Promarine’s Boatlife 2024 Recap

A few weeks have passed since Promarine Finance attended Boatlife 2024, and here are our highlights of the event…

The team at Promarine saw visitors to the stand double when looking back at 2023 numbers – a great result! 

Unlike 2023, where most visitors were interested in canal boats, the entire weekend was bustling with interest across all types of vessels, buyers and boaters.

Events such as Boatlife give boat enthusiasts the chance to explore without the typical crowds you’d expect at Southampton International Boat Show and other, larger events in the boating event calendar.

We’re thrilled to announce successful deals for a Brig Eagle 8 with The Wolf Rock Boat Company and a Bayliner VR6 with Bates Wharf Marine Sales Ltd, both finalised during the event.

Beyond the sales aspect of the weekend, Boatlife provided some amazing networking opportunities, which our team took full advantage of, to help create and foster meaningful connections within the boating industry.

We enjoyed networking events with Pantaenius UK Ltd, Will Parkinson, Haven Knox-Johnston, and British Marine, and the Pelagic Stage saw packed audiences for renowned personalities like Cruising the Cut and Tom Cunliffe.

Promarine Finance and the team are pleased to announce that we’re already signed up to attend Boatlife 2025, and we can’t wait to see you there!

BoatLife: our key takeaways

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.

Promarine Finance to give an introduction to boat finance at BoatLife

The Promarine Finance team is excited to be making waves at the first high-profile boating event of the year in February 2022 with a talk on boat finance.

BoatLife, hosted at Birmingham’s NEC, is a new show set to bring together the biggest brands in marine.

As well as exhibiting at the show from 17-19 February 2022, Stuart Austin, founder and MD at Promarine Finance, will be joining interviewer Mark Covell on the sofa at the show to talk all things boat finance.

Join Stuart at the BoatLife Live Stage for ‘An Introduction to Boat Finance’ at 2pm on Friday 17 February.

Stuart will chat to Mark about changes to the marine sector since the 2008 financial crash; provide an overview of the boat finance process, and outline the involvement of the lender.

Stuart, who founded Promarine Finance more than a decade ago, said: “During the pandemic, while people were unable to travel abroad, exploring the UK’s waters became a popular alternative.

“A lot has changed over the past few years, with several lenders exiting the market, liveaboard vessels growing in popularity, and boats appreciating in value for the first time.

“In our experience, boat ownership has been rapidly growing in popularity, and we want to help more people realise their dreams of buying a boat of their own.”

After the talk, there will be a chance to ask any questions you have about the boat finance industry or securing a marine mortgage of your own.

Stuart added: “Marine finance is an affordable way to get out on the water, whether you’re a first-time buyer or a seasoned boater. And more importantly, it helps buyers do so in a cost-effective and easily manageable way. We want to educate boat lovers on the options they have.”

You can find Promarine Finance at stand G60 from 17-19 February at The NEC, Birmingham.