China's recent Shanghai Boatshow reports attendance up 40%, & of almost 500 boats on show most carried 'Sold' stickers at the close
The China (Shanghai) International Boat Show (CIBS) came to a close at Shanghai's World Expo site where it had moved for its 17th rendition.
Figures just in and showed turnover up a remarkable 120% to 2.2 Bn RMB with overseas visitors up 50%, although they were responsible for a small fraction of the boat sales. Sunseeker sold one of their 40m yacht for a cool RMB 140M.
Overall visitor numbers were 31,835, up a massive 40% over 2011 and with every visitor pass being bar coded and electronically scanned these figures are completely accurate and 3rd party audited.
The new venue was busy, at times to the point of being crowded, at a venue that was 31% larger than the previous year and yet still with virtually all the exhibition space sold out.
The exhibition space was very little "non-boats". There were a handful (literally) of cars and luxury products - around 5 or 6 - with all the other 500 or so exhibitors being boats, boat accessories or boat related.
Organizers concluded that there is little doubt that the China (Shanghai) International Boat Show is comfortably the largest boat show in Asia by virtually any measure, and has attracted the public's interest or, more relevantly, the buying public's interest.