New Partnership to Revolutionise Boat Show Industry

Australia is known for its excellent boat show experiences. The Sydney International Boat Show and the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show have been thrilling attendees for decades, and the trend is likely to continue. BIA is the brains behind Sydney International Boat Show, while its Sanctuary Cove equivalent is run by Mulpha Events Australia. The new partnership means an even greater show presence for the Australian marine industry.

CO General Manager of BIA, Neil Patchett, is pleased with Australia’s standing in the international boating community. “The BIA boat shows comprise events which are on par with some of the best in the world. The Sydney International Boat Show is an exceptional event which a long history of success,” he said. 

Since COVID-19, the boating community has faced numerous challenges, but is has also grown considerably, creating new opportunities for boat shows. According to Neil, “It has been a period of significant disruption; however, this has led to opportunities. For example, BIA has diversified its activities and over the past year launched Marine Jobs, Discover Boating Marketplace, and the Apprentice of the Year Awards, along with additions to Marine Card and delivered a new three-month Discover Boating advertising campaign.”

The partnership between Mulpha and BIA will help capitalise on these new opportunities. “This strategic alliance is a great fit with enormous potential in the delivery of best-in-class boat show experiences across Australia. The BIA and Mulpha have always had a close working relationship and the partnership is the result of long-standing discussions between the two organisations on how best to serve the industry and to promote the boating lifestyle to a broader audience,” Neil stated.

Further, another consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic was that BIA had to reassess its goals and position, which led to the partnership. Neil says that pandemic forced some difficult decisions. “BIA was forced to make some hard decisions after the WHO declared a global pandemic in March 2020. That included having to reduce staffing numbers, mainly in the events area because it was not possible to run events. As Australia started to emerge from COVID and it became apparent events were once again becoming possible, the opportunity to take on an Event Delivery Partner of the caliber of Mulpha was an obvious solution. This was reinforced by the fact Mulpha and BIA share a passion for promoting the boating lifestyle and for hosting world-class events for the boating industry.”

According to Neil, both bodies have advantages that they can leverage to improve boat show experiences nationally. “BIA has successfully operated the Sydney International Boat Show for more than 50 years and has regularly produced and presented major boat shows in Brisbane and Adelaide. The Sydney event is one of the largest boat shows in the southern hemisphere and attracted more than 60,000 people when last held in 2019. The BIA will continue to own its stable of major boat shows across Australia and will retain overall financial control. In addition to events, BIA strengths are in advocacy to governments and delivering programs and services to its membership,” Neil said.  

In terms of Mulpha’s contribution, Neil cites the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show as one of its strengths. “Mulpha Australia has managed and produced the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show (SCIBS) since 2002, which now is in its 33rd year. Over the last two decades, SCIBS has continued to deliver record breaking shows including in May this year where the event was attended by more than 51,000 visitors and injected over $336m into the Queensland economy,” he said.

In the short term, the partnership’s key goal is to deliver a successful Sydney International Boat Show in late July at the International Conventional Centre and Cockle Bay. “The 2022 Sydney International Boat Show will show that boating is a standout choice in leisure for Australians and that boating, in all its forms, is something that is accessible for people of all ages and all budgets,” Neil stated.

And what does Neil predict the boating industry will look like in 2022? “Boating has proven a standout choice in leisure activity nationwide and we aim to keep it that way. The combination of no international travel, the staycation phenomenon, flexible work practices and the need to be COVID Safe have seen interest in getting out the water ramp up significantly.”

“Having a boat is a bit like having your own island. You choose where you go and when, and who goes with you, and you can do so in keeping with social distance rules while enjoying the boating lifestyle on our fabulous waterways. Not only that but it is good for your body and mind. Work in social science has shown that on a boat, feel-good hormones like dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin go up, while stress (cortisol) goes down. We see this public appetite for getting out on and in the water, remaining strong for 2022,” Neil said.

His predictions certainly have some grounding. Last year marine industry turnover was up 11 per cent on the previous year, while direct employment was up 9 per cent and active boating industry businesses was up 5 per cent, so the scene is set for further growth.

According to Neil, “For 2022 it looks like a year to consolidate gains and to keep the momentum going, particularly with a significant number of first-time boat buyers in the market, many of them on the younger side”.