A shared observation
The difficulties of the Paris Nautic had been observed for several years, but discussions had never been made in the open until the 2022 edition, following which the Nautical Industries Federation and its subsidiary dedicated to the Nautic Festival shows, launched a consultation. Its president, Fabien Métayer, was able to take stock of the situation with the professionals at the beginning of 2023. "From mid-January to mid-February, we conducted 18 workshops with 251 registrants. They were open to all professionals, recent exhibitors or not, divided by trade. We knew that the positions taken could be different depending on the trade. Over a period of 2 hours, we shared a diagnosis for 45 minutes, before drawing up a list of options for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Our assessment of strengths and weaknesses was validated by the participants, who voted. There was only one person who did not vote on it."
The participation rate of exhibitors in the process remains low, at 68% if we retain the announced number of 650 exhibitors at Nautic 2022.
Big gaps
Nautic Festival's strengths include the show's reputation and resilience, but it also lists a number of weaknesses: the decline in visitors and exhibitors, which has been halved since 2008, the international aspect, the cost of the show due to the Parisian environment and the space at the Porte de Versailles, its length, the lack of support from local authorities, and the absence of a digital strategy. He also sees the environmental context as both a threat and an opportunity. The multiple crises are also a possible brake.
A target still unclear
The organizer then tried to answer 4 questions with the professionals: Who is the Nautic for? How do we do it? Where and when? For how long and how often?
The answers are less certain there, concedes Fabien Métayer. "The target is very diffuse. Exhibitors don't come looking for the same thing, especially between trades, some more BtoB, others more BtoC. The manufacturers explain that they only see the majority of their customers in Paris. What is clear is that there will be no space dedicated solely to BtoB in the show. As for the how, no one has said that the Nautic should disappear, but given the disappointing effect of the last editions, the sine qua non condition is to do something radically different."
A difficult date to find
The calendar of boat shows may be upset if the new Parisian event sticks to the announcements of this March 21, 2023. Indeed, Nautic Festival wants it to be held in mid-October, to take advantage of outdoor opportunities. If the proximity with the dates of the Grand Pavois, which already often suffers from the weather, does not seem to be a problem for the organizer, he concedes a potential conflict of date with Barcelona, but the autumn places are rare. "For equipment and trading, spring was unthinkable, with boat preparation and local trade shows."
Finally, the shorter duration of 6 days including a weekend, probably from Tuesday to Sunday, was agreed upon, with a rather annual frequency.
Between outdoor and digital
With the new dates, Nautic Festival wants to move to the Seine, to offer an outdoor and afloat part, but the organizer is careful not to give too many details. "First we need to finalize agreements with partners. We want to be able to immerse boats and do some tests depending on the area where we will be. We also want to regain control of the show's editorial line, with conferences and workshops, and to do this we need to do what we did for Virtual Nautic, to create the offer together. We need a synergy of collective construction of the show. Nautic Festival was in an impossible position when 2 months before, we didn't know who was coming and with what."
To build this new offer, Nautic Festival has reshuffled its teams, with the departure of the general commissioner Alain Pichavant. It intends to review its organization in depth. "We had to make choices, with significant structural costs. We have to look at reorganizing ourselves with partners. It's not our job to create a digital pathway, and that's a strong focus, for example. We need to make a qualitative leap and in terms of skills."
Now we need to know more precisely the place to imagine the real content of the future Nautic.
