The Palma International Boat Show celebrates its 40th anniversary by looking to the future

The Palma show, which has 295 exhibitors for the first time, is starting on the road to becoming certified as a sustainable event and will measure its economic impact.

The Palma International Boat Show celebrates its 40th anniversary with its sights set on the future with two projects that will mark the coming editions: the economic impact study and certification as a sustainable event. The fair, organised by the Regional Ministry of Enterprise, Employment and Energy, through the Balearic Islands Institute for Business Innovation (IDI), and the Balearic Yacht Brokers Association (BYBA), will open its doors from the 25th to 28th of April in Palma’s Moll Vell.

The measurement of the economic impact of the fair, which will be carried out thanks to the collaboration of the Directorate General of Economics and Statistics of the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Innovation, aims to confirm the position of the nautical event as an economic engine for the city and even for all the islands. To do this, it will measure the direct and indirect expenditure generated by exhibitors and visitors during the fair, and the days before and after.

On the other hand, the organisation, aware of the importance of sustainability in the current context and its impact on the marine environment and the local community, has initiated certification as a sustainable event, which is one that is committed to minimising the carbon footprint, promoting inclusion and equality, and raising awareness of the importance of responsible practices. Thus, this year, among other initiatives, the carbon footprint will be measured and a reduction plan will be developed.

Record number of participants

A record 295 exhibitors will be taking part in this year’s event, an increase of 24 companies compared to the previous edition. Although the venue has the same surface area, 86,000 square metres, it has been possible to increase the number of participants by limiting the contracting space with the aim of having a wider range of quality and attractive nautical products for the thousands of professionals and enthusiasts who visit the fair. As for the number of boats at sea, the figure is similar and stands at 260 compared to 252 last year, as the lengths remain the same.

For years now, international companies and shipyards have been using the Palma event as a stage for presenting new models of boats worldwide, and this year the fair will feature several of them. Once again, the exhibition of superyachts will be one of the most complete in Europe.

Palma Superyacht Village

The Palma International Boat Show includes the Palma Superyacht Village, a section specially designed for acquiring or buying boats over 24 metres in length, both sailing and motorboats, organised by BYBA.

One of the new features of the Palma Superyacht Village is the Superyacht Square area, an evolution of the Innovation Corner that was launched last year. In addition to the Yachting Ventures start-ups, the area will include a zone dedicated to sustainability In addition, they have organised the Mallorca Yachting Summit, a meeting for the nautical sector open to the entire industry, which will give visibility to the exhibitors of the boat show who will be able to share and present their products. The Summit will take place on the 26th of April in the auditorium of the Port Center Building.

The Balearic Superyacht Forum

The activities dedicated to the celebration of the 40th anniversary will also characterise this edition of the fair. The most outstanding event that positions Palma as an international nautical hotspot is The Balearic Superyacht Forum, organised by the Balearic Marine Cluster with the sponsorship of the IDI and the collaboration of The Superyacht Group. This is the first international superyacht forum in the Balearic Islands, to be held on the 24th and 25th of April, coinciding with the Palma International Boat Show. For two days, Palma will bring together around 300 superyacht professionals, experts and enthusiasts in an event where the main aspects that will determine the future of the sector will be discussed.

The Balearic Superyacht Forum has a full programme consisting of a wide variety of sessions, presentations and interactive activities focusing on aspects such as innovation, sustainability, the evolution of Palma’s nautical maintenance and repair industry, as well as the opportunities and challenges facing the Balearic Islands as an international nautical tourism destination. Attendees will conclude the forum activities with a visit to the nautical fair.

40th anniversary activities

The fair organisers want the 40th anniversary celebration to be a tribute and thanks to the companies that have been part of this project over the years and have consolidated it as one of the most important on the international calendar. This event began as a Floating Boat Show in Alcudia in 1983 with local companies and gradually functioned as a gateway for international firms that decided to establish themselves on the island and, conversely, allowed Balearic companies to internationalise. Public-private collaboration has been one of the pillars of the growth in quality and quantity of the Palma International Boat Show.

With this purpose, organisers will award the Marcial Sánchez Barcaiztegui Prize to the company Comercial Morey, which has participated in all the editions of the show. In addition, tribute will be paid to Alcudiamar and the Alcudia Town Hall, which hosted the first edition of the event.

Finally, on the 26th of April, the fairgrounds will host a series of activities to celebrate the 40th anniversary with visitors and exhibitors. From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., the public at the fair will be able to enjoy music and entertainment groups. From 8 p.m. onwards, the exhibitors will be the stars of the celebration, which will end with a drone show visible from different parts of the city.

Nautical sector figures

The marine industry is considered strategic for the economy of the Balearic Islands. According to data from the Balearic Marine Cluster, the Balearic marine sector currently has 879 companies dedicated exclusively to recreational boating, which generate a turnover of 1,106M. In addition, the sector is responsible for 5,145 jobs.