With just five weeks to go before METS 2014 begins on Tuesday 18 November, a record number of 1331 companies have registered to attend as exhibitors in the Amsterdam RAI complex. This figure already surpasses the total for METS 2013 (1320) and, as the final few places are filled, this leading three-day event for the global marine equipment sector is gearing up to be the biggest and best to date.

In addition to the record-breaking number of exhibitors booked for METS, hailing from no less than 46 countries, there are promising developments within the different facets of the trade show. 18 Country Pavilions will allow nations to create their own distinctive area at the show under the auspices of ICOMIA. The Chinese Pavilion has grown in particular, with a doubling in the number of companies compared to previous edition. The square metre size of the Slovenian Pavilion has grown by fifty percent compared to 2013 and the USA Pavilion is also larger.

 The SuperYacht Pavilion – a dedicated hall with associated educational  and social networking programmes – will be the largest to date at this year’s METS, with more than 190 exhibitors. They will enjoy the benefits of a new stand design which reflects the unique nature of the superyacht sector while maintaining the uniform look  and feel that ensures products and networking come first.

 “At its core, the success of METS over the past 27 years has been due to its constant focus on serving the business-to-business community,” comments Amsterdam RAI’s Maritime Domain Manager Irene Dros. “We successfully bring people together from around the world, active in the construction and maintenance of boats and yachts, and keep a constant finger on the pulse of the industry we serve.”

The Marina & Yard Pavilion (MYP) at METS is another fine example of this approach in action. Dedicated to all kinds of equipment for marinas and boatyards, the MYP at METS 2014 will also be the largest to date. 45 companies and organisations have registered to exhibit in this pavilion, which represents a fifty percent rise on 2013. The third self-contained show within the larger METS context is the Construction Material Pavilion, which also features its own concepts, look and programme for this specialised sector. More than 30 companies have signed up to exhibit in this area, which is a ten percent increase on METS 2013.

“These growth figures across the board at METS 2014 are encouraging signs of a recovery in the US maritime market and the more upbeat vibe in Europe and elsewhere,” adds Dros. “METS has stood firm throughout the recession, consistently growing in both stature and visitors/exhibitor numbers. Now, as we enter a new phase, METS will continue to be the anchor place of choice for the leisure marine sector worldwide.”