The 62nd edition ended with a drop in visitor numbers of around 17 per cent compared to the previous year. The exhibition venues were once again the exhibition centre and the exhibition harbour on the shores of Lake Constance.
According to the organisers, the reason for the decline in public interest was both the "challenging economic situation" and the fine weather. Nevertheless, Interboot project manager Felix Klarmann gave a positive assessment: "The mood among the 352 exhibiting companies and visitors was very good." According to Klarmann, many came to find out about innovations in the industry. "There were intensive consultations and many appointments to view the boats, including sales transactions. Nine successful days are behind us."
With a view to the shortened Interboot from next year, he added:
We are now setting course for 2024 and focussing fully on the five-day duration. We want to consciously utilise the opportunity to further develop Interboot together with our customers, and we will change many components in the future"
The latest water sports trends, boats, boards and accessories were on display at Interboot. Various specialist presentations and seminars were held, and there was also a supporting and hands-on programme.
"Interboot has once again shown how popular the topic of water sports is in the four-country region," summarised Klaus Wellmann, Managing Director of the trade fair. The vast majority of exhibitors and represented companies were satisfied with the trade fair and reported a knowledgeable audience and good sales talks.
Exhibitors see shorter trade fair duration as an opportunity
One of the most important exhibitors at Interboot is Meichle + Mohr, a company based on Lake Constance. Managing Director Sonja Meichle is quoted in the final report of the trade fair as follows: "We had very strong days. There were good sales talks, especially during the week, both in the boat sector and in the functional clothing and footwear sector. During the week, you often have more interested and knowledgeable visitors. However, it can be said that it was a very good crowd overall."
Meichle continued: "We are also fully in favour of the future five-day duration. Of course, we don't have the cost factor that other exhibiting companies from further afield have, but we are convinced that the reduction is a good thing. I'm looking forward to the fact that it will simply be more compact."
Vinzenz Batt, Managing Director of the Swiss Boatbuilders' Association, also sees the reduction in exhibition times as an opportunity, according to the trade fair organisers. He said that it was particularly difficult for small and medium-sized companies to release staff for several days. The company stands still during the trade fair. Batt: "It makes a big difference whether it's nine days or five."
Sustainable products were flagged for the first time
The Sustainability Trail, which took place for the first time this year, was very popular with the public. Whether climate-friendly accessories or boats: the participating stands were marked with a green balloon. "Sustainable thinking is catching on," summarised Simon Licht, one of the two founders of the start-up company Khulula, at the industry talk.
Action on the exhibition lake and on Lake Constance
Optimal weather conditions also prevailed for test drives with mini sailing boats and for the action programme on the exhibition lake. Over the two weekends, numerous visitors watched four-time European jet ski freestyle champion Niels Willems perform one backflip after another and DLRG dogs pull people out of the lake during rescue demonstrations.
"Climb aboard, cast off and have fun" was the motto at the Interboot harbour. "We spent a lot of time with interested parties in the boats on Lake Constance," reported the exhibitors on site. "The demand was high. Numerous test drives were made with both the sailing boat and the motorboat."
The next Interboot will take place from 25 to 29 September 2024.
