July 14, 2020

The challenges presented by COVID-19 and the need for social distancing will drive decisions for all sorts of future social gatherings from indoor dining at restaurants to sporting events and for the boating industry, plans for boat shows in the future.

As one example, Informa Markets who produce both the Monaco Yacht Show and the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, will now cancel the 2020 Monaco show but are continuing with the Fort Lauderdale Show as planned.

Informa Markets have been in constant discussions with stakeholders and partners within the international Super Yacht Industry to better understand the challenges facing yacht owners, shipyards, brokers and other key participants in the face of the disruption due to COVID-19. 

This has included working closely with all partners involved with the Monaco Yacht Show, and particularly the Principality of Monaco, to determine if a low-density, not-for-profit, support event in Monaco this year would have been both practical and beneficial to the market.

With much of the Super Yacht fleet currently located in the US and Caribbean and the normal calendar of activity severely disrupted, it has been agreed that it is in the industry’s best interests to focus on delivering a top quality, prestige experience at a 30th edition of the Monaco Yacht Show next year, in September 2021, rather than September 2020.

In 2020, all parties have agreed to focus their efforts and energy on supporting the International Yachting Community through Informa Markets’ US brands, including the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, one of the largest international yachting events in the world. This is scheduled to take place in late October, with more than 900 boats anticipated to be on show, including 100 Super Yachts.

Charlie McCurdy, Chief Executive, Informa Markets, said:
“Like many other industries, the international super yachting community has experienced significant disruption in 2020. As we move to the other side of COVID-19, we are remaining agile in how we are supporting our partners and customers, flexing our events calendar, adapting products and providing digital alternatives where beneficial to best meet the needs of international communities through this difficult period.” 

He added:
“To this end, we are focusing our efforts in the latter part of the year on delivering a strong platform to showcase the industry at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in late October, with the Monaco Yacht Show now set to return in style in September 2021, when it will celebrate its 30th Anniversary.”