Dubai Boat Show set to make a splash with exciting new lifestyle features

'This year we have incorporated several lifestyle features to the show to enhance its appeal to a cross section of boat lovers and have added new facets to the show including a speakers' corner to provide expert advice and bring celebrities from the boating industry into contact with visitors,' said DWTC Director General, Mubarak bin Fahad.

He noted that there would be a photo competition titled 'Sea of Opportunity' organised by Salam Studios to encourage people to submit aptly themed pictures and prizes for the best entries would be given away on the last day of the event.

The Boat Show this year has been designed to offer a variety of activities for the whole family to enjoy. 'Conventionally boating provided the perfect escape - an enjoyable and comforting way to spend quality time with family and friends for the affluent, but now that boats are becoming more affordable, boating is becoming an activity that is compatible with virtually any budget and provides the ideal opportunity for great family adventures out of doors and a welcome break away from the harsh realities of everyday life,' Mr. bin Fahad emphasised.

Also new at this year's Boat Show will be a Platinum VIP lounge for key exhibitors and VIPs visiting the show with corporate hospitality, food and beverage et al sponsored by Panerai Watches.

For kids to thoroughly enjoy themselves at the event Toys R Us will be creating a kid's corner to engage children's minds and curiosity, stimulating learning through fun and games.

To add more excitement for all ages, SCATRI will introduce show visitors to an incredibly realistic sports fishing simulator created by a team of people who know both big game fishing and the sea. The ideal tool for an amateur fisherman or someone who wants to train or perfect their fishing technique or simply have fun with the SCATRI simulators.

Boat Show 2004 will see the Middle East's largest ever assemblage of boats, inflatable craft, leisure craft, cruisers, yachts, powerboats, marine equipment and accessories, furniture and fittings, sports fishing products and virtually everything that has somethin to do with the marine industry.

Apart from being the principal event for the industry in the region, the show is complemented by the new venue the Dubai International Marine Club, which is widely regarded as the driving force behind international and national level watersports in the entire region. It offers ample open space for exhibitors and comes equipped with fully functional marina berths, craning and workshop facilities, all of which make for a far more user and exhibitor-friendly atmosphere.

Boat Show 2003 attracted 129 exhibitors from across Europe, the US, Canada, Australia, Egypt and a good number of local participants. The show drew a tremendous visitor response from the region and beyond with over AED 16 million (US$4.35 million) worth of deals being closed and 26 yachts being sold during the four days of the show.

The 2004 edition of the show has a comprehensive product profile which includes boats, boating equipment and engines, propulsion equipment, trailers, chandlery, sails, ropes, masts, heating and air-conditioning, navigation equipment, accessories, communications and computer equipment, maintenance tools, marina construction, sports fishing products, diving, jet skis and windsurfing products to name a few.