In 15 weeks’ time, the largest gathering of the superyacht industry takes place in Amsterdam, alongside METSTRADE 2026. This unique combination of a huge trade and technology exhibition and a week of meetings, dinners, parties and, of course, the industry’s biggest Forum makes Amsterdam the business home of the superyacht sector for close to five solid days and nights.

Prior to mid-November, many of the same superyacht people will have travelled to Cannes, Monaco, Fort Lauderdale and many other shows and gatherings, in addition to flying across the world following up on meetings and visiting shipyards and refit hubs. However, it seems that everyone then focuses their attention on the week of the 16th November as the key place to do business and be part of a seriously intelligent community.

It will be interesting to see what happens this year at The Superyacht Forum and how the programme unfolds over the coming weeks, but I hear good things about main stage presence and keynotes. Plus, their newly labelled Superyacht Industry Advisory Council, made up of the major industry associations, is there to guide and drive the most relevant conversations and workshops.

Ultimately, even though the programme and keynotes are always the backbone of the Forum, it is still all about the networking, who is in the room and what opportunities are created for serious conversations and valuable business meetings.

Interesting announcements for 2026 include the decision to not hold a big Tuesday night Party or a VIP Dinner, but instead have two extended social networking sessions on the Monday and Tuesday night. This makes sense, as the Amsterdam Superyacht Week offers so many other social distractions and private dinners that it’s hard to keep 800 delegates’ attention in the evening after an intense day of keynotes, workshops and brainstorms.

The Superyacht Forum, even though I’m biased, is one of the best value conferences in the market, with a current “early bird rate” of just over 600 euros for the two days. Follow this link before 16 August to take advantage of this offer. What is also interesting is the plan to have more senior crew in the room – captains, engineers, first officers and chief stews – who are often under-represented at large industry gatherings like The Superyacht Forum. Having had exactly this feedback from last year, the new organisers have gone one step further with the same complimentary ticket plan, but this year with a 200-euro travel voucher, to make it even more attractive to get the right people in the room. Follow this link to sign up. 

After being involved with the Forum since its inception, it will be fascinating to watch its evolution over the next few years, as it seems that more and more meetings, forums and conferences appear in the calendar every 12 months. However, it is exactly this unique combination of the METSTRADE Superyacht Pavilion, Amsterdam – one of the most important hubs in the new-build space – and The Superyacht Forum that ensures its supremacy and leadership are maintained, no matter who creates new gatherings that may look, sound and talk like The Superyacht Forum.

See you all in Amsterdam.

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