Versilia yachting Rendez-Vous: a new event is born in the field of boating excellence

Viareggio will host the first edition of the Versilia Yachting Rendez-vous, the new international event dedicated to high-end products of the nautical industry.

The event was presented today in Viareggio by the organisers – Fiera Milano with the support of the Tuscan Nautical and Ports District – and by NauticaItaliana, as a strategic partner. The Mayor of Viareggio, Giorgio Del Ghingaro, and the President of the Tuscan Regional Authority, Enrico Rossi, spoke at the presentation.

Versilia Yachting Rendez-vous was created with the intention of increasing awareness of the potential of the high-end yachting industry which, in Tuscany and in Versilia in particular, has a significant presence and deep traditional roots, where design, technology, and high quality craftsmanship are combined in a territory acknowledged all over the world for its beauty, art, hospitality and Italian lifestyle.

In the docks in Viareggio, in almost 50,000 square metres of water, about a hundred vessels of medium and large dimensions – the best expression of Italian and international boat building, will form the heart of the show. In the original setting of the Tuscan nautical district – a living and working open-air factory – an area covering 110,000 square metres will welcome visitors, nautical enthusiasts and professionals for four days, during the first Rendez-vous, which opens the 2017 nautical season.

Alongside the boats in the water, the show route will develop over four themed areas, dedicated to selected operators linked with prominent nautical industries: “Tender&Toys” will host manufacturers of technological tenders and other “leisure” solutions for large yachts. “Italian Coast Excellence” presents high quality nautical and tourist services dedicated to superyacht guests. “Superyacht Marina” will present the tourist ports that offer high quality facilities and services specifically dedicated to large vessels. “Superyacht Equipment and Component” brings together, in an innovative and original manner, a selection of manufacturers of accessories and components for super yachts.

The event, significantly driven by NauticaItaliana, is organised by Fiera Milano, in collaboration with the DistrettoTecnologico per la Nautica e la Portualità Toscana, with the support of the Tuscan Regional Authorities and the Municipality of Viareggio, with the intention of involving the entire industry, as well as national and international associations in the sector. The entire territory of Versilia, with its municipalities, will play an important role in terms of hospitality, as a stage and setting for the events that will take place during the days of the Versilia Yachting Rendez-vous.

“Viareggio has many resources, but the sea is the most important one. On one hand, it involves tourism and hospitality, on the other, the port and boat building sectors. Everything else is linked with these two important elements: from trade, to high-end craftsmanship. Because the inhabitants of Viareggio have a secret weapon: their creativity”, said Giorgio Del Ghingaro, Mayor of Viareggio. “This untethered creativity has accompanied them throughout the course of their history and has resulted, among other things, in the invention of the most beautiful boats in the world, which combine elegance and innovation here more than anywhere else in the world. Here, boats are not just sold, they are made. In my opinion, events like this indicate the will to carry on, to look to the future without losing our bearings. I would like to thank the Region, the organisers, and the companies that will be participating. In its heart, Viareggio has great potential for development: all we need is to believe, and to work hard to achieve our goals. Here, in this street, in front of these docks, are the heart and roots of the most authentic spirit of Viareggio. Starting from here was inevitable”.

“We are proud to support the Versilia Yachting Rendez-vous, an internationally relevant and open event, innovative in its content and format, capable of increasing awareness of nautical excellences, and with the intention of directly involving the territory” said Vincenzo Poerio, president of the DistrettodellaNautica e dellaPortualità Toscana. “Constantly comparing ourselves to the international context generates a positive comparison. Growth is tangible: the market for yachts above 50 metres recorded a 6% increase last year. This trend involves Viareggio directly, as a significant part of the overall turnover from mega yachts comes from here, thanks to the presence of a number of international super brands, and more than 1400 businesses. Out of about 400 vessels, about 100 were built by boatyards located in Viareggio: this means 25% of the international total. Viareggio and Tuscany represent the productive district of the large boatyards that built yachts exported throughout the world. Figures extracted from the 2016 Global Order Book acknowledge their role as a true global power in the industry. For all these reasons, it is logical and necessary for an event like the Versilia Yachting Rendez-vous to be organised, to emphasise the potential of the industries in this sector for a suitable seasonal period compared to the Italian and international nautical calendar. It is also natural for the choice to land on Viareggio, one of the most important nautical industrial settlements in the world”.

“I am convinced that our country must have a prominent trade fair in each field in which it can boast industrial excellence” says Roberto Rettani, president of Fiera Milano. “Fiera Milano is present, with its shows, in the key Made in Italy product categories, from fashion to furniture, from tourism to food&beverage. From this year, we will also have the nautical sector in our portfolio, and we are ready to organise an event that is truly unique in this sector. We have provided partners in the event with all our professional abilities in organising and managing large scale trade fairs, in order to guarantee an international event with the winning features we all expect”.

“We are happy. It is a very important day for the boating sector: a new event has been created for international yachting production, as an expression of the excellence of “know-how”. If it is true that each boat is a treasure chest of knowledge, technology, skill, creativity, aesthetics, and passion, then the Versilia Yachting Rendez-vous will provide a truly exceptional show, which, over the years, will bring strength to the entire sector and will create a unique opportunity for Versilia and, especially, Versilia will be driven to consolidate its vocation as an international Yachting City”, said LambertoTacoli, President of NauticaItaliana. “We are satisfied that NauticaItaliana is contributing to the creation of this new project, which extends, in a complementary way, the trade fair calendar in our country. With these foundations, Versilia Yachting Rendez-vous is intended to respond to the need for novelty and innovation in the sector, relevant across the board, and contaminating the entire territory”.

“The Region was happy to participate in the idea of organising an international event, capable of increasing awareness of the best Tuscan boat building production, and will firmly support this initiative. And it could not have been any other way, given the relevance of the Tuscan nautical sector in the national and international markets” said Enrico Rossi, president of the Tuscan Regional Authority. “In our region, there are 15,000 workers, more than a third of the Italian total, employed by 2,900 businesses active throughout the production chain, from building, to refitting, to services, to tourism. Turnover, at 1.5 billion Euro, represents 45% of the Italian turnover in the sector. A fourth of all megayachts sailing the seas around the world are built in Tuscany. These are the numbers behind our excellence and I think it is only natural that Versilia – the beating heart of this excellent productive district – should host an event that increases awareness of traits, products and abilities – in terms of entrepreneurship and craftsmanship – among its operators. So let us give a heartfelt welcome to the Versilia Yachting Rendez-vous, an effective lever in helping this sector grow even more”.

An integral part of the Versilia Yachting Rendez-vous will be the events, planned both inside and outside the main event, with the purpose of involving the entire territory. Each of the four days will develop a main theme: design (Thursday 11 May), gastronomic excellence (Friday 12 May), art (Saturday 13 May), and fashion (Sunday 14 May).

The Altagamma Foundation – which represents the high cultural and creative industry of the country, and with whom NauticaItaliana is affiliated – is involved in the creation of the calendar of events.