It is a mirror image of the international market and visualises its motto “Experience 360° Water Sports” on a “one-to-one scale” with its ranges of boats, yachts, and water sports.

THE WAVE – the First Standing Deep Water Wave

THE WAVE is a nine metre wide standing wave that invites visitors to surf at our new Surfers Village in Hall 2. “It is guaranteed to be fun for both professionals and children or beginners. Those wanting to test the wave at boot can already secure a surf slot in the run-up to the trade fair at www.boot.de. Surfing is free – all you need is an admission ticket for boot 2017,” explains boot Director Petros Michelidakis. The Surfers Village is also home to chill-out bars, hip surf fashions and the latest boards.

THE WAVE is also an engineering feat: It boasts the unique Deep Water Surf system which means, you can also surf on it with standard surf boards with fins. This creates a much more realistic surf feel than other standing waves. For beginners and professionals the basin offers waves of different heights from 1 to 1.50 metres. With the help of ten pumps the 25°C warm and 1.40 metres deep water is pumped to form waves that ensure unlimited surf fun.

THE WAVE is a project of “Citywave” developed by engineers Susi and Rainer Klimaschewski.

Excursion into the World of Super Yachts and their Supplies

In Halls 5, 6 and 7a the boot exhibitors are presented that cover the segment super yachts, tender boats for big yachts, super yacht building and furnishings for super yachts.

The demanding boot audience can look forward to the forthcoming January: It is already evident at this stage that Hall 6, the home of super yachts, will be completely booked up. Hall 6 is a dream for all lovers of big yachts. All market leaders are “on board” and will be able to offer visitor a wonderful display of these vessels.

The in total 60 super yachts up to 30 metres on show in Hall 6 represent the cream of the crop this segment of the boating market currently has to offer. Often not an easy task for exhibitors, trade fair organisers and forwarders since the transport itinerary of these yachts has to be planned down to the smallest of details in the run-up to boot. After all, many of these beauties cannot travel by land but capitalize on the situation of the exhibition centre close to the Rhine, one of Europe’s most important waterways; they travel by river to Düsseldorf. Some of them even arrive in a group of up to five yachts on a pontoon that is loaded in Rotterdam. Once moored in Düsseldorf these yachts are transported right from the pontoon into the hall. Michelidakis says: “A pontoon of this kind with five yachts is again expected at boot 2017. Its arrival is currently scheduled for 5 or 6 January 2017.”

Exclusive yacht-building projects, scale models of luxury yachts, upstream suppliers, designers and architects will prove at the Super Yacht Show in Halle 7a, that the sky is the limit in yacht building. A new element is the event “boot INTERIOR” focused on the interior design and furnishings for mega yachts of demanding owners. After all, there is a rising demand for spa areas with state-of-the-art technology, low-noise cabins and elaborate materials for exclusive designs. The joint organisers of this interior design show within boot 2017 are Messe Düsseldorf and BOOTE EXCLUSIV, the super yacht magazine published by Delius Klasing Verlag. The aim for the future is to develop an even wider product portfolio in the B2B segment of boot. Registered participants include the “Arbeitsgemeinschaft „Deutsche Yachten – Superyacht Germany” as well as a joint stand of the French super yacht builders, to name but two.

The move of the German Superyacht Conference, organised by Delius Klasing publishing house, from the Elbe to the Rhine is an excellent match for the ranges on display in Halls 5, 6 and 7a. A line-up of high-calibre speakers supports the exclusive flair of the super yachts at boot. The Vice Vice President of Design at Daimler AG, Gorden Wagener, will present the keynote on the theme “Transfer of Design”. Wagener is considered one of the most important automotive designers in the world and has just translated the Mercedes brand for the water with the development of the Arrow 460-Granturismo. The Superyacht Conference will be held on 25 January at the Intercontinental Hotel in Düsseldorf.

