Boot Düsseldorf, the biggest trade fair in the world for experiencing 360° water sports, is about to set new standards.
With considerably more than 1,800 corporate participants, it will be equalling the current record, while the amount of exhibition space will be increasing again too thanks to Beach World in Hall 8a. All in all, boot will be occupying Halls 3 to 7, 7a and 8a and 9 to 17 on the exhibition site by the Rhine in Düsseldorf when it is held for the 49th time from 20. to 28. January 2018. Messe Düsseldorf Director Matthias Dornscheidt describes what the concept of experiencing 360° water sports means: “boot has everything on show that water sports enthusiasts want to see. It is the international trendsetter in the industry and will have exciting new attractions in 2018 too. boot is the leading destination anywhere in the world for everyone who loves sports in, by and on the water – surfers, divers, water sports holidaymakers and sailors or motor boat, inflatable boat or luxury yacht fans.
SUP continues to be the mega-trend in the water sports field. Stand-up paddling is variable and can be enjoyed in practically any water and climatic conditions thanks to state-of-the-art neoprene suits. It is in addition easy for anyone to learn who knows how to swim comfortably. In view of this, boot 2018 is increasing the length of its activity pool to 65 metres. A particularly exhilarating version of SUP will be available there: the new foilboards make it possible to skim across the water very fast. With the tow-in facility, windsurfing will have innovative options at boot too. Hall 8a, which is more than 1,000 square metres larger than the trend sport halls in the past, provides sufficient space for action, fun and games. Victoria Marx, who is responsible for trend sports at boot, is delighted: “The WAVE created a stir when it premiered at boot 2017, so that international board manufacturers are joining in. We will therefore have the leading producers of trendy boards with us again in 2018 after years in which they were not represented. They will be highlighting all the boards and equipment in the brightly-lit Hall 8a with its 13,000 square metres of space.” There will be fun and action in the flatwater pool (65 metres long and 1,400 square metres in size) every day from 10:00 to 18:00. Visitors who are interested in riding the authentic deepwater WAVE provided by the citywave corporation need to register at thewave.boot.de and book a slot before the trade fair. There will be slower and shallower waves for beginners as well as faster waves up to 1.50 metres high for experienced and professional visitors. Anyone who is so enthusiastic about surfing, SUP or windsurfing in Hall 8a that he would like to spend his next holidays practising these sports can make his reservation with international surfing schools and travel operators directly on the spot at boot 2018.
Diving has had mass appeal for a long time and is now more popular than ever. More and more diving options are available to enthusiasts – and they are no longer at remote travel destinations; on the contrary, they can instead be found in lakes, rivers and indoor diving facilities in the large European metropolitan areas too. The recreational diving Hall 3 has been the place for divers from all over Europe to meet at boot for many years. Once a year, experts from the community, hobby divers, leading manufacturers and diving tour operators come to boot Düsseldorf for a unique, nine-day diving party. The atmosphere is always infectious. The area around the diving pool and diving tower will be even more attractive in 2018. The Dive Centre designed like a diving base will appeal to all diving enthusiasts interested in shopping and networking with other like-minded visitors. This is where anyone can experience live how a pool and tower dive is prepared professionally.
Protection of the world’s oceans and waterways has had high priority at boot for a long time. “love your ocean” has been the motto since boot 2017: it is a project launched by boot that has attracted plenty of public attention thanks to the partnership with the German Ocean Foundation as well as the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the environmental activist Emily Penn. Petros Michelidakis: “People are being galvanised by “love your ocean”. It presents the possible ways that the industrial and scientific communities as well as society in general can already protect the world’s oceans and climate today. The action stand in Hall 4 encourages anyone who is interested – including children – to get involved. I am very proud that boot is one of the pioneers in this field and provides a broad platform for it.” Companies and projects that aim to protect oceans, waterways and the climate or present activities and underwater photography at Water Pixel World will be clustered round the “love your ocean” stand.
Following the start made in 2017, numerous suppliers of pleasure craft and tow boats will be on show in Hall 4 at boot 2018 too, where they will fit in well with the exhibits in the neighbouring halls.
Bookings for Halls 5, 6 and 7a have been excellent. There is plenty to see and admire in what are known as the luxury halls: from fast, streamlined tenders and fast tow-in motor boats to large luxury yachts. Michelidakis is excited: “Think of the classically beautiful motor boats from Frauscher or Riva, of luxurious creations by Princess or the Majesty from Gulfcraft, which will be on show at boot for the first time …” Arne von Heimendahl, boot Project Manager, adds: “We are delighted that we will be even bigger, better and more diverse in the luxury sector in 2018 than we have always been in the past. It will be fascinating to watch the ships arrive that are coming to Düsseldorf via the Rhine. Their journey together on a pontoon will take them along the Rhine from Rotterdam to Düsseldorf, so that they will reach us at the beginning of January.” Everyone who likes ships even more luxurious and even bigger will find his way into Hall 7a. This is where international shipyards that build yachts more than 40 metres long will be exhibiting. The focus of boot INTERIOR, which is being organised jointly by Delius-Klasing Verlag and boot Düsseldorf, is on the (luxurious) interior design of luxury yachts. “Nothing is left to be desired here. Not only luxury interior furnishings are being presented, however, but also special technical innovations”, explains boot Director Michelidakis.
