Line-up confirmed for Ocean Village Boat Show as MDL turn additional exhibitors away

The Ocean Village Boat Show – taking place on the 11-20 September – has confirmed its line-up, and it’s looking pretty spectacular. Over 80 stunning boats will be on display from global power and sail names.

Invitations will be sent to carefully selected customers in the next few days, inviting them to book an appointment with one of the following brands, including Arcona Yachts, Axopar, Azimut, Bavaria Yachts, Bayliner, Beneteau Power, Beneteau Sail, Brig RIBS, Cranchi, Cobra, Comitti UK & Caribbean, Dazcat, Dehler, Discovery Yachts, Dufour, Elan, Excess catamarans, Fjord, Fountaine Pajot, Galeon, Greenline Yachts, Hanse, Hylas, J-Boats, Jeanneau, Lagoon, Moody, Najad, Nautitech, Neel, Nimbus, Nordstar, Prestige, RS Sail Boats, Sea Ray, Sessa, and Seward.

Plus, FlexiSail and Pure Latitude will be showcasing their membership clubs.

The Ocean Village Boat Show is now classed as full, with no remaining space for any on-water exhibits. In fact, MDL reports it’s having to turn exhibitors away.

But those guests who visit will not feel overwhelmed, say the organisers. The numbers of visitors are restricted on a daily basis. With that in mind, MDL has designed the show to run over ten show days, allowing an optimum number of visitors to access the site in a carefully controlled manner.

MDL has put a raft of measures into place, and has been working with Southampton City Council to make sure that the show’s exhibitors, visitors and wider team are confident in the measures taken – helping to keep people covid-secure.

The pontoons have been carefully adapted with connecting ‘bridges’ to make a one-way system. Everyone on site will be asked to wear a mask at all times, and be asked to make use of hand sanitiser placed around the site. Each boat will be thoroughly cleaned by the dealership teams after each appointment. Visitors will have the opportunity to complete test and trace details in advance, to save time at any potential pinch points when arriving at the show.

This means that only those who have booked an appointment in advance can visit the show.

Appointments can be made via a booking portal on MDL’s website which lists all the models available to view, and controls the number of people at the Ocean Village Boat Show at any one time by limiting entry to two people per ticket. Visitors are asked to arrive just 30 minutes before their appointment, but they have the opportunity to look around other models on display after their appointment (if the exhibitors aren’t with other guests or conducting a deep clean).

“We’ve been overwhelmed with companies wanting to exhibit,” says Tim Mayer, MDL’s sales and marketing director. “There’s a real appetite to get boats in front of serious buyers.

Although all the online events over the past few months have been successful, and we’re hearing stories of second-hand boats selling fast, there’s nothing like taking your time, in a stunning environment, to fully appreciate the boat you’re thinking of buying.

“We’re doing everything in our power to make sure that this show runs smoothly and offers carefully controlled access to the spectacular brands we’ve lined-up. It’ll be a brilliant couple of weeks for Southampton – a truly unique end to what’s been a unique season.

“And of course, we can’t wait to show off our five-star marina to all those who visit, as when they purchase their dream boat, they’ll obviously need somewhere equally as stunning to berth.”

The Ocean Village Boat Show is free for serious buyers to attend. Visitors must have a pre-booked appointment to gain access to the site so that numbers on the pontoons can be carefully controlled at all times.