A GLOBAL SYMBOL OF THE BOATING WORLD, THE GENOA BOAT SHOW KICKS OFF ON 18 SEPTEMBER WITH OVER 1,000 BOATS TO EXPERIENCE AND A FULL EVENTS CALENDAR
Only two days to go until the 65th edition of the Genoa International Boat Show kicks off, scheduled to take place from 18th to 23rd September. With over 1,000 boats on display, 23 new yards to discover, exhibitors flying the flags of 45 countries, 123 new products and 96 premieres, the Genoa International Boat Show reaffirms its leading role as a unique event worldwide. A fully comprehensive Show in terms of product range, the venue is located directly on and within the sea, with the opportunity to experience sea trials first-hand – over 3,800 last year – an experience no other event is able to offer.
“The true strength of the Genoa International Boat Show and its national and international authority on the global stage derive from the fact this event is organised by businesses for businesses, all of whom recognise this as a context where markets open up, strategies are formed, industrial policies are formulated, and exclusive market data is analysed, while Italy confirms its support with a prominent institutional presence, that of both the Italian government and the Confederation of Italian Industry,” stated Piero Formenti, President of the Italian Marine Industry Association.
Confirmed attendees at the inaugural conference entitled “Development, Jobs And Innovation Driving Growth Across Italy”, include the Italian Minister for Business and Made in Italy Production, Adolfo Urso, representing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the Italian Minister for Tourism, Daniela Santanchè, the President of the Confederation of Italian Industry, Emanuele Orsini, the President of the Italian Trade Agency, Matteo Zoppas, and, for a Boat Show first, the Secretary of the State of Florida’s Department of Transportation, Jared W. Perdue.
“This is a significant recognition: the government, economic institutions and the business community have chosen the Genoa International Boat Show to reaffirm just how much boating is not just an essential sector of the Blue Economy, but also a strategic industry for Italy, which in the last ten years has seen exports grow by 119%, double the average for the entire manufacturing sector, to over €4.5 billion,” commented Formenti, alsorecalling the multi-year agreement that will be signed during the Genoa Boat Show between the Italian Marine Industry Association and the organising entity 38th America’s Cup Event to support the event scheduled to take place in Naples in 2027 and the public exhibition of the trophy at the Boat Show on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st September.
“Over the course of 65 editions, the Genoa International Boat Show has never stopped renewing itself, while always remaining faithful to its mission: to give a voice to businesses, never betraying their expectations and, on the contrary, proving itself capable of playing a countercyclical role even in the most trying times, as demonstrated in both 2008 and 2020. Even in the face of a global market contraction, with the exception of large yacht trends, a phenomenon amply reflected throughout industry events, we already expect this edition to be a great success for companies and visitors alike, based on participation confirmed so far.”
The Genoa International Boat Show as a workshop for the future: the programme of events and conferences
Alongside the exhibition itself, the Genoa International Boat Show confirms its role as an active workshop of ideas and the future: the FORUM25 programme, sponsored by the European Commission, includes over ninety conferences and workshops. The presentation of the official data from Boating in Figures – Boating Economic Forecast, anticipated to 17th September, will provide the eagerly awaited update on the performance of the Italian recreational boating industry.
Several vertical insights are planned, such as the European Boating Roundtable, in collaboration with the European Boating Industry federation, the event Di sistema e di frontiera: il futuro della nautica, dalla Liguria per l’Italia (Pioneering From Within The System: The Future Of Boating, From Liguria To Italy), organised by Quotidiano Nazionale in collaboration with the Italian Marine Industry Association, and the well-established event Nautica, Fisco e Dogana (Boating, Tax and Customs), now a reference point for businesses and professionals for discussions with the heads of the national Revenue Agency and the Customs and Monopolies Agency.
The new study by the Italian Marine Industry Association’s National Boating Observatory, in collaboration with the General Directorate of the Italian Ministry for Infrastructures and Transport, is eagerly awaited. For the first time, it traces today’s profile of the Italian boat owner, analysing the characteristics of boat owners and their boats. This survey is unique in Europe and provides a valuable tool for businesses and for the Association’s policies aimed at the next generation.
The topic of sustainability will be also discussed at the World Yachting Sustainability Forum, the international forum organised by the Italian Marine Industry Association in collaboration with International Boat Industry magazine, now in its fourth edition. This will be followed by a round table on ESG criteria for the boating sector, organised by the Italian Marine Industry Association, BPER Banca and RINA, which have jointly developed the “Sustainable Finance Lab” project to promote greater awareness of ESG issues and sustainable finance through the development of financial services and instruments dedicated to the boating sector in support of the implementation of ecological, energy and sustainable transition plans.
The process for the completion of the ISO 20121 certification for the sustainable design of the 65th Genoa International Boat Show is also nearing its final phase, an important recognition of our commitment that demonstrates how Italian recreational boating and its flagship show continue to invest in a sustainable future.
Future, innovation and vision will be at the heart of the 6th edition of the Design Innovation Award, scheduled for Friday 19th September at the Palazzo Ducale in Genoa’s city centre, which will once again reward the ability of exhibiting companies to anticipate trends and set international standards.