The luxury segment will be supplemented at boot 2018 by hosting the German Superyacht Conference held by the magazine boote EXCLUSIV
on 24. January in the Tulip Inn right next to the Düsseldorf exhibition site. Top speakers will be talking about superyacht issues here. In 2018, they will include yacht designer André Hoek (Revival of the J Class), the Captain of the “Kamalaya” Christoph Schäfer (Superyacht cruising off the well-known routes), yacht designer Ken Freivokh (The era of the gigasailors), the head of the Institute for Maritime Logistics at Harburg Technical University Hans-Georg Schnauffer, Fraunhofer IFF Professor Dr Carlos Jahn and the Departmental Manager for power converters and electric propulsion systems / maritime electromobility at the Fraunhofer IWES Dr. Ing. Marco Jung. Anyone who is interested can register for this conference directly at the website superyacht-conference.com. The Superyacht Conference is designed for the international trade visitors to boot Düsseldorf and the papers will be presented in German and English.
Halls 9 and 10 are devoted to motor boats and yachts, boats with outboard motors and jetskis. They are already fully booked months before boot 2018. Von Heimendahl: “There was a real run on these two halls this year. Everyone who is anyone in the international motor boat market will be represented here. Both newcomers and experienced boat owners will find an attractive selection of vessels in both halls.” Newcomers will be able to obtain tips on the START BOATING stand in Hall 10. Initial insights under genuine conditions can be gained in the course of a virtual motor boat trip down the Rhine to the exhibition site, with experts on hand to give good advice.
Technical enthusiasts will think they are in paradise when they enter Hall 11. This is where motor boat owners and sailors can get the latest equipment and electronics for their ship. While experts from the boating community will be on hand at the Refit Centre to give advice about the restoration and renovation of second-hand boats.
Beach Life stands for shopping at its best. Hall 12 offers a wide range of maritime clothing, decorative articles and accessories for the on-board pantry or salon – as well as fun water toys. Children will be glad to hear that the bouncy pirate castle will be back at boot too, so that young visitors can play while their parents look around the stands undisturbed. Hall 12 also houses the boot.club lounge with free WLAN access for all members. Membership of the boot.club is free of charge and entitles members to buy cheap online tickets to boot for just EUR 15.00. More than 90,000 people are already members of the club at the moment and are taking advantage of the benefits it has to offer (www.boot.de).
Hall 13 concentrates on holidays by and on the water. A 90-metre “river” is available there to try out paddling and the most beautiful destinations for water sports holidays are being presented on the stage at the new Travel World. “Holidays on the Water” is an interesting new feature at boot. Hall 13 at boot includes not only houseboat suppliers but also charterers and well-known travel agencies where bookings can be made directly.
Marinas, charter companies and sailing schools highlight popular international sailing locations in Hall 14. The Elba Sailing Centre in picturesque Bagnaia Bay has already been exhibiting at boot for 30 years, for example. Children and sailing enthusiasts who are young at heart can take over the tiller themselves in the boot sailing school pool. Enormous wind machines make sure there is a stiff breeze to send the dinghies skimming across the water. Hall 14 is also home to the water sports associations, which will be providing extensive information about sailing and motor boating on oceans, waterways and lakes and will be available to give advice to anyone interested.
“A look at Halls 15 to 17 will make any sailor’s heart beat faster. We are expecting numerous boat premieres where large 60- to 70-foot sailing yachts are concerned too. The halls will be completely full”, Petros Michelidakis reveals and adds: “We are registering substantial growth with multihull boats in particular. Interest in multihull models has also increased by leaps and bounds on the back of a veritable boom in recreational sailing.” Current developments and trends like foiling as well as gripping reports by professionals and blue water sailors are the focus on the sailing stage in Hall 15. All the different aspects of recreational sailing will be covered at the Sailing Centre, with a programme consisting of over 200 different items and more than 70 speakers over a period of nine days – surrounded by 20 stands representing the class associations.
Protection of the world’s oceans and waterways has been an issue of central importance to boot Düsseldorf for many years now. On behalf of his foundation, the German Ocean Foundation and boot, Prince Albert of Monaco for the first time called on the scientific and industrial communities as well as society in general to enter projects for the “ocean tribute” Award 2018 when he spoke at boot 2017. “And this should be done as quickly as possible”, stresses boot Director Petros Michelidakis: “because our prestigious jury studies the entries very conscientiously and will be examining each individual one closely to determine its benefits for ocean and waterway protection. That takes a great deal of time”. Relevant projects can be registered at the address award@boot.de, with an outline presenting their concept on a maximum of two pages. What is important in this context is information about the objectives, the target group, the implementation methods and organisation as well as the results and the players making up the team. The jury will then choose the nominated projects; they will be presented to the public with photographic and video material at https://oceantributeaward.boot.de. The winners of the three Awards in the science, industry and society categories will be announced and honoured at boot Düsseldorf in January 2018.
