Informa this week announced that it will launch a boat show in Australia from 2027. The decision was not made lightly. It was considered, researched and informed by international experience. Informa’s experience in this space is nothing to be scoffed at, with major international boat shows already sitting within its existing portfolio.
Informa’s global marine credentials are substantial. The company owns or operates a number of internationally recognised boat shows, including the Monaco Yacht Show, Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show, Palm Beach International Boat Show, Newport International Boat Show in Rhode Island, the St. Petersburg Power & Sailboat Show, and the Windy City Boat & Yacht Show in Chicago, which launches in this month.
Its understanding of the global marine industry is further supported by its ownership of key marine media, data and awards platforms, including BOAT International Media, BOATPro, Dockwalk, International Boat Industry, the World Superyacht Awards and the BOAT Design & Innovation Awards.
For those unfamiliar with Informa, it is the largest event organiser in the world, with 14,000 employees across 42 countries. In Australia, Informa has an established team of around 100 people working across its portfolio of businesses. In Sydney alone, around 60 of them operate from its York Street office.
Its Managing Director, Spiro Anemoyannis, is no slouch, having been at the helm of the business in Australia for close to thirty years. He is also a past President of the Exhibition and Event Association of Australia, a role he held for close to six years, notably helping to carry that sector through the devastating COVID disruptions.
Informa’s interest in Australian boat shows started some time ago, namely post-COVID, and its entry into the market was based on seeing an opportunity in Sydney.
The process was not done in isolation, with the decision made to inform critical stakeholders first, before the first pen touched a piece of planning paper.
Spiro Anemogiannis – Managing Director – Informa Australia
The subsequent months, and there were many of them, involved industry consultation, a detailed feasibility study and a comprehensive five-year business plan. On top of this was the upswell of interest from Informa’s international management at the highest level. Their desire to contribute was, to say the least, encouraging, motivating, empowering and, at times, overwhelming.
Stakeholders outside of the industry were also critical to the process, with venues, suppliers, business bodies, destination agencies and Ministers briefed and consulted. It was a mountain to climb, but one that proved both supportive and encouraging.
Domenic Genua – Event Director – Australian International Boat Show for Informa
My involvement in the project was not a formal process. Spiro was already a business colleague and dear friend.
I preceded Spiro as President of the EEAA for three years, during the Glebe Island days, and we shared the same board table of that Association for many years even prior to that. Apart from that, we support the same insufferable football team, which gets us together in one way or another outside of the office environment.
The concept of me having a role in this project was equally considered. My departure from past event delivery work was not my decision, leaving some unfinished business. Marine Business News has had tremendous growth and success since I had the honour of taking ownership from the Yaffa family, who held it for more than three decades before I acquired it. Coincidentally, in the same week it was determined to proceed with the show feasibility study, I also launched Exhibition Industry News, covering an industry I am equally passionate about.
My terms with Informa came with several conditions, all of which they respectfully accepted. Firstly, Marine Business News and Exhibition Industry News will continue. In fact, we recently added more resources to support my work in delivering them.
I made it very clear that I thought my role as Event Director would be to balance Informa’s commercial objectives with the marine industry’s need for prosperity. I also said that any past successes were not the result of my independent efforts, but more so the result of having a tremendous, harmonious, customer and member-focused team that worked bloody hard at delivering the best events we could, within the parameters we had.
Not to mention the support and guidance from our CEO and Board of Directors, who understood that, as an expert team, we would prioritise identifying industry needs, rather than being told how to run and deliver events.
The new Boat Show Management Team for Informa has started to come together. Knowing the importance of industry and event delivery experience, James Thompson joins as Event Operations Director. He is probably one of the best event operations managers in Australia, and an MIA-accredited Certified Marina Professional.
Simon Hazelbrook joins as Director of Business. Simon has one of the most astute business minds I know. He is a person I have had decades of business experience with, and someone with an uncanny ability to bring order, logic and positive progress to anything he touches.
Together, the three of us have more than 60 years’ experience in delivering boat shows.