The day dedicated to Confederation of Italian Industry events, Monday 22nd September, will see the Blue Economy Industry Forum, an event promoted by the Confederation of Italian Industry with the Technical Group on the Economy of the Sea chaired by Mario Zanetti, which will see institutions, businesses and academia discuss concrete and shared objectives, underlining how the Genoa International Boat Show acts as a key forum for discussion on regional development and the enhancement of the sea as a cultural and economic resource, and the 11th National Conference on Nautical Tourism promoted by the Italian Tourism Federation.
In terms of cohesion policies, the Genoa Boat Show is hosting for the first time thePlenary Assembly of the Conference of Presidents for the Legislative Assemblies of Italy’s Regions and Autonomous Provinces.
Business, sustainability and innovation find a natural link with start-ups presenting game-changing solutions, which will be awarded during a dedicated event on Saturday 20th September and promoted through the Design Innovation Award: a bridge to the future and to generational renewal.
And it is precisely the younger generations that the Genoa International Boat Show is focusing on, with two events reserved for secondary schools, training and work experiences: “Boating: Charting A Course Through A Sea Of Opportunities” and “Boating Industry: Synergies Between Institutions And Businesses. Employment, Training, Apprenticeships, Guidance”, both scheduled for Monday 22nd September. A reduced admission price for under-25-year-olds has also been introduced to encourage young visitors.
Another new addition for this year’s edition is the TechTrade Days 2025 initiative on 18th and 19th September, a B2B format dedicated to the latest industry news, featuring over 400 brands of boating equipment, accessories and components, dedicated to business, technology and professional networking.
The 65th edition of the Genoa International Boat Show also renews its commitment to promoting culture and publishing: a calendar of book presentations at the VIP Lounge will showcase stories and tales related to the sea and its protagonists, offering the public an opportunity to meet authors and prominent personalities. The theme of the VIP Lounge 2025 format, created in collaboration with Circle Dynamic Luxury Magazine, is “The Magic of Illusion”, which will transform the space into an immersive, multi-sensory experience, where art, culture, haute cuisine and lifestyle come together in a unique journey dedicated to a select audience.
Institutional speeches
Marco Bucci, President of the Liguria Regional Council: “As a native of Liguria and Genoa, I am particularly proud that my city is hosting the 65th edition of the Genoa International Boat Show. I am proud to have contributed, when I was mayor, to ensuring that this historic event would continue to be held in Genoa, thanks to the memorandum of understanding signed in 2020, which confirmed the event’s presence here for another 10 years, in its natural home, in the land that is an absolute benchmark in the field of Italian boating at an Italian, European and global level. Expertise, business, work, ideas and, above all, history define this territory, the history of a city and a region the greatness of which was earned with and on the sea, a greatness that continues to this day: we are working to ensure that this will also be the case in the future. This is why we are committed to transforming this place, the Genoa Boat Show, into the new Levante Waterfront, designed by Renzo Piano: a modern and functional area with an extraordinary view of the sea, perfect for hosting the Boat Show and the excellence of international boating.”
Silvia Salis, Mayor of Genoa: “The Genoa International Boat Show is our city’s greatest international brand. That is why we must not limit ourselves to defending it but commit ourselves to ensuring that it continues to grow. Its annual presence reminds us that the future of Genoa, including on a professional level, lies in boating and the opportunities that this sector can offer to new generations. We want to work together, in a spirit of collaboration, to further strengthen this event and everything that revolves around it. I am thinking, for example, of the events taking place alongside the Boat Show: the Rolli Days are already a leading occasion to experience, but the goal is to build an increasingly rich calendar, based on the Milan model, capable of attracting visitors, qualified tourism and retaining an international audience in Genoa for all of these several days. We can make the Genoa Boat Show even bigger. This must be the will of a city that puts the Blue Economy at the centre of development and opportunities that we can offer young people, not only to keep them in Genoa, but to attract even more of the next generation. A choice that could perhaps start with a visit to the Genoa Boat Show.”
Luigi Attanasio, President of the Genoa Chamber of Commerce: “The Chamber of Commerce confirms its historic support for the Genoa International Boat Show’s hospitality project. New features this year include the presence of Genova Gourmet Catering and Bartender operators in the official lounge of the event and the participation of Gal Fish Liguria, Artigiani in Liguria and Botteghe Storiche di Genova to enliven the institutional stand on a daily basis. Outside the show, the Rolli Days weekend, with AperiRolli on Saturday in Via Garibaldi, and the start of Cocktail Week in venues taking part.”
Mauro Ferrando, President of Porto Antico S.p.A.: “I would like to thank the Italian Marine Industry Association and the company Saloni Nautici for the strong, lasting relationship we continue to maintain, which was consolidated with the memorandum of understanding signed in 2019 for the Genoa Boat Show, which takes place in a location that is constantly developing“.
The Sponsors of the 65th Genoa International Boat Show
The confidence and quality of the sponsors involved confirms the Genoa International Boat Show’s role as a global hub for business and vision. The partners for the 2025 edition are: Denza (official car), Eberhard & Co. (official timekeeper), BPER Banca (welcome partner), North Sails (official clothing partner), Sara Assicurazioni (sponsor) and Roche Bobois (technical partner).
