Boating USA — January 2018

NINE LESSONS FROM THE WORLD’S BIGGEST

BOAT SHOW IN DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY

BY HEATHER STEINBERGER

T

he winter sun rises late in Düsseldorf, and we worried that we might not see it at

all. The Germans often call this northwestern Germany city “Drizzledorf,” and

they’re not wrong — except for this particular week in January. When we arrived at

the Messe Düsseldorf convention complex early one Saturday morning, we joined

thousands of excited people waiting for the doors to open so they could get a long-

anticipated taste of summer.

Turns out, January is absolutely the right time to visit this nearly 900-year-old city on the

Rhine. It’s when Boot Düsseldorf, or simply Boot (pronounced “bote”), comes to town.

The largest boat and watersports trade show in the world, Boot Düsseldorf attracts nearly

250,000 boat buyers and watersports enthusiasts each year. Not only is this a critical anchor

show for the European circuit, but it also gives international visitors an in-depth look at the

hottest new boats, engines and gear, as well as the latest innovations in design and technology.

It also offers hands-on watersports and other outdoor recreational activities. It’s all indoors, in

Germany, in winter.

We’ll admit, it’s overwhelming to walk through 17 cavernous halls with more than 2.3 mil-

lion square feet of exhibit space and 18,000 exhibitors from more than 60 countries. But we

took on the project to see what we could learn about shopping for a boat at a show. Fortunately,

we found our Boot legs and learned quite a bit along the way. Not interested in crossing the

Atlantic? Here are nine tips to take full advantage of any boat show near you.

WORKING

THE ROOM

PHOTOS: COURTESY BOOT DÜSSELDORF INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW

BOATINGMAG.COM | JANUARY 2018| 63