New Caribbean show for yacht charters

The International Yacht Brokers Association (IYBA) in partnership with IGY Marinas, is planning to stage a Caribbean Charter Yacht Show at Yacht Haven Grande – St. Thomas, USVI, from 9-12 December 2021.

For some years now the superyacht industry has been debating the future direction of boat shows and the subsequent challenges imposed by the pandemic has certainly focused attention on the return on investment from participating in yachting events.

Over the course of the past 18 months, what has emerged is the widespread desire for a new model that delivers tangible returns on the investment of exhibiting or attending, but what does that look like?

Stakeholders are calling for a more localised and targeted format tailored to the specific needs of a target audience. Post pandemic, stricter health and safety measures are also more feasible with scaled down events.

Charter brokers want to visit participating yachts and to network with peers, but there’s also a huge appetite for information on local cruising grounds, logistics, supplies and shore support. According to IYBA, brokers want detailed insight into what’s possible and the types of experience they can confidently offer to their clients, and this is where a local show can really deliver.

For participating yachts, Yacht Haven Grande is the perfect environment to host the inaugural event, capable of berthing vessels up to 200m in one of the most popular charter destinations during the Caribbean winter season. Registration and dockage fees are also comparatively low and there is no minimum stay.

“As the leading superyacht marina owner and operator, over the years IGY has worked hard to provide a great platform for yachting businesses to connect with customers and each other and has implemented new, innovative and frankly more economical ways for all stakeholders to generate ROI,” says Tom Mukamal, IGY’s CEO.

Open to charter brokers from around the globe, the show is anticipated to host a total of 50 superyachts and exhibits from a range of support services.

“This will be a unique, intimate, secure and value driven experience in a private marina in support of an industry that directly impacts local economies,” says IYBA’s president Bob Saxon. “While the need for certain large scale superyacht trade shows remain, we believe that an opportunity exists to begin to reset the boat show model and annual calendar with more targeted events like this.”