63rd GENOA INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW PRESENTED BY THE ITALIAN MARINE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE FROM 21st TO 26th SEPTEMBER.
These are the most important figures defining the 63rd edition of the Genoa International Boat Show this year, organised by the Italian Marine Industry Association Confindustria Nautica and its operational subsidiary I Saloni Nautici and presented yesterday in Genoa.
“This is an event – stated Saverio Cecchi, President of the Italian Marine Industry Association – that has always interpreted and represented the yachting industry as a whole, which continues to grow: forecasts predict the sector’s turnover to exceed 7 billion euros and exports to generate record numbers”. Official data will be provided on 21st September when the latest edition of the market analysis book Nautica in Cifre LOG, produced by the Italian Marine Industry Association’s Research and Market Intelligence department in cooperation with the Edison Foundation, will be presented. “We are all obviously keen to hear these figures,” continued Cecchi, “but let’s remember that they represent a single frame of a film that tells a story of Italian success. The Genoa Boat Show was the original, an example followed by others. It was the driving force behind the international growth of Italian shipyards, which had been operating since the 1950s, and positioned them at the peak of world production. It has never missed a year, not even during the storm that was Covid. With the completion of the Waterfront redevelopment plan, of which we can already see the first important results this year, the Boat Show will become a truly global platform for business development across the sector and everything that revolves around it, a unique location in the world“.
Cecchi’s opening statement was followed by the greetings of Genoa Mayor Marco Bucci, Italian Trade Agency General Manager Lorenzo Galanti, Genoa Chamber of Commerce President Luigi Attanasio, Porto Antico di Genova S.p.A. President Mauro Ferrando, and President of the Liguria Regional Council, Giovanni Toti.
The doors of the 63rd Genoa International Boat Show will open on Thursday 21st September with the inaugural conference “Industria nautica. La storia del future” (“The yachting industry, the history behind the future”), which will feature an exceptional line up of institutional guest speakers. The attendance of Italian Minister for Infrastructures and Transport, Matteo Salvini, Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso, Minister for Defence Guido Crosetto, President of the Confederation of Italian Industries Carlo Bonomi, and ENI President Giuseppe Zafarana have already confirmed their participation.
“For the Italian Marine Industry Association, the Genoa International Boat Show is also an essential tool for industrial policy makers, a place to discuss strategic issues in view of the consolidation of our industry’s competitiveness and to project the sector towards a sustainable future” – underlined Marina Stella, General Manager of Confindustria Nautica. “The Genoa Boat Show will therefore also become a hub for informing, training and comparing notes with the FORUM23 conference programme, which this year boasts the patronage of none other than the European Commission, while also acting as a vehicle to promote Made in Italy products with the Italian StartUp project developed in cooperation with the Italian Trade Agency. Thanks to the Agency’s support, the international invitation programme will also be strengthened, bringing to Genoa the most important operators from throughout the sector and specialised foreign press, who will be arriving from as many as 35 different countries, from all five continents. The Genoa International Boat Show will also provide visibility to the best and most innovative international yachting products with the fourth edition of the Design Innovation Awards, the international Jury of which, chaired this year by Maria Porro, President of the Salone del Mobile (the Milan Furniture Show), will examine over 90 applications in order to award innovation, functionality, and sustainability. In order to celebrate the culture of the sea in general and the history of the event itself, the 2023 edition will also host two brand new projects: a photographic exhibition drawn from the historical archive of periodical Il Secolo XIX and a film review – See2Sea – dedicated to all the different ways in which one can truly experience the sea“.
“It is essential that we do what we can to build a sustainable industry. And the Italian Marine Industry Association is doing so by using its most powerful tool, the Genoa International Boat Show, raising awareness of a topic that cannot be ignored. Yachting has a minimal environmental impact, 0.06% according to the official IMO (International Maritime Organisation) data, but we still want to make sure we commit to cutting down those emissions too,” highlighted Carla Demaria, Managing Director of I Saloni Nautici. “The promise we made last year has been kept. Anticipated even. We organised the first World Yachting Sustainability Forum in June in cooperation with IBI – International Boating Industry and with the contribution of McKinsey & Company to start charting the course. The 63rd Genoa International Boat Show will be a key moment to present the second edition of the Forum and take stock of the many projects underway and of the upcoming challenges for the yachting industry. The Association will play its part, pooling all its resources and opportunities to make a meaningful contribution in the interest of the entire supply chain”.
Alessandro Campagna, the Boat Show’s Sales Manager: “Both the strength and the uniqueness of the Genoa International Boat Show lie in its ability to represent and meet the expectations of each and every sea lover. The Show is a “multi-specialised” event due to the breadth and depth of the ranges of products displayed in each category, which make it 5 Boat Shows in one”.
