The superyacht industry is awash with all manner of events, but it is seldom that one gets to attend an event that presents a genuine opportunity to unwind and network in a capacity that places enjoyment, activity and relaxation as its central tenants, with business very much taking a backseat role. This is exactly the format adopted for The Italian Job, an event organised by Amico & Co in partnership with Pesto Sea Group to thank the many captains and managers that pass through the Amico & Co shipyard. From Friday 12-14 October, captains, managers and their families, as well as a select few industry stakeholders, enjoyed the many and varied delights of Liguria, Italy, and SuperyachtNews was on hand to enjoy it with them.

“First and foremost, we enjoy the event,” starts Alberto Amico, chairman of Amico & Co. “It has become a tradition and an event that those who attend speak about all year round. It provides us with an opportunity to be together with our clients and their families and talk in a relaxed environment without the constraints of business. It is incredibly unique to have the pleasure of inviting families and friends as well as the captains and managers.”

Over the course of three days, attendees had the opportunity to engage in a number of activities that included go karting, golf and tennis tournaments, spa treatments and, as a new addition to the event, a 30-mile e-biking trail. All the while the activities were interspersed with gastronomic excellence and evening events, kickstarted by a dinner and cocktail competition at the Grand Hotel di Alassio and concluded with a marvellous gala dinner and awards ceremony at La Meridiana Relais beauty farm in Garlenda.

As well as being an opportunity to thank and converse with the many attendees, the event also provided an opportunity to showcase Liguria as a region for both cruising and as a superyacht base for refit and repair. Indeed, recently, 31 local businesses from the Genovese yachting industry founded a new organisation called Genova For Yachting.

“In 2017, more than 650 maxi yachts over 24m visited Genoa, over 15 per cent of the global fleet. They visited for five weeks, on average, bringing 5,000 crew members to the region – numbers that are growing in 2018 – and created a wealth of opportunities for businesses in Liguria,” explains Fabio Pesto, spokesman for Genova For Yachting.

The goal of the new association is for local businesses to act as a single entity in order to facilitate positive change by, for example, improving logistics between the port and the city, providing new services and office areas through the shipyard facilities and keeping the superyacht community at the forefront of the Genoa East waterfront development. According to Amico, the initiative has immediately established a fruitful and consistent dialogue with the local port authority and city administration.

“Genoa is really moving in terms of becoming a superyacht hub,” continues Amico. “The new association, Genova For Yachting, is comprised of companies dedicated to the large yacht sector and superyacht market. Together, we are doing a lot of lobbying and monetisation with various local administrations. You can bet that, thanks to the attention and attitude of the new government in Genoa, especially the mayor of the city, that we will get things moving incredibly fast in that respect.”

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