Numbers game at METS
This year's METSTRADE Show was a resounding success in terms of visitor and exhibitor numbers and feedback on quality networking.
Photography by RAI Amsterdam
21 November 2016
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The annual METSTRADE Show in Amsterdam was a resounding success by all indicators, both visitor and exhibitor numbers and in feedback regarding quality networking.
The recent METSTRADE Show saw a record number of exhibitors and visitors in Amsterdam this year.
The event is the world’s largest B2B exhibition in the marine equipment industry and saw the 6610 personnel representing 1471 exhibiting companies and a total of 23,702 visits. The figure of 15,541 unique visitors was an increase of eight percent on the previous highpoint set in 2015, and they represented 11,091 different companies, a year-on-year rise of 7.5 percent.
The three-day show, which ran 15 to 17 November, was flanked on either side by leading conferences in the superyacht, leisure marine sustainability, yacht design and construction and marina sectors. The busiest day of the exhibition, saw almost 10,000 visitors file into the RAI Amsterdam centre to access the 11 halls open for business (a 3000-square metre increase on last year’s show floor layout).
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A further breakdown of the show figures makes for impressive reading. Strong year-on-year growth was seen at the three shows-within-a-show: the SuperYacht Pavilion hosted 265 exhibitors (compared to 224 in 2015), with 64 stands in the sold-out Marina & Yard Pavilion (49 in 2015) and 45 in the Construction Material Pavilion (31 in 2015).
Turning to the visitor numbers, 64 percent were from outside the Netherlands. Italy, France and Denmark, three countries which have always been well represented at METSTRADE, saw significant rises this year. And there were a large number of Russian, Polish and Swiss visitors in attendance, which has not been the case before.
Moreover, 85 percent of the overall visitor total had decision-making authority within their company. And with some 22 percent of visitors being under 35 years of age, a 10 percent rise on METSTRADE 2015, the future certainly looks bright for the marine equipment industry.
There was an enormous amount of business conducted around social gatherings and the networking of professionals from around the world. RAI Amsterdam’s Maritime METSTRADE manager Irene Dros said “While being famous for showcasing the vibrant nature of the maritime industry, METSTRADE is also fun for all who gather in Amsterdam for this annual event”.
“The 2016 edition of METSTRADE may well be remembered as the year which the show raised the bar to the next level. The side program of conferences and events was bigger and better than ever before, and it is clear that METSTRADE increasingly serves as a magnet for smart initiatives from across every discipline and market within the maritime world.”
Dros cites the examples of the new Leisure Marine Sustainability Conference and the Boat Builder Awards gala, which was held at Amsterdam’s Maritime Museum.
“These kinds of events attract the crème de la crème from the industry and add excellent high-end networking concepts to the show. We will continue to emphasize this aspect in the years ahead as it is a win-win situation for everyone.”
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