This edition will be characterised by the venue’s grand transformation, set within the virtuous project of the Waterfront di Levante redevelopment, following the design of renowned architect Renzo Piano. The location is no longer simply the place where the Genoa International Boat Show takes place. Now the waterfront is becoming an asset for new display solutions, for the expansion of available spaces, and for services to visitors and exhibitors with the aim of becoming an increasingly spectacular and exciting place to be.
“An event – concluded Campagna – that continues to maintain as strong a growth trend as ever; and it is with this constant growth that the organisers’ responsibility also increases, focusing more and more on providing a sustainable event, having already renewed the agreement signed by the Boat Show and its exhibitors and suppliers, all committing to adhere to the Sustainability Honor Code with the objective of coinciding the completion of most of the Waterfront redevelopment plan with the event’s achievement of the ISO20121 certification”.
Year after year, the Genoa International Boat Show consolidates its position as an increasingly attractive platform for high-end brands that enrich its offer every edition. Sponsors and technical partners of the 63rd edition is: Official Car: Mercedes – Benz ; Official Timepiece: Eberhard & Co.; Welcoming partner: Bper Banca; Official Clothing Partner: Helly Hansen; Sponsors: Sara Assicurazioni ; Technical Partners: Euthalia Fragrances, Rina, Ingemar, Kartell, Waterfront Di Livante, CDS Holding; Environmental Partner: AMIU Genova.
Institutional Partners of the 63rd Genoa International Boat Show are the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Italian Trade Agency (Agenzia ICE), the Liguria Region, the Genoa City Council, and the Genoa Chamber of Commerce.
Marco Bucci, Mayor of Genoa: “The Genoa International Boat Show is just around the corner: an event that for 63 years has stood by our city, helping it to become one of the true international yachting capitals. We are building the future together, thanks to a great deal of synergy that exists between the public and private sectors that generates valuable results for the territory as a whole. This year, we will attend an edition held at the heart of the new Waterfront di Levante redevelopment project, the ambitious and imposing operation that will give back to all the citizens of Genoa the stunning sea view they deserve. A unique stage to welcome the very best of the yachting industry from all over the world, with a significant return of tourism for the city as well. In this sense, our focus is on hospitality. We are fully aware of how major changes affect the daily life of every citizen: changes undertaken for the benefit of our children, in order to leave them an even greater city to experience. Genoa and the International Boat Show have always counted on their unique talent of being able to evolve together, a success story that depends heavily on our ability to cooperate and will lead us towards ever new horizons.”
Lorenzo Galanti, Director General of the Italian Trade Agency: “The Genoa International Boat Show is among the most representative events of the Made in Italy brand in the world, representing one of the fastest growing sectors in recent years. The Italian yachting industry ranks first in Europe and third in the world for nautical exports. The data shows the exceptional reputation and competitive positioning of Made in Italy yachting. The Italian Trade Agency is committed to supporting the Genoa Boat Show through a variety of activities including the international invitational project aimed at buyers and specialised foreign press. The Genoa International Boat Show is also a global showcase for innovation, which is why our Agency is committed to supporting Startups and SMEs, presenting the ideas of innovative startups working in the yachting industry“.
Luigi Attanasio, President of the Genoa Chamber of Commerce: ‘I would like to congratulate the yachting industry, a flagship of Italian industry as a whole, which can be summarized in the words: ‘well-made and beautifully-made’. The Chamber of Commerce supports the activities of the 63rd Genoa International Boat Show, including the Design Innovation Award, which rewards the most innovative products presented in Genoa. Together with the Italian Marine Industry Association we are working hard to make this an even more stunning edition and to affirm ourselves on the world stage“.
Mauro Ferrando, President of Porto Antico di Genova S.p.A: “Looking back, we can see how far we have come: the world of the Genoa International Boat Show has changed. The Boat Show is growing because the area hosting it is also constantly growing. We are all proud of the work being done to create the ideal environment for an International Boat Show in Genoa“.
Giovanni Toti, President of the Liguria Region: “Like every year, Genoa and Liguria are ready to welcome the Genoa International Boat Show, which for 63 editions has been showcasing the best of technology and design from the world of yachting. This sector, just like the entire blue economy system, is a crown jewel of Liguria’s economic framework, in terms of both production and tourist attractiveness: besides hosting leading companies in the nautical construction sector, with its record number of Blue Flags and its marinas, Liguria is also one of the most popular destinations for yachting enthusiasts, with incredible spin-off effects on the Region’s entire supply chain. The Genoa Boat Show itself also makes a significant contribution in terms of attendance figures, contributing to making September one of the most important months for Genoa and the surrounding territory thanks to the thousands of enthusiasts who come to visit it every year” – continued President Toti – “In this location, where Renzo Piano’s project is taking shape, the Liguria Regional Council will be present with its own stand, which this year will be devoted to the 15 Ligurian municipalities that have achieved the Blue Flag for marinas in 2023. Genoa is a real candidate to become the new Hollywood of Italy, because it allows us to dream. I think it should make us all proud‘.
