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Tremendous camaraderie and respect were the traits of the annual Rivergate-AIMEX VIP Dinner, held once again post-ASMEX Conference on the eve of the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show at Ioesco Café Cucina.
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The 32 VIP guests were hand-selected from the spectrum of industry: Captains, charter brokers, yacht management, manufacturers, marketers, designers and media.
Richard Chapman, AIMEX President thanked Rivergate for its continual support of the ASMEX Conference and collaboration in the AIMEX Dinner and recognised the event organisers for their concerted effort and hard work, raising the bar in terms of calibre of speakers and the pertinent content during the conference.
“We welcome you all here tonight as a ‘thank you’ and to reinforce the relationships that are so important in our industry.”
Tom Hill, Director at Rivergate Marina & Shipyard welcomed guests and praised AIMEX-Superyacht Australia for being pro-active for their members, before raising a toast to the Australian industry and the good health of good friends.
An authentic Italian feast followed, complemented by marvellous wines and rousing conversation that touched on travel, industry trends, the European boat show circuit ahead and highlights of the ASMEX conference.
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Kiran Haslam, Marketing Director, Princess Yachts said the occasion perfectly topped off the ASMEX conference and was a chance to unwind with friends.
“We see each other at the various yacht shows, but it’s wonderful to have more time to just talk about wide-ranging things, some not to do with boats at all! And how about this weather? This is better than an English summer!”
“Rivergate should be commended as a great supporter and advocate of the industry,” said Peter Redford, Sales and Charter Broker at Fraser Yachts.
“It was a superb event and a great opportunity to socialise and exchange ideas with people from all areas of the industry. We were impressed that as well as being a magnificent dinner, it was an environment conducive to industry interaction with international and interstate luminaries.”
“It’s an annual event I look forward to,” said Hillary Buckman, Publisher of Ocean and Sails Magazines and The Great Southern Route Superyacht Directory.
“For some, it’s their final night after ASMEX before they set off for home, while for others, it’s their first night ahead of the boat show. It’s a great meeting point between shows and fantastic networking.”
From Sarah Egan, founder of Boat Style, the observation that “this is an amazing group of people, united by the same passion”.
“Boating is our lifestyle and livelihood. It’s such a relaxed, convivial dinner that people share the most extraordinary stories. International visitors get to meet each other and spend time together, and we enjoy friendships formed over many years that we savour wherever we roam around the globe.”
Barry Jenkins, Chairman Superyacht Australia thanked the team from Rivergate for their warm hospitality. “Judy Brinsmead, Tom Hill and Steve Fisher from Rivergate are excellent hosts and I feel privileged to be included among their guests,” he said.
“It really is a 5-star networking opportunity, along with good food and great company. It’s the time to put faces to names and chat to them in person. I had a lovely discussion over dinner with Peter and Domenica Redford, and I spoke with Peter Mahony from Benetti Asia. At conferences and boat shows, time rarely allows us to get to know each other.
“Given the busy schedule of ASMEX and then SCIBS, the Rivergate dinner is a nice chance to rub shoulders with senior people in a social setting.”
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