Southampton International Boat Show celebrates another phenomenal event

The 53^rd Southampton International Boat Show drew to a close yesterday (Sunday 25 September 2022) with organisers, exhibitors, sponsors and visitors alike heralding the show a great success.

Boasting more exhibitors, debuts and boats than ever before a total of 685 individual stands and berths covered the show’s 70,000+ square meter footprint.  Over 650 craft were on display across the show, with some 300 boats berthed in the marina alone.   The show also welcomed 126 new companies and hosted 167 UK and World debuts.

“There has been a fabulous atmosphere at this year’s show and the feedback we’ve received from exhibitors from across the industry has been exceptional, with many indicating very strong sales”, commented Lesley Robinson, CEO, British Marine.

“The show has put a real smile on everyone’s face with a fantastic mix of products, talks, entertainment and refreshments, plus our stunning new VIP experience.  We’ve welcomed everyone from boating newbies to seasoned sailors and watersports enthusiasts and the wide choice of sailing yachts, motorboats, accessories, paddle boards, kayaks and services has been incredibly well-received.”

Set against the stunning backdrop of Europe’s largest purpose-build show marina, the show was bigger and better than ever before, providing the perfect setting for marine businesses to showcase the very best the industry has to offer.

With three days of national mourning and the closure of the show for one day as a mark of respect for Her Majesty, we have seen an expected impact on visitor numbers.  We have welcomed over 83,000 people to the show over nine days. 

“Despite the sad circumstances of recent weeks, we are delighted to have welcomed so many people to the show and it is apparent that there continues to be is a real appetite for all things marine and people looking to find different ways to get out on the water”, commented Lesley.

Alongside craft of all shapes and sizes, from paddleboards and kayaks to towering superyachts, plus a whole host of products and services from engines and life rafts to clothing and rigging, the show places a real emphasis on giving people the opportunity to get out on the water and give it a try.

“Through our Get Afloat, Try-A-Boat and Try-A-Boat+ experiences we’ve hosted over 14,000 visitors on the water, trying everything from dinghy sailing, paddleboarding and kayaking to RIB rides, yacht cruising and motorboating.  Visitors have also been able to get out on the water onboard a selection of fascinating and historic craft including the Morgenter tall ship, F8 landing craft, motor gun boat 81 and the high-speed launch 102.  

“I would like to offer my thanks to Rockley Waterports, Flexisail and Portsmouth Historic Dockyard for making the on the water experiences such a huge success”, Lesley added.

A new addition to the 2022 show was the brand-new Quayside Club VIP experience and it proved a hot ticket for many show visitors.  With some of the very best seats in the show, the exclusive waterfront lounge delivered 5-star hospitality throughout the show.

“We have been delighted with how well the new VIP experience has been received at the show”, commented Lesley.  “The food, atmosphere and hosting staff has been exceptional, and we hope that in future years even more visitors will take advantage of it and add a real touch of luxury to their visit.”

Southampton International Boat Show would like to extend its thanks to all the show’s sponsors, exhibitors and of course visitors, who make the show a great success.

“With the feedback we receive from visitors and exhibitors our thoughts now turn to planning for next year and we look forward to welcoming everyone back in 2023”, concluded Lesley.

Watch the show round up video here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdxCTArCjQ4

Early bird ticket offer… plus your chance to win a pair of top-tier VIP tickets!

Today (Monday 26 September) sees the launch of the Southampton International Boat Show 2023 early bird ticket offer. 

There are 5,000 early bird tickets available for just £19.99 and once they’re gone, they’re gone. (The early bird ticket offer runs until the end of October 2022). 

As part of this fantastic offer, if you purchase your tickets by 10am on Thursday 29 September 2022 you will also be entered into a free prize draw to win a pair of our top-tier VIP tickets to next year’s show!

So don’t miss out on this fantastic offer, get your tickets today.  Visit https://www.southamptonboatshow.com/visitor-information/tickets/

What the exhibitors said:

boatfolk

Our team at boatfolk would like to thank all of our customers, visitors, brand ambassadors and British Marine for giving everyone a great boat show.  It has been fantastic; vibrant, sunny and lots to see.  We look forward to seeing you in 2023!  And don’t forget, James Harayda, William Croxford and Timothy Long – three young upcoming sailors having a big impact on the sailing scene with their respective campaigns; we hope more of our friends in the marine industry will lend their support to these inspirational people.

Borrow A Boat – Peter Harrison-Hill, Sales Director and Founder of Helm

It has been a really busy show for us and it has been great to see many familiar and new faces at the show.  We have a great team, a great stand, it’s been our best year ever.  This year we sponsored the Quarterdeck Bar & Restaurant and we look forward to being back next year.