Simon Hazelbrook – Director of Business – Australian International Boat Show for Informa
James Thompson – Director of Operations – Australian International Boat Show for Informa
But that covers the knowledge and experience now. What about the future?
The IP and knowledge within any event business is critical for success. Informa, again to its credit, has agreed that from 1 November this year, the Boat Show team will increase by four team members. This will be the start of the process to build the show into the future for decades to come.
Three of the new team members will focus on shadowing and supporting the management team, with positions that become real opportunities for when we become too old, crusty and slow to continue the needed momentum. The fourth will focus on business development, but more importantly, customer service. This person will be someone the exhibitor can lean on for guidance, advice, or simply to assist them in finding a solution or pathway forward should they need it.
Using the statistics published by the Boating Industry Association, the recreational marine industry has close to three million boat licence holders and one million registered vessels. It is very broad in nature, and highly diversified in both offering and scope. It should also be noted that it is an industry that does not discriminate, offering something irrespective of gender, physical ability or financial capacity.
Hence the heightened need for an all-encompassing boat show in Australia’s most populated city. Sydney is a city with a lifestyle-obsessed population, and despite the current cost-of-living challenges, it remains a population with disposable income for leisure and lifestyle. More importantly, boating is an industry that is seen by other leisure sectors as easy game when it comes to capturing its share of consumer dollars.
Barry Bailey, RIP, once said to me, “A car has one tow bar. It can tow a boat or a caravan, and we, the Caravan Industry Association, will work very hard to ensure they are caravans and not boats.”
Industry success and prosperity will be heightened if a quality boat show can be delivered that fulfils the needs of the three critical stakeholders. The visitor must have their aspirational and purchase needs fulfilled. The exhibitor must get a return on their investment, be it monetary or otherwise. And the organiser must fulfil its corporate objectives, whether that is to support an industry or whatever else that may be.
Looking to the future, there is a five-year plan. The first two years are somewhat governed by space restraints at ICC Sydney. After a solid seven-week stint of trying and shuffling, the venue was able to secure four halls, providing 19,000 square metres for the first two years. From 2029, we move to seven halls, or 32,500 square metres, where Informa’s international influence will support the show’s growth and expansion, and help entice a much broader audience into the boating lifestyle.
Am I proud of what I am working on? Yes, I am.
Over the years, I estimate that I have been heavily involved in close to 60 boat shows, 28 of them in Darling Harbour, and 23 of those as the event manager. I know only too well the positive outcomes a well-delivered, quality boat show can provide to all stakeholders.
Those years also taught me that boat shows are not for everyone, and we expect there will be those who choose not to come. Whilst that will disappoint us, we equally know that space restraints may mean we have to manage expectations within the halls.
Our plan for the waterways is also exciting. Both the halls and marina displays will not be a simple copy and paste. The Australian International Boat Show will be a reimagined event, using international experience and success, combined with local industry and event delivery experience.
The website has made its first appearance in recent days, and our social media assets have also been established.
If you would like more information about the event, visit the website, where you will find links to register your interest as an exhibitor, sponsor or, if you simply want to be on the visitor mailing list.
Alternatively, and understandably, Marine Business News will be making announcements and sharing news. In particular about our work with various Industry Association bodies, and how we have come together for the benefit of the industry. Click here to receive our Friday eNews or keep an eye on the pages for the stories that are of interest to you.
Our show dates are:
2027: Thursday 29 July to Sunday 1 August.
2028: Thursday 20 July to Sunday 23 July.
2029: Thursday 5 July to Sunday 8 July.
2030: Thursday 4 July to Sunday 7 July.
Australian International Boat Show contacts and Assetts:
Domenic Genua – Event Director – – Phone: 0412 642 357
James Thompson – Director of Operations – – Phone 0499 211 002
Simon Hazelbrook – Director of Business – – Phone 0412 605 071 (Simon is currently in Europe returning end of July)
australianboatshow.com.au •
www.informa.com.au •
www.instagram.com/australianboatshow •
www.facebook.com/ausboatshow •
www.linkedin.com/showcase/australian-international-boat-show/ •
x.com/AusBoatShow •
www.youtube.com/@ausinternationalboatshow •
