Great Success Of The 2007 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show

The 2007 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show created unprecedented sales generating at least $A150m at the event. The Show smashed records across the board with a record 456 exhibitors, a record 53,156 visitors and huge sales actually confirmed at the event. The visitor tally was 7.04% above 2006 figures.

Confirmed figures of boats on water totalled 421 after a final count with a further 402 boats and personal watercraft in hardstand displays. Just some of the confirmed sales included:

• Riviera confirmed contracts for 30 boats including five confirmed sales of the Riviera 4700, which won the Australian Marine Industries Federation Boat of the Year Award. There were also sales of two Riviera 44s - which are yet to be produced. Riviera said that the total value of the sales at the Show amounted to $34.4 million.

• Other Australian manufacturers reported record sales at the Show. Mustang holds deposits for $8 million worth of sales including the sale of five M43 models.

• Sunrunner also had a successful show reporting the sale of 11 boats valued at some $7 million.

• Sunseeker headed the imported boats with a total of 10 boats valued at $31.9 million.

• There was keen interest in sailing craft as well. Australian manufacturer Seawind sold six catamarans valued at $2.5million and Jeanneau reported sales of $1.7 million.

Other sales included Activa Motor Yachts’ sale of an Activa 5100 valued at $995,000; and multi-million dollar sales of Horizon and Precision boats. Other brands sold include Monterey, Glacier Bay, Deep Vee, Fairline, Alaska, Beneteau and Palm Beach Motor Yachts.

Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show general manager Barry Jenkins said reports suggested it was the most successful show ever.

“We were astounded at the number of boats we confirmed were actually sold at the event – and we’d expect numerous sales to develop in coming weeks or months as a direct result of the Show,” he said.

“The confirmed sales are just what we know from exhibitors, we’d expect to hear about further success in coming days.”

Manager of Export Services Austrade Queensland Brendan Egan estimated international sales deals at the Show would bring millions of dollars to Australian manufacturers.

“The beauty of Sanctuary Cove is that internationals can come here and see everything that Australian companies have to offer. We’ve had the largest international delegation of Taiwanese here with representatives of 10 Taiwanese yards who are sourcing Australian products and components,” he said.

“The marine industry is a global supply chain. Bringing Taiwanese here exposes them to a wider range of products and we’d expect some significant purchases. “ Mr Egan said Malaysian companies at the Show were looking for Australian expertise in the area of infrastructure, marinas and services.

The Australian International Marine Export Group (AIMEX) general manager Mary-Anne Edwards said that internationals had been very impressed by the Show.

The 20th Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show will be staged Thursday, May 22 to Sunday, May 25, 2008.

Source: SCIBS