Boat Show concludes with onstand deals in excess of AED 16 million

'We are pleased with the response and the deals that were struck during the four-day event and the success of the event is even sweeter because it has been achieved against the backdrop of a conflict in the region which started on the very first day of the show,' said DWTC Director General, Mubarak bin Fahad.

'This is a veritable statement about the pro-business nature of Dubai and easily the most appropriate example of the 'business as usual' message,' Mr. bin Fahad stressed.

He noted that boat building was one of Dubai's oldest traditions and now the emirate and the region is gaining ground with higher ratios of pleasure craft per capita that has served to attract an increasing number of international exhibitors to the event as well as buyers from the neighboring GCC countries as well as beyond.

Some 129 exhibitors, 67% of which were international exhibitors from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, the UK, and the USA participated at the event including boat and equipment manufacturers, designers, dealers, distributors, importers and exporters, and rental outlets among others.

'All facets of the pleasure boat industry domestically and internationally, from producers of luxury craft to service providers were well represented at the event,' said Shoaib Rahimi, International Project Manager of DIBS 2003.

Gulf Craft had a huge presence at both the main event and the VIP Boat Show and commented positively about the show. 'Despite the prevailing circumstances in the region, the success of the Dubai International Boat Show has by far surpassed our expectations,' said Erwin Bamps, Executive Manager, Gulf Craft Inc. 'Ranked as the leading event of its kind in the region, the Dubai International Boat Show is an ideal platform to showcase some of our newly launched yachts and boats. We are pleased to announce that we have signed several lucrative contracts, even on the first day of the exhibition. We were particularly impressed by the quality of the visitors at this year's show and we look forward to participating at next year's event,' he added.

Mohammed Bin Masaood & Sons obtained excellent inquiries and interesting contacts at the show. Mr. Andrew Wagner, the General Manager of the Marine Division said, 'There seems to be an increasing amount of interest in the boating industry this year, and we have been very pleased with the response we have generated at the exhibition'.

Duboats, one of the latest entrants to the marine industry in the region have claimed the Boat Show to be an extremely successful launch pad for them. 'The response that we received at the show has been tremendously positive and encouraging. The show also provided us with an opportunity to highlight our affiliation with Bénéteau, the world's largest recreational boat manufacturer, which will now provide a wealth of expertise and services to the GCC region,' said Christophe Vanek, General Manager, Duboats. 'A notable accomplishment has been the sale of our first boat within the first few hours of the show and the follow up 1000 prospective buyers when the show concludes', added Vanek.

The Victory Team claimed their participation amongst the 129 other exhibitors in the Dubai Boat show was a success and signals their launch into a new commercial entity. Mathew Tracey, the Project Coordinator, said. 'It's a logical step for Victory Team to utilize its year of experience and we have certainly found the boat show to be a great way to create an awareness of Victory Team as a commercial enterprise.'

A/S Marine is a second time participant who obtained many serious negotiations at DIBS 2003. 'This year, the show has offered better flexibility and we are generally pleased with the result of our participation,' said Wael Joujou, sales consultant of AS Marine.

Yacht Solutions claimed visitor numbers are up from last year, and are extremely impressed with the response they have received. 'The sales leads we have obtained and the contacts we have generated are very satisfying. International response has been strong with couples from Germany, Italy, UK, Russia, America and Australia showing interest. Regional response has also been overwhelming,' said Rita Cappuccitti, Marketing Manager of Yacht Solutions.

International participants have also expressed their pleasure with the results of their participation. British companies are satisfied with the response they have received. Barry Groves, the International Trade Manger of the Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce, which is the UK Pavilion representative said, 'We are very happy with the serious sales leads generated and the extremely good quality of visitors at the show. Our companies have met all the major manufacturers and distributors in the boat and marine industry.'

The Italian Pavilion reported excellent response at the show, and Italian company Normic have expressed sincere interest in participating at the next edition of the exhibition.

Heinen and Hopman engineering BV from the Netherlands is represented at DIBS 2003 by Fairpromotion and claims that the show provides an excellent platform for exhibitors to strengthen existing contacts and obtain new ones. 'The results have been better than expected and we are extremely pleased with the contacts we have generated,' said Mr. Cees Hopman, Managing Director of the Heinen & Hopman Group.

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