METSTRADE, THE GLOBAL SHOW DEDICATED TO THE YACHTING INDUSTRY’S COMPONENTS AND EQUIPMENT SEGMENT HELD FROM 15th TO 17th NOVEMBER IN AMSTERDAM, HAS COME TO A CLOSE
CONFINDUSTRIA NAUTICA – THE ITALIAN MARINE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION TOOK PART IN THE EVENT ALONGSIDE THE ITALIAN TRADE AGENCY WITH ITS OWN STAND AND A DELEGATION OF 66 ITALIAN BUSINESSES TO PROMOTE THE VERY BEST OF THE MADE IN ITALY BRAND
TESTIMONIALS FROM ITALIAN EXHIBITORS
Yesterday, Thursday 17th November, METSRADE (the Marine Equipment Trade Show), Amsterdam’s global showcase for industry professionals operating across the marine components and equipment sector, came to an end.
The Italian Marine Industry Association and Italian Trade Agency were both present at METSTRADE this year with a delegation of 66 Italian businesses spread between the event’s Italian Pavilion and the Superyacht Pavilion, along with their own representative stand in Hall 12, where key promotional, networking, and business matching activities were held to encourage the Made in Italy brand abroad, counting on the participation and support of the Italian Marine Industry Association’s Research and Market Intelligence department and industry experts.
Marina Stella, General Manager of the Italian Marine Industry Association: «The Made in Italy Plan, developed in partnership with the Italian Trade Agency, envisages a series of global networking and invitational initiatives that are of essential strategic value for the internationalisation of our companies as they export quality, excellence and innovation abroad. The Plan’s synergic communications strategy, aimed at enhancing the new location of the Italian Pavilion in Hall 12, adjacent to the area dedicated to Superyachts, has allowed us to further promote the world-leading role of the Italian yachting industry when it comes to the production of Italian superyachts and marine equipment and components.»
Anton Francesco Albertoni – VELERIA SAN GIORGIO: «The event is showing a positive trend. The desire of industry operators to come together again after two years was clearly there and the market trend is also a positive. The figures from the sector’s report book, Nautica in Cifre, show a sector that is growing and the components and accessories sector is following suit. The move to hall 12 has certainly forced companies to invest more in communication strategies, which, thanks to the Italian Marine Industry Association and Italian Trade Agency, has had a strong impact, channelling a significant flow of visitors into the area.»
Alessandro Gianneschi – GIANNESCHI PUMPS AND BLOWERS: «The first two days were very intense. Customers, dealers and new faces. It was also important to present the new products internationally. Our distributors came from all over the world and a lot of yards also came back. The move to hall 12 is an excellent development as it allows us to be closer to the SYP, which showcases the market in which Italy is the world leader, the delegation has also been an exceptional initiative. Foreign market communication opportunities have been successful, useful and immediate.»
Andrea Razeto – F.LLI RAZETO & CASARETO: «The new location is certainly excellent, close to the SuperYacht Pavilion, and the delegation is very recognisable thanks to the excellent communication work by the Italian Marine Industry Association and Italian Trade Agency. Despite this, considering the type of work I do, I cannot hide the fact that it would have been preferable to maintain a presence in the same area as my competitors and all my distributors, to be close to them and benefit from a front-row position».
Michele Fabio Bellini – ITALVIPLA: «We are satisfied with how the show is going. The trend is positive and we have encountered a great amount of interest. The Italian Marine Industry Association has worked well in the organisation and communication of the delegation of Italian companies. The Italian Pavilion, even in its new location, has attracted, as always, a large number of visitors, thanks to the decision for everyone to stick together».
Giorgio Besenzoni – BESENZONI: «We are thrilled with the number of people and the choice to move the delegation to Hall 12. We must thank the Italian Marine Industry Association and the Italian Trade Agency for their successful communications strategy. It is wonderful to come out of the underground and see a very large sign for the Italian pavilion”.
Riccardo Verde – SCHENKER: “We are very satisfied with how our days here have been. Regarding the move to hall 12, the results show no particularly negative effects. The role of the delegation is very important. It is good for Italy to work as a team because we are one of the most important yachting industries in Europe; the Made in Italy brand represents excellence and we need to work together».
Benedetta Bini – BOERO GROUP: «We are very satisfied with our location in the SuperYacht Pavilion. As far as the Italian delegation is concerned, it would be great if we could all be together in one pavilion. To make the most of this Italian move, we could organise an event for all foreign operators”.
Maria Alessandra Cardone – VULKAN: “We are very satisfied with both the influx of people and our location in the Superyacht Pavilion. The presence of the Italian delegation in Hall 12 also increases the flow of visitors through this pavilion. We are very satisfied with the work carried out by the Italian Marine Industry Association and Italian Trade Agency for the communications plan aimed at enhancing the presence of the delegation in the new hall».
The Italian Marine Industry Association, sponsor of the ‘Designer of the Year’ category in the 2022 Boat Builder Awards, honoured Carrie Fodor and Kristin McGinnis of Sea Ray and Tony Castro Yacht Design during the winners’ evening at Amsterdam’s historic National Maritime Museum. During the event, Amer Yachts, represented by CEO Barbara Amerio, President of the Italian Marine Industry Association’s Assembly for Recreational Boats over 24m, received an honourable mention for its partnership with Simrad Yachting in the realisation of the Green Assistant system, for the category dedicated to ‘Collaborative Solutions between a Superyacht Builder and its Supply Chain Partner’.
For the Eco-focused Boat of the Year category, the award went to Northern Lights Composites for Ecoracer, a racing boat made of recyclable fibres that had already won the Design Innovation Award for the sailboat category at the 61st Genoa International Boat Show.
The Italian Marine Industry Association’s participation at METS was also of strategic importance as an opportunity for international discourse on a technical and regulatory level. The Amsterdam trade show is, in fact, also one of the two main annual association meetings of ICOMIA (the International Council of Marine Industry Associations, a global body that unites 43 nations). METS hosted the meetings of several workgroups operating under ICOMIA including, in particular, the Market Intelligence Task Force, the Technical Committee and the Sustainability Committee. The programme concluded with the global association’s Plenary Meeting.
The delegation of Italian businesses to METS in Amsterdam marks the last of the international promotional activities organised by the Italian Marine Industry Association and Italian Trade Agency for 2022. Activities will resume in 2023 with an institutional presence at the BOOT show in Düsseldorf, scheduled to take place from 21st to 29th January 2023.
