Boot up!

With almost 237,000 visitors from over 60 countries and more than 1,500 exhibitors from 68 nations on 220,000 square metres in 16 exhibition halls, boot Düsseldorf is the largest yacht and watersports show in the world.

The exhibition halls will be filled with powerboats with classic and alternative propulsion, luxury yachts from leading manufacturers, sailing yachts – from dinghies to large yachts, diving accessories, canoes and kayaks and houseboats.

Diving deep in Hall 12

Alongside boats and yachts, diving is a mainstay of boot and at home in parts of Hall 11 and 13 and in Hall 12. “Here, sport divers find everything their heart desires and here, everyone with a name in the industry will feature,” says Christian Hruschka, responsible for diving, technical equipment and tourism in the boot team.

“Instructors inform visitors on how to get started in underwater sports and advise them on purchasing matching equipment or suitable dive destinations. Orders can be placed directly with manufacturers, dealers and tour operators at the show.”

Those seeking a taste before diving in open waters for the first time can immerse themselves in the novices’ pool. Experienced sportspeople with a licence head for the futurist diving tower, which was first introduced at boot 2023.

Petros Michelidakis, director of boot, adds: “The diving community are loyal boot fans, and we have created a real paradise for them.”

For 2024, boot has created the Dive Award, to be presented in the categories Personality, Climate, Product, Destination and Innovation. The new award comes with €3,000 prize money in each category and will be presented on the stage of the Dive Center at boot in Düsseldorf annually.

Wingsurfing, wingfoiling and pumpfoiling

Sportspeople will have their sights on wingfoiling and pumpfoiling at boot 2024, as well as wingsurfing, which involves flying or gliding over the water. On the 60-metre-long pool in Hall 17, the pros in this emerging sport will show what they can do.

Caroline Mühl, the surf expert on the boot team, explains: “Boards and the complete accessories portfolio can, of course, also be found in Hall 17 because the renowned manufacturers and dealers in the surf and SUP sectors will join the fray showcasing the latest trending boards.”

Join-in activities

Stars in the diving community will present cliffhanger film scenes of their adventures and be available as experts on the stage in the Dive Centre. Meanwhile, at the Sailing Centre, international sailing superstars will report on their sailing trips and participate in challenges.

“On the Destination Seaside stage, the tour operators will whisk away visitors to dreamlike holiday regions and demonstrate a wide variety of holiday formats by the water in the most dazzling colours,” says Lara Hannappel, the stage coordinator on the boot team.

For those wishing to be on or in the water themselves, there will be join-in activities at the Actionpool, the diving tower also offering free-dive training, Sailing School and the World of Paddling.

Blue Innovation dock and Sustainability Forum

After its successful launch at boot 2023, the Blue Innovation dock – held in cooperation with the European Boating Industry (EBI) – will continue to be featured as a sustainability forum.

“The blue innovation dock was created by boot and is a genuine innovation driver,” says Michelidakis.

“At boot 2023, we were already able to see the ideas and technologies for water sports but also the operation of marinas and moorings on the bid stage. We are now in the concrete planning stage of the program, and I’m not overpromising when I say we will be introduced to a host of new developments, also in alternative propulsion or for sustainable boatbuilding in 2024.”

In addition, Prince Albert II Foundation and the German Sea Foundation, along with partners Love Your Ocean campaign, will present the Ocean Tribute award.

Global and regional premieres

The nine trade fair days will see an array of global firsts, innovative accessories and new watersports gear.

“Many exhibitors choose boot as the venue for launching their innovations for the coming season to create as large a buzz in the sector as possible. We can look forward to many trail-blazing developments both in boatbuilding and in propulsions. In addition, we will also leverage the synergies resulting from Messe Düsseldorf’s wider portfolio,” explains Michelidakis.

A tour of the 16 exhibition halls

Halls 1 to 4 at boot 2024 are reserved for small to medium-sized powerboats, fishing boats and e-boats (up to max. 20 m). Hall 3 will also host the Sportfishing Centre. In Superboat Hall 5 are the market leaders for luxury tenders and shadow boats.

Next door in the exclusive marina of Hall 6 is the luxury yachts segment. Hall 7a is home to superyacht manufacturers with their information stands. (No superyachts are on display due to size constraints in the halls.)

Halls 9 and 10 are boot’s Silicon Valley. Here, the latest technological developments for boating and marine propulsion of all sizes and classes, as well as ribs big and small.

Hall 11 houses all the useful accessories yachtsmen and women require on board. With the ‘love your ocean’ stand and the partnering NGOs, ocean protection will also move back to Hall 11, as will the Water Pixel World.

Add to this the diving ranges starting in Hall 11 and continuing in Hall 12 and the northern part of Hall 13. Here, the adjacent Destination Seaside showcases diving and holiday regions from all over the world.

Another highlight in Hall 13 is the presentation of houseboats and international charter operators. On top of this, services and consulting will be provided on the subject of investment in yachts and yacht-owner programmes.

Hall 14 is the meeting point for sporting canoes and kayakers with the World of Paddling and its “wild waterway.” This is also where the intriguing combo of caravanning and water sports as a form of holidaying is demonstrated.

Halls 15 and 16 serve as the sailing centre at boot 2024, where international manufacturers will be showcasing a broad range for all boaters – from dinghies to large yachts.

“The boot sailing halls will again be a true mirror image of the market, and we will also be able to welcome back the manufacturers who suspended participation this year,” says Arne von Heimendahl, who is the expert for motor boats and sailing yachts in the boot team. “We can look forward to yachts up to 70 feet.”

boot.club and admission tickets

Online tickets for boot Düsseldorf are available for €21, and €19 for boot.club, caravan.club and ADAC (General German Automobile Association) members; tickets sold at the ticket counters on-site cost €29.00.

Joining the boot.club, which currently has 166,000 members, offers reduced admission rates and access to the boot.club Lounge on the fairgrounds, including free wifi.

boot.com