Working the show
The most important event in the yachting calendar is upon is. Next week, the industry will descend upon Monaco for the 2014 Monaco Yacht Show. But as a predominantly business-focused show, what's the role of a captain? We hear from two captains about the good and the bad of the biggest event of the year.…
The countdown has begun. In T minus six days the Monaco Yacht Show will be upon us, and key industry players will find themselves part of the most important event of the 2014 yachting calendar...
The Monaco Yacht Show is known for differing to its somewhat more relaxed competitors, such as the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show or the Antigua Charter Show – the succeeding shows of 2014. As such, captains attending the Monaco Yacht Show find themselves in an environment that differs to those presented at most other events on the yachting calendar. It’s a show where, despite the seemingly never-ending rush, business is the focus, and with captains in today’s industry taking on a much more managerial role on board, what does the Monaco Yacht Show really mean for them?
For Captain Colin Boyle of Cloud 9, captains attending the show with a view to offer a yacht for sale certainly have some challenges ahead. “When charged with presenting a yacht for sale at the Monaco Yacht Show – particularly a yacht that’s new to the sales market – that really has to become the focus of the week. With broker viewings, client viewings, press, broker and client cocktail parties, late viewing nights and an astounding number of suppliers, potential suppliers, crew, ex-crew and salesmen, the week is insanely busy,” Captain Boyle explains. “At the last Monaco Yacht Show, I took a 45-minute walk off the yacht – the remaining time is on board.”
It is important to remember that, as the yacht’s captain, you’re at the top of the priority list for many attendees, which can itself present its own difficulties. “If a captain ventures to the end of the passerelle to talk with a supplier, I quickly discovered that a queue forms behind them with others keen to make their pitch and thrust their marketing material into your hand. Quite simply, it’s overwhelming,” says Captain Boyle. “Very little of the printed matter left with crew actually makes it over my desk – it’s basically recycled promptly.
However, attending the show alone can offer a very different experience.“The best experience of the Monaco show was back in 2008 when I was building Cloud 9 and attending looking to meet suppliers of goods and services relevant to the new build," explains Captain Boyle. "With no brokers, boat or crew to look after, the event was highly successful for me with everyone I needed to get hold of conveniently located in one place.”
It is perhaps this reason why the show is so popular: all the key players from the industry are together. This is certainly the draw for Captain Joss de Rohan Willner of Baton Rouge, on display with Burgess at the show next week. “The Monaco Yacht Show for me is the best show on the calendar, and in no small part due to the fact that it is a relatively compact show just dedicated to luxury yachting. It is easy to get to and easy to get around – this is makes it so much easier to catch up with industry colleagues.”
For Captain De Rohan Willner, the show is the perfect chance to catch up with the past and look to the future. “I really enjoy wandering around the show, seeing new tenders, new technology and new ideas and also catching up with the many shipyard directors and staff who I have shared projects with in the past,” he says.
“Clients in the charter market who visit the show get a rare opportunity to go on board and tour many yachts in one place,” he adds. “It is also no surprise that I see more yacht owners and prospective owners at the Monaco Yacht Show than at any other show. Who can resist such a beautiful venue?”
During the Monaco Yacht Show, The Crew Report will be telling crew and industry players about its Superyacht Golden Ticket competition. For more information, click here.
The Monaco Yacht Show is known for differing to its somewhat more relaxed competitors, such as the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show or the Antigua Charter Show – the succeeding shows of 2014. As such, captains attending the Monaco Yacht Show find themselves in an environment that differs to those presented at most other events on the yachting calendar. It’s a show where, despite the seemingly never-ending rush, business is the focus, and with captains in today’s industry taking on a much more managerial role on board, what does the Monaco Yacht Show really mean for them?
For Captain Colin Boyle of Cloud 9, captains attending the show with a view to offer a yacht for sale certainly have some challenges ahead. “When charged with presenting a yacht for sale at the Monaco Yacht Show – particularly a yacht that’s new to the sales market – that really has to become the focus of the week. With broker viewings, client viewings, press, broker and client cocktail parties, late viewing nights and an astounding number of suppliers, potential suppliers, crew, ex-crew and salesmen, the week is insanely busy,” Captain Boyle explains. “At the last Monaco Yacht Show, I took a 45-minute walk off the yacht – the remaining time is on board.”
It is important to remember that, as the yacht’s captain, you’re at the top of the priority list for many attendees, which can itself present its own difficulties. “If a captain ventures to the end of the passerelle to talk with a supplier, I quickly discovered that a queue forms behind them with others keen to make their pitch and thrust their marketing material into your hand. Quite simply, it’s overwhelming,” says Captain Boyle. “Very little of the printed matter left with crew actually makes it over my desk – it’s basically recycled promptly.
However, attending the show alone can offer a very different experience.“The best experience of the Monaco show was back in 2008 when I was building Cloud 9 and attending looking to meet suppliers of goods and services relevant to the new build," explains Captain Boyle. "With no brokers, boat or crew to look after, the event was highly successful for me with everyone I needed to get hold of conveniently located in one place.”
“At the last Monaco Yacht Show, I took a 45-minute walk off the yacht – the remaining time is on board.”
It is perhaps this reason why the show is so popular: all the key players from the industry are together. This is certainly the draw for Captain Joss de Rohan Willner of Baton Rouge, on display with Burgess at the show next week. “The Monaco Yacht Show for me is the best show on the calendar, and in no small part due to the fact that it is a relatively compact show just dedicated to luxury yachting. It is easy to get to and easy to get around – this is makes it so much easier to catch up with industry colleagues.”
For Captain De Rohan Willner, the show is the perfect chance to catch up with the past and look to the future. “I really enjoy wandering around the show, seeing new tenders, new technology and new ideas and also catching up with the many shipyard directors and staff who I have shared projects with in the past,” he says.
“Clients in the charter market who visit the show get a rare opportunity to go on board and tour many yachts in one place,” he adds. “It is also no surprise that I see more yacht owners and prospective owners at the Monaco Yacht Show than at any other show. Who can resist such a beautiful venue?”
During the Monaco Yacht Show, The Crew Report will be telling crew and industry players about its Superyacht Golden Ticket competition. For more information, click here.
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