Thursday April 27, 2023
The Palma International Boat Show consolidates its position as the benchmark fair for the start of the nautical season with 271 exhibitors and more than 600 boats.
The event will take place from the 27th to 30th of April in Palma’s Moll Vell. T
he Palma International Boat Show is consolidating its position as one of the essential fairs at the start of the nautical season. This is borne out by the participation figures, with 271 participating companies and some 600 boats on display (more than 250 at sea), spread over an 81,000-square-metre exhibition site. The boat show, which will take place from the 27th to 30th of April in Palma’s Moll Vell, will be the setting for presentations of new products on a global scale, as well as the latest developments in a sector that generates around 966 million euros in the Balearic Islands and employs more than 5,000 people.
The Palma International Boat Show is organised by the Vice-Presidency and Regional Ministry of Energy Transition, Productive Sectors and Democratic Memory, through the Balearic Islands Institute for Business Innovation (IDI) and the Balearic Yacht Brokers Association (BYBA).
Sailboats are once again the stars of the Palma fair, which has always been characterised by having one of the largest exhibitions of this type of vessel in Europe, especially large boats. There will also be sailing and motor catamarans, which have increased their presence over the years, as they are the preferred vessels for nautical charters. With regard to motor boats, the fair will show the latest models of tenders and dayboats medium-high length, and of transportable semi-rigid boats of medium-small length, in accordance with the latest trends in the nautical sector.
According to the organisers, the medium length of the boats on display at the fair has increased in recent years; in fact, many are already over 25 metres in length, reaching up to 55 metres for the largest yacht at the fair, the sailing yacht Elena of London. Even so, the range of boats on offer is complemented by the smaller ones, which are exhibited on land.
One of the clearest vocations that has been consolidated at the fair is the presentation of novelties related to sustainability. Sailboats aside, which represent the most sustainable sailing option, more and more companies are striving to find new products that are more respectful of the environment, aware of the need to protect the marine environment. Thus, this year new models of electric boats built in Mallorca will be presented, as well as others from other countries that have chosen Palma to make themselves known and that use the sun’s energy to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels. This concern for the environment can also be seen in other products related to the sector, such as engines and nautical equipment.
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 motor boats. The Palma Superyacht Village has an area specialising in the repair and maintenance of boats, known as refit&repair, which this year will feature the participation of more than 20 leading companies in the nautical industry, as well as service companies located in other areas of the Village.
The great novelty this year is the incorporation of the Innovation Corner, organised by Yachting Venturas, a space that seeks to promote dialogue between emerging companies, dedicated to innovation, digitalisation and sustainability, and industry professionals. In this space, twelve emerging companies specialising in the nautical sector will present the advances and new technologies applied to the sector.
Marcial Sánchez Barcáiztegui Award
On Saturday 29th April, the organisers of the Palma International Boat Show are scheduled to present the Marcial Sánchez Barcáiztegui Award, an award given to people or institutions that have contributed to the promotion of the nautical sector in all its aspects through their business, social, environmental or sporting role.
Previous winners of the Marcial Sánchez Barcáiztegui award have been the Balearic Islands Naval Regatta Commission (2013), the H.R.H. Princess Sofia Trophy (2014), the School of Ribera Carpenters of the Council of Mallorca (2015), Margarita Dahlberg (2016), Diego Colón de Carvajal (2017), Miguel Suñer (2018), Isabel Subirats (2019), the Red Cross of the Sea (2021) and the Sant Pere Fishermen’s Guild (2022).
Agenda
This edition of the fair will have a wide range of parallel activities that will be held in the auditorium of the Port Center Port Authority building and on the fairgrounds. Of particular note are the events organised by the SOIB-Employment Service of the Balearic Islands together with the Balearic Marine Cluster to promote employment and training in the sector. In addition, presentations of regattas and challenges have also been organised.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
PALMA INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW 2023
DATES: 27th to 30th April 2023
OPENING HOURS: 10 am to 8 pm
EXHIBITION SITE: Moll Vell (Palma)
SHOW AREA TOTAL: 81,388 square metres
- EXHIBITION AREA TOTAL: 39,365 square metres
- • IN-WATER EXHIBITION AREA: 23,915 square metres
- • LAND-BASED EXHIBITION AREA: 7,950 square metres
Nº OF EXHIBITORS: 271
ORIGIN OF THE EXHIBITORS:
54% Balearic Islands
20% Rest of Spain
26% Other countries
Nº OF CRAFT IN WATER: 252
SECTORS REPRESENTED:
- Nautical tourism
- Boating equipment
- Marine engines and generators
- Watersports equipment
- Boats
- Marinas and related infrastructure
- Boat building and maintenance
- Electronics, navigation systems and communication
- Jet skis and quads
- Superyachts and brokers
- Institutions
- Services