August 1, 2014

blogger - At It Again

The Italian nautical industry is at it again, with the new UCINA president, San Lorenzo boss Massimo Perotti, having a big challenge to what regards the project to make the Genoa boat show to what it was up until 2009. The main challenge this time around is coming from Azimut-Benetti Group who after advising that they where still thinking about participating in Genoa, confirmed that they will not take part in the 2014 edition. 
Azimut statement for this is fairly understandable, as it stands the Italian market is only 3% of its over six hundred million Euros of sales which regarded the 2013 year. Azimut declared that it will concentrate on the always and more international challenged Cannes show.
Surely the Genoa boat show, and UCINA have to think about there own ship, and the good news is that exhibitors numbers are up by 25% and Cranchi for example is returning to the show, after not participating in recent years. It will be an interesting view of Genoa without Azimut, but this show in my opinion have never been about one brand. In reality as a five time attendee to the show, it was mostly about the medium sized family run companies which help elevate the show and give it a unique identity.
Genoa is very different to the British or Southampton and London shows, where if a situation arises that one of Princess, Fairline or Sunseeker is missing, these shows gets classed to a category B. I think the real flavor of Genoa and the same story applies to the other big shows; Cannes, Dusseldorf, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami is about the international flavor of the show and the mixed variety one finds at it. May be Azimut-Benetti is missing an important note, and is impressive in my experience at boat shows how much that more expensive semi custom boat sometimes gives a hand to close a sale for the more celebrated better marketed brand.

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