Back in February, Promarine Finance had the pleasure of attending BoatLife Live. The inaugural show took place from 17- 20 February at the NEC, Birmingham.
As the first in-person boat show since Southampton International Boat Show (SIBS) 2021, it was a convenient, well-timed event, and run by a friendly and professional team.
Here are our three key takeaways from the show.
1. BoatLife kicked off the season with a small and intimate show
Kicking off the season, BoatLife was a small and intimate show. Companies boasting smaller motorboats, ribs, and a few sailboats were in attendance.
Among the exhibitors were some familiar faces, including Clipper, Bates Wharf, Tingdene, Brig, Grand, Viko, Supra, Boat Exchange, Lakeland Leisure, Gibbs, Aqueduct, Excel Ribs, Boatworld, Rebel Leisure, South West Yachtbrokers, Axopar, Bray, Boatshop, H2O, Horizon, Idealboats, TBS Boats, Northern Powerboats, ABC Leisure, Clearwater, and Waterlodge.
2. The event saw an incredible turnout
In total, 140 companies were involved in the event, and the show exhibited some 120 craft all in all.
This was particularly impressive, given the announcement of severe weather warnings in the lead-up to and during the event. In fact, Storm Eunice caused transportation issues all over the UK.
According to Powerboat & Rib Magazine, by BoatLife day three, several industry-leading boat suppliers had exceeded their 2021 SIBS sales figure.
Several other boat distributors, insurance partners, and British Marine members visited our stand to say hello and try out our boat finance calculator.
3. Although it was in-person, it still catered for those who couldn’t attend
If you were unable to attend due to COVID-19, or were hampered by Storm Eunice, you can find the live-streamed interview with Mark Covell and Stuart Austin on Facebook.
The next BoatLife show will take place from 16-19 February 2023. We look forward to attending!
Promarine Finance is a leading provider of marine finance. If you’re thinking of buying a new or used boat or find out if you’re eligible, get a quote today.