“The first criteria was to confirm the content. It’s not a matter of numbers, it’s a matter of who is coming,” The organiser of the show, Sylvie Ernoult, told Super Yacht Times. “Cannes is a very eclectic show with a good range of boats. That’s the real power of the show – that’s its DNA. So, it doesn’t matter if a big player who used to come with 15 boats comes with 10 boats this year, it’s just important that they are there.”
“The second thing was, of course, health and safety. Once we knew our clients wanted to come, we had to ensure we could protect them, staff, and guests,” added Ms Ernoult. “Our dedicated sanitary team has been working with UNIMEV (a French organisation that ensures environmental safety at events) to make a plan – and that plan was recently accepted by the government and validated by the international body, Apave.”
The show will necessarily be smaller as social distancing protocols must be put in place, but organisers are anticipating an excellent turnout for exhibitors, with up to 90% of the usual companies present, many featuring world premieres, others featuring their latest creations.
One big difference this year is that there will not be any parties, though individual boats can host events so long as they remain in compliance with the rules.
Despite that, the organisers are expecting many visitors who are ready for “real-life” events after the endless stream of online facsimiles of the past several months.
“We know that real-life boat shows are important: to see it, experience it and be there,” said Ms Ernoult. “So for me, opening the first boat show where exhibitors can talk to their existing clients, talk to potential new clients, talk to the press, re-develop their B2B relationships and present their new collections is so important for the industry, and I’m excited for it.”
Photo by Cannes Yachting Festival
First post-Covid yacht show to be held in Cannes
