2020 has thrown the boat show industry into a spiral. With people either afraid of travelling (or not being able to travel), or afraid of crowds, new ways of reaching boat buyers and industry players have emerged. But how do we still support the local industry while also offering a platform for potential buyers to view boats?
A webinar hosted by Blue Cape set out to answer this question. Bruce Tedder, Founder of Blue Cape gave an example of how a South African boat buyer wanted to view a boat in Italy, but due to the airways being closed wasn’t able to do that. So they managed to track down the exact boat in the US. The owner of this boat agreed to give the potential buyer a virtual tour. The buyer liked this idea because he could ask questions of an owner and not a sales person. He placed his order after the viewing.
Could this be the way of selling boats in the future?
What role can a physical boat show still play? Kathryn Frew, MD of Messe – Frankfurt, owners of Boatica (previously the Cape Town International Boat Show) said that you can’t replace the touch/feel experience that a boat show offers. Kathryn launched the plans for the 2021 Boatica event, which includes a section for pre-owned boats, a bigger lifestyle section and more “test drives” to experience boating and sailing.
For more on the full discussion watch the first webinar here.
The second webinar on “How to make Cape Town a top destination for Superyachts and Cruise Liners”, will take place tonight. Follow the link to register.
Read how Kathryn Frew and Vanessa Davidson have broken barriers in the boating industry.
