A delicate context
It's not a time for celebration at boat shows. The cancellation of the 2 e of the Paris Nautic, was followed by other announcements of postponed events, such as Marstrand in Sweden, or Boatlife near London.
But after a successful first edition, the organizers of the Marseille Boat Show, initially named Med In Voile, decided to capitalize on this success and make the event a permanent fixture, as Marie Doher, co-organizer of the show and commercial director of Midi Nautisme, explains:
"After learning belatedly of the cancellation of the Nautic de Paris in 2024, we had to react in order to maintain a commercial dynamic between the autumn shows and the Nauticales de la Ciotat. In partnership with Sillage, we set up this show, which attracts a local clientele, but whose results exceeded our expectations, motivating us to organize a new edition. We set up an association, and took the time to talk to the various players, notably the boatyards, who agreed to support us by bringing demonstration boats."
A fully afloat show
For this year's event, some 27 sailboats will be on display, all afloat and only sailboats.
"As distributors of sailboats, we decided to give the show a sailing identity, which helped us stand out from other events. In fact, this choice has an influence on the typology of our visitors, but it also enables us to complement events such as the Cannes boat show or the Nauticales in La Ciotat.
We have been approached by motorboat dealers, but for the time being, we prefer to maintain this marketing choice.
In the first edition, we only exhibited brands distributed by the organizing companies. This year, we've invited other brands to join us. Equipment manufacturers will also be represented, as will financing organizations."
A good indicator for the 2025 season
In a context marked by periods of short-time working on major construction sites, this end-of-year show will be an interesting barometer to observe when assessing the 2025 season. Orders signed at the end of the year will be delivered by next summer. Boat shows remain key events for the sector. Autumn boat shows such as the Grand Pavois in La Rochelle and the Cannes Yachting Festival were well attended, proving that interest in yachting remains intact.
