THIS MONTH’s 10

1 TALE OF TWO BOAT SHOWS

British Marine has confirmed that it will stage a boat show this month after all. It will take place at the same time and place as the usual Southampton Boat Show but in a reduced out-dooronly format. It won’t be called the Southampton International Boat Show (SIBS), as the main event has been postponed until next year in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, so the replacement show is being marketed as Boats 2020 instead. To make matters even more confusing, MDL Marinas is hosting its own competing event just down the road at Ocean Village over the same dates. Called the Ocean Village Boat Show, it has already secured some big name bookings from major players such as the Beneteau Group.

So what is the difference between the two shows and who is going to be exhibiting where?

BOATS 2020 PREPAID ONLINE BOOKINGS ONLY

Boats 2020 is being staged by the same British Marine team that organises the Southampton International Boat Show. It won’t be SIBS as we know it because that wouldn’t be possible under current COVID-19 social distancing regulations rules. Instead it is being pitched as a one-off scaled-down not-for-profit event to run across the same Friday to Sunday (September 11-20) slot in the calendar at the same Mayflower Park venue. It is even making use of the SIBS website www.southamptonboatshow.com to promote and sell it.

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