Monaco Yacht Show 2018: The show for future superyacht owners

A month after the end of the Monaco Yacht Show the champagne fizz is still there, as commentators sing the praises of a 28th edition that was an outstanding success both in terms of the yachts on display and the attendance figures.

Now occupying almost the whole of Port Hercules and with a more varied range of items on display, the MYS has nevertheless become more homogeneous: the division of the layout into thematic zones made for more fluid movements around the quays and tents, allowing visitors to concentrate on their own sectors of interest.

The general impression of a better visitor distribution, with consequently lower densities around the port, is confirmed by the slight drop in overall attendance (30,400, 2% down on 2017). This is a logical trend, the result of the actions undertaken by the organizers to encourage private visitors. All this in the context of a superyachting industry in the throes of far-reaching changes caused by the arrival of new, younger buyers and charterers. The enthusiasm of exhibitors on the quayside and in the tents was apparent right from the start of the Show: brokers and builders all spoke of a larger number of visitors really intending to buy or charter, holding out the prospect of new orders in the weeks or months to come.

“We work hand in hand with our exhibitors to offer the most prestigious superyachting event to the new generation of customers. We have a dual aim: offer our visitors an entertaining and instructive plunge into the world of superyachting while serving the industry. An order for a new yacht project benefits all the sectors of activity represented in the Show. Our responsibility is to encourage encounters between final clients and the best players in the market, whatever the profile of the visitors or exhibitors may be”, explains Gaëlle Tallarida, General Manager of the MYS.

The more serious attitude of visitors was apparent in all the exhibition areas, where exhibitors in various sectors reported signed contracts or commitments to buy during the MYS.

The Show’s VIP visitor program, the Sapphire Experience, and the Monaco Yacht Summit have over the last three years created real enthusiam among the potential buyers and charterers who are thus initiated by the MYS into the superyachting world. 150 VIP visitors, mostly from the USA or Eastern Europe, were directly introduced by the Show’s organizers to brokers and builders, with individual visits to several yachts for each one of them.

The 3rd Monaco Yacht Summit, a confidential tailor-made event staged on the eve of the Show, brought together 35 participants and a panel of industry experts to discuss the various subjects linked with different sectors of yachting in the interest of the final client. This initiative was welcomed by industry and participants alike as it helps to educate the future owners who are more and more involved and who will shape the future of superyachting.

350 personalities – VIP guests, major trend-setters in yachting and luxury partners – attended the Inaugural Gala of the Monaco Yacht Show, during which the 5th MYS Superyacht Awards were presented to three yachts: DAR from the Dutch Oceanco shipyard (best exterior design and finest new superyacht in 2018), Illusion Plus from the Asian shipyard Pride Mega Yachts (best interior design), and Solo by the Turkish builder Tankoa Yachts (MYS/RINA award for the most eco-friendly yacht in the Show).

The successful results reported by exhibitors and partners in the 2018 MYS reflect the development strategy launched five years ago, deliberately targeting the new superyacht clientele. Whether it be through the selection criteria for exhibitors, the recent creations of the Car Deck and Tenders & Toys areas, the Sapphire Experience program, the Monaco Yacht Summit, the MYS Inaugural Gala or the confidential public relations events organized overseas throughout the year, the MYS is determined to remain a major and proactive player in the development of the industry, permanently hoisting the colors of international superyachting in the Principality of Monaco.