The world's largest marine trade show outlines 2022 plans - MarineBusinessWorld Oceania newsletter
by Peter Rendle 7 Apr 2022 21:00 UTC
METSTRADE 2021 © METSTRADE
As everyone in our industry knows, we work within a global marketplace with brands shared across a wide number of nations and continents. Trade shows present the opportunity for manufacturers to display their products to global distributors and the largest marine trade show in the world is METSTRADE.
Progressing its programme of continuous refinement, METSTRADE 2022 will feature significant improvements to its layout. Following a one-off adjusted pandemic edition last year, METSTRADE 2022 will be strengthening its position as the must-not-miss world's largest leisure marine B2B exhibition and global networking hub on 15-17 November at RAI Amsterdam.
Early indicators for 2022 are very positive, with 96% of visitors and 90% of exhibitors declaring their intention to return. Marine industry associations are experiencing significant uptake for national pavilions, and METSTRADE is receiving many first-time applications, particularly from electric propulsion and electronics companies.
Back in Australia preparation is going ahead for a number of industry events. The Marina Industries Association (MIA) is pleased to announce that the uptake of the Early Bird offer means the Marinas22 International Conference and Trade Exhibition is on track to be the biggest and best event yet.
Conference Chairman Mike Harvey said, "We were blown away by the interest from the industry, the exhibition space has been sold-out for some time now, surpassing the attendance from previous years; the rush of early registrations shows the industry's commitment to attend the conference on the Gold Coast from 23-24 May."
MIA CEO Suzanne Davies commented, "The theme for Marinas22 is Inspiring Business Success; the great line up of speakers will deliver relevant, timely and thought-provoking content designed to inspire delegates to capitalise on the strength of the industry". The MIA was also encouraged by the number of registrations from New Zealand and South East Asia. Davies commented, "With open borders and easing Covid restrictions in most jurisdictions, Marinas22 will provide a great opportunity for the industry to network with colleagues from around the world."
And ASMEX 2022 has announced its conference program and speakers. With travel now more accessible, ASMEX 2022 will see the return of international speakers on stage sharing their experiences and views on the latest marine industry developments. The event runs from April 16th - 18th on the Gold Coast, Queensland.
The superyacht industry is expanding exponentially across the world and with it the numbers of people it employs. A UK company has released a report recently covering the wage expectations in this segment of our industry. YPI, the leading authority in yacht crew recruitment, has released its 2022 Yacht Crew Salary Report, providing in-depth and up-to-date salary analysis. The report utilises 2021 data from YPI Crew's various crew departments, spanning engineers, yacht deck crew, yacht chefs, and yacht interior crew. It offers a handy and comprehensive reference point for both yacht crew and employers.
Overall, YPI Crew witnessed a significant increase in the number of job orders across all departments in 2021, with more crew connected with their dream careers. While the report doesn't demonstrate any major new trends, it shows a return to stability following two years of Covid disruption and the collapse of the crew recruitment market in April 2020.
Further developments in alternative power units have come from New Zealand. The hydrogen fuel cell powered chase boat, Chase Zero, has just been launched, designed and built by Emirates Team New Zealand. As a long-term official supplier to the America's Cup team, Gurit played a significant role in this project, providing a complete package of advanced composite materials and structural engineering support.
A ground-breaking project, the 10m foil-assisted catamaran includes concept, hand-built Toyota hydrogen fuel cell units, and was built and fitted out within 7 months. Chase Zero features Gurit Corecell™ M structural foam core, which was developed specifically for marine applications, offering superior dynamic energy absorption, high shear elongation for impact resistance and is suitable for high temperature processing. Gurit's high-performance epoxy prepregs, with excellent mechanical performance and a 35-year race yacht history, were used throughout the vessel.
New boats launched this week feature a European built yacht. Beneteau has launched their latest model, a new breed of high-performance cruiser-racer. With a weight of 4.8 tons and an upwind sail area of 80 square meters, the new First 36 simply presents a different sailing experience. The company believe this is the first time a mainstream-production boat with full-cruising facilities, a mid-market price tag and the full support of a worldwide dealer network, has been pushed this far towards true high-performance sailing.
On a sombre note, news from New Zealand's Family Boats regarding a Ukraine company. For over a decade Family Boats have been the proud NZ dealer of Brig Boats, one of the world's leading RIB manufacturers. Brig HQ is based in Kharkiv, one of Ukraine's largest cities, which unfortunately means their production has ground to a halt under the current Russian invasion.
Family Boats focus first and foremost is on supporting the nearly 500 Brig workers whose lives have been derailed by the war. Brig have pledged to continue to pay their staff throughout the crisis, and Family Boats, along with many other Brig dealers around the world, have been donating directly to a Brig fund in order to support this effort for their staff and families.
Limited contact with the factory has informed us that their site is still standing and they are confident in a return to production, which they are already making preparations for. Family Boats have a small number of Brigs in stock now and are looking forward to having their full range back in our showroom soon.
Lots more industry news on www.marinebusinessworld.com/Oceania
Stay safe, dry and optimistic,
Peter Rendle - peter.rendle@marinebusinessworld.com