Southampton Boat Show facts for kids
The Southampton Boat Show is a really big boat show that happens on the water. It's one of the largest boat shows in Europe and the biggest of its kind in the United Kingdom! The show takes place every year in September at Mayflower Park in Southampton, England. A group called British Marine organizes the Southampton Boat Show. They are a special organization for businesses that work with boats, from fun leisure boats to huge superyachts.
This show is a very important event for businesses from all over the world to sell their boats and marine products. Lots of people visit the show each year, usually more than 110,000!
A Look Back: History of the Show
Since 1997, the Boat Show has been a ten-day event. This change happened after a special law was passed called the Southampton International Boat Show Act 1997.
Many people have visited the show over the years. For example, more than 123,000 people came to the event in 2004. In 2005, the show even had a special makeshift beach! They brought in tons of sand just for the event.
What You Can See: Exhibitors
The companies that show their products at the Boat Show cover almost everything in the boating world. You can find boat builders who make the boats, and sail makers who create the sails. There are also chandlers, which are shops that sell boat supplies, and companies that make boat engines.
You can also find businesses that help with marine finance (money for boats) and companies that sell special clothing for boating. There are also experts in navigation equipment to help boats find their way. You can see thousands of boats, brands, products, and suppliers during the ten days of the show.
Who Organizes the Show?
British Marine is the group that organizes the Southampton Boat Show. They are a trade association for the UK boating industry. This means they are run by people in the boating industry, for the benefit of the industry itself.
The money made from the show is put back into the UK boating industry. This helps British Marine offer services and support to its members. British Marine has more than 1,600 members. These members make up a big part of the money earned by the industry and employ about 30,000 people.
Their members come from both the sea and inland water parts of the marine industry. This includes companies that work with leisure boats, boats you can rent, commercial work boats, and even superyachts. They also include businesses that offer supporting services for all these types of boats.
