Oct 6, 2020

Since mid-march, the Alliance de l’industrie nautique du Québec – Nautisme Québec has been devoting time and energy in order to present its main annual event, the Montreal Boat Show. However, with the organizational deadlines that such an event requires, the progress of COVID-19 in the last few weeks and the uncertainty of its outcome in the next winter period, Nautisme Québec finds that it is wiser to cancel the Montreal Boat Show, which was scheduled from February 4 to the 7, 2021.

“Many scenarios were on the table to make it happen and the recent success of the Montreal In-the-Water Boat Show was even more reason to be hopeful”, says Walter Timmerman, chair of the Alliance de l’industrie nautique du Québec. “But considering the amount of work, the significant investments made by the exhibitors and our responsibility to make this event a success, such a decision made the most sense.”, explains Mr. Timmerman.

Given the present and very unusual circumstances, Nautisme Québec understands the need for boaters to be able to access boat and marine products dealers, to find new boat models coming to the market or still, to learn about new technologies and innovations that they can benefit from. In the coming weeks, we will offer our corporate members comprehensive solutions that will support and help them to reach boaters and establish relationships with them until the next boating season.

In the past few months, boating and waterborne leisure activities, motorized or by human propulsion, were more popular than ever. For many, spending the summer in Quebec meant that the best way to have a great time was to go on the water! The success of the Montreal In-the-Water Show, which was held from September 11 to the 13, is for us a clear indication that this trend will carry over to next summer. This end of the season boat show, the only one of its kind to be presented in North America, attracted 2,025 visitors, this in observance of all the required sanitary measures in place. Sales were exceptional and comments from exhibitors and visitors were very uplifting. “Nautisme Québec is preparing the 2021 summer right now!” says Sylvain Deschênes, general manager of the organisation.