Accessories Segment is Popular 

Over 50,000 visitors are annually attracted to Düsseldorf by the boot segment accessories – from engines and technical supplies, equipment, instruments to power supply systems whether classic gen-sets or solar energy systems, to efficient propellers. This makes Halls 10, 11 and 12 a popular segment at boot. One premiere at the coming trade fair will be the series production of the Neander Dtorque turbo-charged diesel outboard engine by Neander Motors.

Sailing Sports in Halls 14 to 17 presented by 360+ Exhibitors

The coming year will see 360 manufacturers of sailing boats and yachts, multi-hull yachts, cats, day-sailors and dinghies present themselves at boot. This means that boot will be the world’s most important presentation platform for all forms and classes of sailing and that Halls 14 to 17 will turn into a giant sailing centre.

Petros Michelidakis: “In these sailing halls no desire is left unfulfilled. We are very broad-based and are even posting further growth in the multi-hull and day-sailor segments. As a passionate yachtsman myself I am already now looking forward to the active and exciting atmosphere and sailor spirit in the halls.”

The Promotion of Sailing Sports

However, boot is not only a platform for boats and yachts but has also committed itself to promoting young sailing talents for many years now. The figurehead here is the Düsseldorf yachtswoman Constanze Stolz, who is heading for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo with the new 470 boat class in her new training ground in Kiel. She is supported and promoted in her efforts by boot Düsseldorf, to name but one sponsor.

Supporting sailing sports alongside showcasing boats in the halls forms another pillar of boot. boot sponsors amongst others the tradition-rich regattas in Kiel and Travemünde. Every year the boot Sailing School attracts hundreds of newcomers to the water in Hall 14, where big wind machines make for the right breeze. At boot 2016 a total of 4,000 freshmen were welcomed here.  

Cooperation between the Prince Albert II Foundation and Deutsche Meeresstiftung

Brand new information: boot Düsseldorf will announce its cooperation with Monaco’s Prince Albert Foundation and the German Maritime Foundation at boot 2017. “For us as the organiser of boot it is a great honour to be able to present the two important organisations and their work for the protection of the sea. Our aim is to introduce the theme of marine protection to key enterprises and decision makers,” delights Michelidakis.

670,000 People take to Diving every year

Diving is in, great fun and becoming ever more popular. These findings are confirmed by boot Düsseldorf, since Halls 3 and 4 where diving gear, suits and state-of-the-art equipment is exhibited, are in high demand. Presented here once again will be the international top vendors for the “most beautiful pastime in the world”, as divers rejoice at their sports. In Germany 670,000 people dive on a regular basis every year and these figures have been growing here and in other European countries for years now. At boot they are in for a wide range of information revolving around diver’s training provided by the leading organizations such as Padi, Protec, PSS worldwide, SSI as well as the German Sports Diving Association. The diving halls therefore provide a perfect opportunity to prepare for the next dives and find out about new provisions governing diving during the cold time of the year

Diving Destinations enchant with Dreamlike Underwater Worlds

The diving destinations presented at boot are about dream places rather than sober-minded training and technology. Both highly demanded and exotic travel destinations are represented here whisking visitors away to their dreamlike underwater worlds. The Philippines, Azores, Fuerteventura, Indonesia Portugal and Honduras lure travellers with joint participations. Presenting its attractive diving regions for the first time will be Sardinia. Those preferring inland waters to the open seas can find out from the “Tauchclub Dachstein-Salzkammergut” club about the excellent diving conditions in the fascinating underwater world of Lake Hallstätter.

Try-Out Diving Training

Visitors whose appetite is then whetted for a dive can immerse themselves with full diving gear in the 6 x 4.60 m large and 1.80 m deep pool. Suit, compressed air bottle, diving regulator and fins are provided free of charge while competent diving instructors from the leading diving and training organizations provide tips and advice.

“Living at sea level” at the Beach Resort 

“Living at sea level” is the motto of the Beach Resort at boot 2017. The new trade fair area is home to hotels and club resorts located by the water – be this sea or inland waters – and which stand out from the rest with a wide range of water sports. In the water tourism hall 13 the suppliers present the whole diversity of these sports by, in and on the water. Precisely the right form of holiday making for all those wanting to do a charter turn first and then spend an active week at a hotel right by the water.

