The first boat show in the 2011-2012 boating season in India – The Goa International Marine & Boat Expo (GIMBE); was successfully hosted and organized by Mr. Kedar Dhume & Mr. Clive Sequeira of Media Promotions Pvt. Ltd. achieved its aims; thus marking an optimistic start for the new year. This year the GIMBE’11 collided with the 50th anniversary celebrations of Goa’s Liberation and Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s public rally in Goa; and yet, managed to attract the right kind of exhibitors and visitors, resulting in good sales; which has now proved that the GIMBE is now an important event in its own right.
Held from the 16-18 December 2011, on the banks of the river Mandovi, at the SAG Grounds in Panaji, the capital city of Goa; the Goa International Marine & Boat Expo 2011 also showcased a water display at the jetty, which was at a walking distance from the land displays. The first day of the show saw few visitors as the day was dedicated to the press and the vip guests for the inauguration ceremony. The second day of the show coincided with the political rally (which took place on the grounds just opposite the exhibition) and resulted in low visitor turnout. However, the final day (Sunday 18th) more than made up for the previous apprehension and no-shows as visitors turned up in large numbers. Sales were recorded on the final day making it a time-and-effort-worthy event for exhibitors.
Analysing Market Demand:
Every year, the (GIMBE) records a healthy number of sales for small and large speedboats and sailing catamarans. The backwaters of Goa are ideal for such boats; with buyers being mainly water front property owners. Apart from Goa’s own rich and famous, including the Dempos, Salgaocars, Chowgules, Vedant,, Timblos, Menezes, etc, many of India’s big names own vacation villas in Goa.. Interested buyers, who have been visiting the Goa boat shows consistently every year, exploring the best options in the past 2 or 3 years, sealed the deal and finally made their purchases this year.
There are innumerable beaches in Goa offering a range of water sports to indulge in. Over 40 beachfront luxury resorts and an equal number under development constitute a huge market for boats, yachts, jet skis and water sports equipment. With the biggest and most renowned hotel chains, Goa is an important international event destination. And thus, a lot of sales were generated from the tourism sector. Water sports and fishing equipment along with ribs and dinghies were all on the fast selling list.
Visitor Profile:
The most serious buyers visited the show in the first half of the day. Potential buyers were much more focused and knowledgeable about what they wanted in terms of brand awareness, costs and availability of a range of services. They comprised of individuals who owned waterfront properties, resorts and hoteliers, boat owners looking for an upgrade, enthusiasts looking at converting their purchase into a business model, inquiries for security and patrol boats, rescue boats and diving boats, water sports equipment, banks for yacht insurance and financing, companies from the entertainment industry and tourists inquiring about regulation procedures to bring their boats to India.
The afternoons were a no show since Goa loves its afternoon siesta! Visitors returned in heaps in the evenings but only half of them were a quality audience, the rest were mostly family groups and visitors interested in getting photographed alongside the boats on display.
On Display @ GIMBE’11
The 1 lakh boat: Multi Tech Marine presented the Sea Jack 4, a dinghy boat with a capacity of six persons. The boat was on special offer – priced at Rs.1 lakh only. (Without engine) They also displayed “Smiley Cat”; a 4 meter sail cat for first-time sailors. One can even go water skiing or wakeboarding after attaching a 25 hp engine.
Navnit Marine displayed the sleek 8 seater, Bayliner 180. Economical and best suited for the backwaters, it requires as less as a 2.5 feet draft. Also displayed at their stall was the Polaris Sportsman 500 HO (ATV) that is gaining popularity amongst owners with beach front properties, the government for beach patrolling, as well as wineries for use in factory premises to tow up to 1 ton of weight.
The Lancer 19 (center console), 19 feet in length, Indian manufactured by Praga Marine, marketed by Marine Solutions can take upto 10 persons and comes with options of a wakeboard tower or bimini.
Aquatainment presented the 5.5 meter Silver Craft which is C.E. certified by the European commission. She makes an ideal family boat and comfortably seats 6-7 persons.
The 260 EC Rinker by SS Marine displayed at the entrance along with the sporty Regal by Causeway Marine India caught the fancy of many a visitor before they walked on to see the rest of the exhibit.
George Maijo& Industries exhibited the thrilling Yamaha VX700 jetski along with F200 BETX (200 / 150 HP 4 stroke) out board motors best suited for boats ranging from 7-10 meters.
West Coast Marine Yachts and Services (WCMYS) displayed the 31 Dolphin SC – By far the most seen boat in the Mumbai harbour is the Silvercraft 31. Besides the craft, WCMYS displayed a range of products that included Suzuki obms, International Yacht Paints, ACR docks and floating pontoons, sea gear by GILL and boat equipment by HOLT.
Rae Sport introduced Olympic racing kayaks and surf ski kayaks at the show. These were accompanied by extra light weight carbon paddles with adjustable length and angles. Doris – kayaks for babies, meant to be used in swimming pools were an adorable option in the range of water sports equipment displayed in their stall. Litmus International exhibited a wide range of kayaks and canoes. Paddle boats, HDPE(high density poly ethylene –a high grade plastic) boats and the famous ‘green obm’; the fuel free Toquedo attracted quite an audience.
The water display had Marinetek set up a floating pontoon adjoining the Kala Academy jetty, a few steps away from the land exhibit. Marine Solutions’ chose to bring in the 11.5 meter Mercury Bluefin Cabin ferry and Sea Ray (175, 300 and 350).
Issues facing the Indian leisure boating market and the GIBME
Although the potential of the market seems huge; the number of actual sales has yet to match the same. And just minimal infrastructure development will make the difference. Many tourists own boats back home and would love to cruise down to Goa if only there was adequate infrastructure and regulation procedure in place. An increased number of visiting yachts will make India a sought after sailing destination on the world map. Once we have them coming in, international rallies and regattas will automatically follow suit. Another decade should not be lost before we see the era of boating in India reach its maximum glory…a point that has been made again and again, by the exhibitors, the organizers, the owners and visitors to the show and IndiaYachtPage.com
To view images of the show click here.
To conclude, IndiaYachtPage.com wishes the exhibitors good luck on the leads, and congratulates Media Promotions for another triumphant show!