lack of possibilities. As we could see when we asked the few young people we saw in the aisles, boats are always a dream. Perhaps if Paris cannot sell boats, it must find ways to sell dreams to a wider public and sow seeds to fight against the reduction of the spectrum of practitioners.