Cruises as popular as ever

Those preferring to spend their dream holidays completely on the water, however, are well catered for at the Cruise Pavilion. At this maritime travel market in Hall 14 the market leaders in this industry will present the cruising hot spots. With this offering boot Düsseldorf strikes a chord because the number of cruise passengers has been rising for years in Europe reaching the record of 6.6 million people in 2015.

Play Now! Join in! The new Advertising Campaign for boot

And completing this new trio is “Play Now”! After the successful multi-picture strap line ringing in the brand re-launch of boot in 2010 and the “Experience 360° Water Sports“ in the Gold Campaign featuring successful athletes acting as ambassadors of their sports, now water sports fans are in the limelight. Commenting on this Michelidakis said: “With Play Now” we encourage all people with a flair for sports in and on the water to join in and visit boot to experience this unique atmosphere with us in Düsseldorf. In the middle of winter we are placing water sports and a holiday feel centre stage, allowing our visitors to dream of summer.”

“Play Now” is an authentic, high-octane campaign. When watching the images and videos you can feel that “Play Now” was made by water sports enthusiasts for water sports enthusiasts. Here passion comes into play. “Play Now” stands for fun and entertainment, curiosity and trying out new things but also for information and discovering and developing a passion for water and these sports.

boot Düsseldorf scores points as the world’s biggest water sports fair in eleven categories – with very realistic shots of people who enjoy their sports. Be it the fisherman who proudly present his catch, the canoeist before descending a steep, rocky riverbed, kite surfers dashing across th4e sea, yachtsmen in a fresh breeze, Stand Up Paddling (SUP) on a lonesome river, couples on a luxurious super yacht, flying windsurfers as they jump out of the seam, divers with a whale shark in the depths of sea, wakeboarders gliding over a lake on the cable, a ride in a racy powerboat or the next dream holiday by the water – these campaign motifs simply whet the appetite for water and sea.

In this way “Play Now”, of course also reflects the feeling at boot. Here visitors can dream about holidays on gloomy January days or actively actively try out sports otherwise only possible to pursue in summer. Wakeboarding and skimboarding, SUP, diving, canoeing, sailing, fishing and – as presented before – even real surfing can be experienced live in the themed worlds of boot in 17 exhibition halls. So fun with water is guaranteed and, at the same time, visitors can gather information on, or also buy, new “water toys” such as an inflatable for the kids, a new surfboard for the sporty mum, a pedigree sailing yacht for daddy or a power boat for the whole family. “In our new campaign we have pictured the eleven sports categories of boot in such an exciting and realistic way that each water sports enthusiast will want to join in Play Now,” explains Michelidakis.

To the tune of 1,800 Exhibitors from 60 Countries 17 Exhibition Halls

At boot 2017 to the tune of 1,800 exhibitors from 60 countries will be presented on 220,000 square metres. All 17 exhibition halls are occupied providing a complete overview of the world market for water sports. Says Michelidakis: “The exhibiting companies gear their exhibition budgets specifically to Düsseldorf so as to present themselves in all their splendour. boot is the world’s biggest boat and water sports show: over 1,800 boats will be on display here in Düsseldorf.” Over 50% of exhibitors come from the neighbouring European countries and overseas now. Leading here are the major water sports nations: the Netherlands, Italy, France and Great Britain.

Boating and water sports are fun but also make a major contribution to the global economy. According to data provided by ICOMIA, the International Council of Marine Industry Associations, last year 100,000 companies manufactured boats and yachts worldwide. They employed 1,000,000 staff who produced approx. 25 million boats and yachts annually. In 2015 the annual sales of the industry amounted to US$ 40 billion, with Europe accounting for 50% of the turnover. Here 280,000 people are employed in boat and yacht building.

Vira Maritime