Organisers hail ‘truly successful’ Monaco Yacht Show 2021

Organisers of the Monaco Yacht Show have declared this year’s edition a success, stating that the event met the expectations of the industry.

Initial feedback from exhibitors and yachting media reports suggest the show was well received after a year of COVID-enforced inactivity in 2020. In a release, organisers stated, ‘MYS has risen up to the industry-wide challenge set forth a few months ago, by building the show around the visitors’ experience and that of (future) yacht buyers in particular.’

In 2021, the exhibition appeared more diverse than ever. While 300 exhibitors and a maximum for 90 yachts had originally been announced, MYS actually featured 440 exhibitors and 101 superyachts – half of which were launched in 2020 and 2021. This resulted in an estimated total worth of €3.6 billion (c. $4.15 billion) at the start of the show. Featured yachts included 37 new launches and 14 superyachts measuring over 70 metres (230 feet) in length.

Travel constraints and health regulations impacted attendance on Monaco’s quaysides, with 19,000 visitors having descended on the show. This was something organisers expected and prepared for; their objective was to decrease the number of visitors, whilst focusing on specific profiles.

The show also benefitted from more clear-cut themed exhibition areas, which improved the general visitor experience.

Yacht builders are confident the new MYS format will eventually bring enormous added value to the industry. Theo Hooning, secretary general of SYBAss (an association of 40+-metre yacht builders), noted, “The 2021 edition of the Monaco Yacht Show was the first opportunity to see the results of a change in approach to the show, by placing the focus firmly on the customers of the industry rather than the business activities within it. The result was a more relaxed atmosphere, and with no overcrowding of the quays the experience for those customers was much more in line with the superyacht experience itself.

“It is important that we capitalise on this opportunity and continue on our chosen path, improving where necessary. In this way, the Monaco Yacht Show will maintain its important and high-profile role both by showcasing the unique products shaped by the industry and also by promoting the superyacht lifestyle.”

Among the new additions to the 2021 show, the Yacht Design & Innovation Hub offered visitors a better understanding of a custom yacht’s construction process and a look into the future of superyacht design, thanks to lectures by designers Espen Øino, Luiz De Basto Designs, Sam Sorgiovanni, Sinot Yacht Architecture and Design and Winch Design. This interactive space also allowed attending designers to present their work, giving visitors an opportunity to meet the experts who will design their future yacht.

The new Sailing Yacht Area featured no less than 12 large sailing yachts. A fitting number, given that sail boats currently represent 15% of the world’s yachting fleet. This space dedicated to sailing yachts targeted a new yachting clientele, showcasing the benefits of a sportier and more environmentally friendly way of sailing, whilst still enjoying the same level of comfort, technology and facilities as on-board motor yachts.

Gaëlle Tallarida, general director of MYS, said “We worked alongside stakeholders from across the industry in order to put on a show that meets the latter’s expectations and, more specifically, those of their clientele. The 2021 MYS appears to have benefited from the excitement spurred by this reunion, as well as from the favourable state of the market, with an increase in yacht sales over the last 18 months: clients have turned to yachting to escape the gloomy context that the pandemic has brought about and the frustration of having their freedom restricted.

“Therefore, 2021 has been a win-win for everyone involved in yachting. Thanks to the steering committee founded this year, we intend to pursue our collaboration in order to further improve the MYS for the 2022 edition.”

For more information, visit Monaco Yacht Show. For more news and yachting tips, connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.