boot Düsseldorf 2024: ‘Good mood’ dominates despite disruption

Halfway through its nine-day run, organisers of boot Düsseldorf 2024 say the show is heading in the right direction despite the unfavourable weather conditions and travel disruption in Germany.

Winterly weather on the first weekend and the start of the German rail strike have seen visitor numbers down on last year at the halfway point. In total, more than 100,000 international water sports enthusiasts from almost 100 countries had travelled to the show by Wednesday evening (24 January 2024), compared with 115,000 in 2023.

However, boot director Petros Michelidakis says he is positive about the show so far.

“In numerous discussions over the past few days, it has become very clear that the industry is reaching its target groups here in Düsseldorf,” he says. “Many boats are being sold directly from the stand here at the show. In addition, the diving tower and the action pool make it possible to test the latest accessories and boards on the spot. boot is once again proving its strength in the international trade fair market.”

boot Düsseldorf kicked off its opening weekend by welcoming 55,000 visitors to its 16 exhibition halls, which span 1,500 exhibitors.

Michael Müller, CEO of Bavaria Yachts, is positive about the show so far: “We are delighted with the consistently positive feedback from boot visitors about our five motor yachts and six sailing yachts, which we are presenting in Hall 1 and Hall 16,” he says. “And of course, we were particularly pleased to win the European Yacht of the Year Award for our German premiere, the Bavaria C46, on the first weekend. That was a great start.”

Visitor Evelyn Göbel comments: “My husband and I are delighted with the range of products and the great atmosphere in the exhibition halls. We came to Düsseldorf mainly for the huge selection of motor yachts. The boat premieres in Halls 1, 5 and 6 are simply fantastic. It’s great that we were also able to find out about so many charter options, marinas and holiday destinations in the destination seaside.”

Media interest is also high. A total of 1,889 media representatives from 105 countries had been accredited for boot 2024 by Wednesday evening.

Exhibiting companies report that in the first five days, they have already concluded many successful deals with international customers. The hands-on activities for diving (Hall 12), sailing (Hall 15), surfing (Hall 17) and paddling (Hall 14) have proven to be crowd pullers.

Main image: ‘Help for Ukrainian Sailing Federation’, courtesy of boot Düsseldorf.