5http://www.facebook.com/AND ANOTHER THING...
So goodbye then London Boat Show. You were
once a force to be reckoned with, an eagerly
awaited post-Christmas splurge that kept the
dank, short days of January at bay. You hauled
us out of our festive torpor with a fresh wave of
parties, aisle after aisle of glistening new boats,
and so many launches you needed a stunt
double to attend them all.
The marine industry, like most, has moved on
from those days, and the gradual demise of the
London Show might well have happened no
matter what was done when it moved to a
Docklands venue. The UK industry has trended
upmarket and consolidated, and the focus has
become more international.
Today, the best and most successful shows
are the on-water exhibitions such as at Cannes
or Annapolis, set in places with history,
atmosphere and good weather, or winter
indoor shows such as the all-conquering Boot
Düsseldorf, the scale and range of which simply
has to be seen to be believed. But shows can rise
and fall in popularity: Paris no longer holds the
international standing it once did, and HISWA
faltered when it moved from IJmuiden.
Now the sole UK show, Southampton still
ranks among the best. The cancellation of
London provides a great
opportunity to spice up
the formula and make it
the north European boat
show. British Marine needs
to grab this chance.Elaine Bunting Editor
changing fortunes
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