Cockwells Modern & Classic Boatbuilding

Cockwells Modern & Classic Boatbuilding saw great success at the show, selling two Duchy 35s, two Duchy 27s and two Duchy Sport vessels from their award-winning Duchy Motor Launches fleet. The Duchy Sport world debut gained particular interest as the ultimate family fun boat for active watersports enthusiasts.

Drascombe

We’ve had plenty of genuine enquiries and are delighted to have sold four of the five boats on display here this year.

Fairline

It’s great to see the show back to its pre-pandemic levels with large visitor numbers.  Sales for new and used boats both in the UK and med are strong and we are very happy.  It is a really well-run show and we’ve been very lucky with the weather.  Can’t wait for next year, it’s a shame it’s all over so soon.

Freedom Boat Club - Amy Richards, EMEA Marketing Manager

We pride ourselves on making boating simple and accessible for all and we have enjoyed engaging with visitors from all over the region, whether new to boating or experienced boaters on how simple we make boating here and at over 360 locations worldwide. It was our first time exhibiting at SIBS since we launched here in the UK in 2021, and the perfect opportunity to celebrate the opening of our two new locations at Britain’s largest boat show. We look forward to next year and in the interim hope to see you on the water soon!

Isuzu

The Southampton International Boat Show has been a great success for Isuzu UK, with the Award-Winning Isuzu D-Max being the perfect match to the needs of the boating world.

Pantaenius UK – Simon Hedley, Head of Commercial Partnerships

It was great to see the show back in full swing with the sun shining for good measure! Pantaenius had a great show giving us the chance to connect with existing and new clients as well as our many marine industry partners – see you in 2023!

Premier Marinas

The Southampton Boat Show has been a perfect platform for us to build relationships with our berth holders and meet new customers. Our ten marina teams have also enjoyed getting involved.

Princess

We were thrilled to be back in force at Southampton International Boat Show 2022. This year’s show was back to normal, so it was fantastic to see visitors enjoying everything that makes this particular show so special.

RIBEYE boats

It has been a sensational show.  We have a new stand this year, which has been bigger than ever, and it has really paid off.  There has been an amazing vibe on the stand and it has been great to see existing and new customers face-to-face.  We look forward to being back even bigger and better next year.

RS Sailing & RS Electric Boats

Despite the current situation, people have made the effort to come down to the show; the weather has helped.  There are more stands, a higher quality of products and we’ve definitely seen more electric and automotive stands at the show, including the RS Electric, which is a real game changer.  From a sustainability point of view the shows commitment to be more sustainable will only make it more popular.  It really has got it all.

Spirit Yachts – Karen Underwood, Managing Director

It’s been fantastic to be back at Southampton International Boat Show.  Our electric drive, modern classic yachts were extremely popular as people look to find more sustainable sailing opportunities.  It was also encouraging to see the show taking steps to lower the carbon footprint of the event.

Sunseeker

The Sunseeker Family thrive when they are together as a team. Nowhere is this demonstrated more than at Boat Shows when we get to spend time with our valued clients. Our head-turning displays at both Southampton International Boat Show and Cannes Yachting Festival has seen us achieve great success across the range. Our sales team will now depart Southampton and journey to Genoa’s Salone Nautico, continuing to Monaco Yacht Show which starts next Wednesday. There is great confidence in the industry, and Sunseeker’s phenomenal range coupled with a strong product plan for the future is once again seeing us lead the way. We are thrilled to announce record sales so far during the 2022 Boat Show Season. We look forward to bright future.

Suzuki – Mark Beeley, Head of ATV and Marine

The Southampton International Boat Show really is the British marine industry at its best.  We all come together here and showcase what we do to the public.  We’ve had fantastic footfall, just another awesome show.  Nearly 100 people a day have taken part in our Suzuki RIB experience and enjoyed getting out on the water, which is what it is all about.  We were also delighted to welcome 120 colleagues from our HQ to show who all had a fantastic day out.

The SUP Co.com

It has been a great show, lots of visitors and lots of interest.  Paddleboarding continues to grow and is one of the best and most affordable way to get out on the water.  We can’t wait to be back next year.

The Wolf Rock Boat Company - Nick Bailey

It has been so exciting to see 5 new brands to the UK being so well received.

Ultimate Boats -Chris Clarke, Digital Marketing Manager

Phenomenal; there has been great interest in our M class here at the show, the boat has been in and out of its berth all show.  It has been incredible and without a doubt we will be here next year and we’ll be looking to expand our presence at the show.

Date for your diary!   

Southampton International Boat Show - 15-24 September 2023