29.09.2019

Final Report

83,300 visitors at the international water sports exhibition – Interboot harbor a major attraction on Lake Constance – Exhibitors satisfied overall with their sales

Exhibitors and Visitors Lie at Anchor for a Sunny Water Sports Experience

Friedrichshafen, Germany—After nine days of boats, boards and water sports accessories, the 58th Interboot exhibition closed on Sunday having received 83,300 visitors (compared to 86,500 in 2018). 468 exhibitors from over 20 different nations came aboard to present every aspect of water sports in the exhibition halls, on the fairground lake, and on Lake Constance. "As the second-largest water sports fair in Germany, Interboot once again attracted a well-funded and highly interested public," reported Messe CEO Klaus Wellmann. Aside from presenting the latest trends and novelties of the coming water sporting season, the exhibition boasted a diverse program of water sports events and trial opportunities.

Whether they were looking for a daysailer for the next regatta, a motor yacht for a Caribbean cruise, or the latest wakeboard to catch the perfect wave, Interboot presented its visitors with the full spectrum of water sports. "Judging by our impressions and conversations, our exhibitors did a good job overall and made good sales too," summarized project lead Dirk Kreidenweiß.The exhibitors reported satisfaction with the results. Kai Pohatschka, director of Yacht-Center GmbH, said, "I got the impression that this year's Interboot went better than last year's. Particularly during the week, we had customers at our booth with concrete intentions to buy. For us, Interboot is a good opportunity to pull in orders ahead of the winter. We attracted new customers loyal to the Sealine brand here. The charter sales model, which we've been offering as a business model for three years now, is growing at a prodigious rate, and we made concrete sales in that area as well. We're really very satisfied with the way the 2019 exhibition went."Hans Roelants, general manager for EMEA at Sea Ray Boats, added: "For us the entire exhibition was a huge success, even if some of the other exhibitors may say different. Our dealers were extremely well prepared in advance. As a manufacturer, we offered a good platform and showroom for our dealers to use, so our trade fair appearance was very successful overall."The Swiss exhibitors, too, drew a positive balance. As Beat Plüss, president of the Swiss boatbuilding association SBV and managing director at SNG, summed it up: "At Interboot, we had the opportunity to have a lot of good conversations with customers and also to make many new contacts with shipyards. In a few weeks we'll be able to give a more detailed result. It's important for us to be represented here, since Interboot is an indicator and a springboard for the next year. It's also particularly important for us in Switzerland. The visitors were very well informed and we'll definitely be attending Interboot again next year."Fun and excitement were the focus not only at the standing wave and the stand-up paddleboarding tryout pool in Hall B1. The fairground lake was also very popular, with wakeboarding shows, sailing tryouts in capsize-proof boats, and opportunities to try out all manner of fun sports equipment. At the stand-up paddling team challenge on Saturday, September 28, Tomislav Pavlovic and Michael Ummenhofer of the team "Mighty Manda at the Funky Bench" earned a starting spot at the BVI SUP Challenge in the Caribbean.Visitors were also able to enjoy water sports at Lake Constance, with about 100 sailboats, motorboats, and electric boats at the Interboot harbor available for test runs. The Friedrichshafen water front boasted an expansive program of exciting events, including the Interboot Trophy, the 38th German rubber boat slalom championship, the Action Day, the Mizu cup, and a regatta for vintage boats. In addition, interactive workshops and presentations at the Interboot academy provided visitors with specialist knowledge and practical advice on topics such as harbor maneuvering, VHF radio use, and many more.Interboot will drop anchor in Friedrichshafen again from September 19 to 27, 2020. Find out more online at 
www.interboot.de
, 
www.facebook.de/interboot
, 
www.instagram.com/interboot.friedrichshafen
 and #interboot.