China Int'l Boat Show opens

On April 11 the China (Shanghai) International Boat Show (CIBS) came of age and once more showed itself to be the key to Chinese water leisure market.

CIBS has grown virtually every year since its birth in an underground car park 18 years ago and 2013 is no exception with exhibition area up by 37 per cent to 48,000sqm, confirmed booths up 20 per cent and a projected trade up around 3 per cent to 3Bn RMB. The audited visitor numbers of CIBS is expected to top 40,000.

The CIBS will see Chinese debuts from the likes of the Searay 370 Venture, Azimut 45, RIVA, Cranchi M44, Prestige 450 and 620S, and Majesty 88 amongst others.

Additionally Shanghai’s 132,000 (US Dollar) millionaires are amongst the first generation to have become rich since the 1978 opening of China, and the national pavilions of Australia, Italy, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States will naturally be looking to capitalise on opportunities for their leisure marine companies.

Of these, the Italian contingent appears to be the most dynamic with 25 companies joining the national pavilion and several other Italian companies joining as independent exhibitors.

In some ways CIBS started early because on January 8 a forum of leading industry managers from Hessen, Sunseeker, Ferretti, Brunswick, Bavaria, Sunbird, Double Happiness and Sea Stella met to discuss the current position of the leisure boat business in China.  

Comments at this forum reflected that Chinese customers were becoming smarter and wiser with an increasing sophistication and growing desire for aftersales service and quality. It was also noted that local brands were growing in line with these increased expectations.