Sunny skies and the gleam of hundreds of millions of dollars of boating equipment enticed more than 51,000 visitors to the Sydney International Boat Show (SIBS) last week.
Exhibition organiser, the Boating Industry Association (BIA), reported attendance was up 4.3 per cent year-on-year, including an increase in female visitors.
For the second year, the exhibition was staged over two venues. The Sydney Exhibition Centre @ Glebe Island housed hall-based exhibitor stands, while Darling Harbour’s Cockle Bay Marina hosted in-water displays.
BIA president Alan Blake advance ticket sales for the event were strong.
“Exhibitor demand required the full footprint of the exhibition centre and exceeded that available at the marina,” Blake added.
SEC@GI general manager Malu Barrios said the event showcased watercraft with a combined value of more than AUD$200m (US$95m).
“Amidst these it was good to see lower priced accessories to the boating lifestyle – from boating apparel for the perfect yacht or boat adventure to fishing and tackle – which added to the buzz on the floor with retail sales humming,” Barrios said.
The 2016 edition of The Boat Show, on 28 July to 1 August, will be the event’s last spread over two locations. In 2017, it returns to ICC Sydney, Darling Harbour, which opens in December 2016.
Meanwhile, AEG Ogden has completed its ICC Sydney senior management line up with the appointment of Erica Blythe as director of finance and administration. A full leadership team is now in place to guide ICC Sydney to its December 2016 opening and beyond.
Blythe joins ICC Sydney after four years as the regional financial controller for NSW and ACT with Accor and 16 years with the group in total.
ICC Sydney chief executive Geoff Donaghy said the team was “tasked with opening what is undoubtedly the single most exciting project underway globally across the events industry today”.
