British excellence shines at Monaco Yacht Show 2015
Twenty-one British Marine and Superyacht UK companies showcased British excellence at the recent Monaco Yacht Show in the dedicated Superyacht UK Pavilion and on the Superyacht UK Lightwall initiative.
Over 121 luxury yachts were on display from builders, brokers and charter companies, along with a wide range of products and services.
At the Show, Superyacht UK and the International Superyacht Society (ISS) hosted a joint reception which saw British Marine President, Fiona Pankhurst, reinforce the strength of the UK’s superyacht sector. She highlighted the recently published Superyacht UK statistics which demonstrate an outstanding 10.2% growth for the year 2014/15 of a sector which now contributes £304m GVA to the UK GDP.
Mike Carr, Chairman of Superyacht UK and Joint MD of Pendennis Shipyard, said: “It’s been another great twelve months for the superyacht sector as domestic and international demand for UK products continues to grow. We are delighted to see the sector employing hundreds more people and that our members are making a noticeable contribution to the UK economy. The success is testament to our long standing heritage in the superyacht sector combined with the breadth of areas in which the UK has continued to excel.”
International Development Manager for British Marine, Richard Selby, added: “With a sustained upward trend now emerging we are planning greater impact and opportunity for our exhibitors by looking to create a ‘truly British’ theme at next year’s Monaco Yacht Show. British brands are globally respected and we need to make sure that remains the case.”
Superyacht UK Pavilion exhibitor success stories:
Jim Weir, Exmoor Technology: “Monaco Yacht Show was a fantastic success for Exmoor Technology and our YachtSurfer marine internet brand with many new contacts made and a number of high quality opportunities for new build and retrofit projects. The concept of the Superyacht UK Lightwall is a great way to exhibit at the show and the support from Superyacht UK and British Marine at the show was a major benefit. We’re looking forward to exhibiting on the Lightwall again at next year’s Show.”
Eifrion Evans, Lumishore: “The 2015 Monaco Yacht Show was the most positive for the superyacht industry since we’ve been exhibiting at this Show. The Superyacht UK Pavilion really buzzed and its ‘new’ location (now that the rest of the show has relocated around it) seemed to attract a greater footfall and interest in the UK companies represented than in previous years. The Superyacht UK Pavilion is a great platform for the world’s premium superyacht brands to recognise British product innovation. Our continued presence in the UK Pavilion enables us to showcase Lumishore’s underwater LED lighting systems, helping us secure awards such as the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, International Trade, which we won in 2015 for the second consecutive year – another great British success.”
Ralph Olingschlaeger, GN Espace: “Monaco Yacht Show is such a great meeting place for the industry and this year’s Show proved very successful for GN Espace. Having a presence on the Superyacht UK Pavilion is invaluable. It gives us a base to work from and we have the reassurance that any enquiries about GN Espace will be dealt with professionally and courteously by the British Marine team. We secured a couple of new galley supply contracts at the show with customers from Europe and the Far East, and also had very positive discussions with superyacht builder who intend on using our galley equipment on future projects.”
Dr Spike Briggs, Medical Support Offshore (MSOS): “We had a very good Show – this was our first. We learnt a lot, had a good amount of enquiries, and we’ll be back next year. The support from British Marine was invaluable, and the way the Superyacht UK Pavilion area was presented out was excellent.”
Amanda Marshall, Ensign/MCA: “Ensign/MCA have exhibited at the Monaco Yacht Show in the Superyacht UK Pavilion for several years now as there are many benefits to such arrangement including logistical, financial and professional. Having a stand in the same location over a period of years makes it easier for our customers to locate us. At this year’s Show The Head of Ensign had discussions and meetings with several parties regarding new build projects being built to MCA standards. It also provided an opportunity for many of our existing customers and contacts to discuss face to face with the surveyors ongoing projects, surveys and issues. The chief examiner was kept very busy with questions from crew members regarding qualifications and examinations.”
Mark Jaenicke, Viking Recruitment: “With the new location and bigger stand, thanks to Superyacht UK, Viking Recruitment and Maritime Skills Academy had one of the best Shows this year. Due to the change and expansion of Monaco Yacht Show, the team felt that more of the right people visited the Superyacht UK Pavilion and our stand. The support from British Marine & Superyacht UK yet again was outstanding, and being part of the Pavilion certainly boosts our company exposure throughout the superyacht industry. We also had the pleasure of sponsoring the SYUK/ISS Monaco Mixer drinks reception which was held on the Thursday evening. The event saw hundreds of people visit the Superyacht UK Pavilion which not only helped Viking Recruitment and Maritime Skills Academy, but also every company within the Pavilion.”
Tom Bettle, Clipper Telemed+: “We were initially attracted to the Superyacht UK Pavilion for the tremendous value it offered. The superyacht industry is a core sector for our new business, but as a new business traditionally exhibiting would have been impossible due to the cost. With the Lightwall and the benefits of being part of the Pavilion we were able to get in front of many potential new clients and our expectations have been surpassed.”
Michael Smillie, Luminart: “Exhibiting for the 5th year in the Superyacht UK Pavilion, the response to our presence at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show has been very strong. The new stand layout from British Marine elevated the look and feel of the Superyacht UK Pavilion with the new layout of the Show managing the visitors much better, maintaining a relatively busy feel to the area throughout the show.”
Rachel Coundon, Safinah: “Monaco Yacht Show 2015 was a big success for Safinah. Being on the Superyacht UK Pavilion put us right at the heart of the show and provided us with a perfect base to work from. The co-exhibitor package offered good value for money and the staff at British Marine were helpful from start to finish in making the arrangements go smoothly. We are looking forward to next year!”
Gemma Humphreys, Maritime Training Academy: “The Show was a great success for us and as usual it’s very important for us each year. This is the second year we’ve taken a Lightbox on the main Superyacht UK stand and it works perfectly for us. As I’m often busy with appointments, sometimes away from the stand, it’s great that there’s always a representative of British Marine there to take any messages whilst I’m away. The staff are great and always on hand when you need them, big hands up to Fiona and Richard for all their hard work!”
Alice Schwausch, BMT Nigel Gee: “This is the 10th year BMT Nigel Gee have exhibited at Monaco Yacht Show, this past two through the Superyacht UK Pavilion, which has worked fantastically for us. Overall we received a very positive response from the show mainly due to all relevant contacts being in one place, the ability to hold project meetings and the chance to see some beautiful yachts in the sunshine.”
Rob Wilder, Halyard: “We had a very successful Monaco Yacht Show 2015 meeting many of our existing and new superyacht clients. Our stand in the Superyacht UK Pavilion had a great buzz, as did the whole show this year.”
Sarah Johnson, Magma Structures: “As ever Monaco was an extremely busy show for us and it was very useful having a presence and a base on the Superyacht UK stand through their Lightwall initiative. It meant we were able to meet with our existing clients and contacts as well as having a visible presence for those companies looking to meet us for the first time and discuss composite projects.”
Lars Lippuner, Warsash Superyacht Academy: “It was an outstanding show for Warsash Superyacht Academy which saw a constant flow of crew and captains to their stand to seek advice and guidance on courses, changes to training requirements and career progression from Warsash’ technical staff. The location within Superyacht UK worked extremely well especially within this year’s revised show layout.”
Companies with an interest in taking part in the Superyacht UK Pavilion at Monaco Yacht Show next year should contact Fiona Day on fday@britishmarine.co.uk.
