"We believe Abu Dhabi will develop into a serious, very elegant hub for yachting and we, with our group Behne Mar, definitely want to be a part of it. We are very happy to have a presence at the show, particularly as we are an Abu Dhabi-based company."
We are sure to meet interesting clientele here. We love Abu Dhabi. The city is developing rapidly, and has immense support and backing from the royal family."
Dr. Rainer Behne, Chairman of Behne Mar
"To be ranked alongside other destinations and shows which have an established and long-held industry pedigree is a huge leap forward. The show’s move to Yas Marina has demonstrated that Abu Dhabi is capable of providing best-in-class infrastructure on a par with some of the best in the world and our whole marine leisure proposition can only go forward from here."
Ahmed Hussein, Deputy Director General, ADTA
"This event is primarily a relationship-building and brand-recognition exercise in this region, and it helps us understand the business culture. The region is all about relationships and this show gives us access to the right people and the right contacts.
For example, we had a designer come to us with a design on behalf of a client from the region. We also had a broker come in looking on behalf of a private client. This business is all about building relationships."
Ron Cleveringa, Vice-President – Sales & Marketing, Burger Boat Company
"We had to choose a show in the region that would allow us to showcase the revolutionary design of the floating island to the most appropriate customer base, and we chose the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show." "We’re here for the first time and we’re very pleased with the level of interest. Clearly the region is exceptionally responsive to unique yacht concepts such as WHY, and bringing it to the ADYS was an appropriate business decision which we are sure will pay off."
Jacopo Marchi, Project Director, WHY
"We are very encouraged by Abu Dhabi. It’s building the infrastructure to turn this city into a real yachting destination. Our move here is an indication of just how bullish we are with this market."
William S. Smith III, Trinity’s Vice-President
"We didn’t have to think twice about hosting such a successful event as the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show. To have 30 superyachts, exhibitors from all over the world and people walking along the pontoons and experiencing the venue – this is what marina life is all about. ADYS allowed us the opportunity to meet boat builders, owners of new vessels, and people interested in berthing facilities. We got very good support from the yachting community and we are very much looking forward to next year’s show."
Cedric Le Rest, Marina Manager, Yas Marina
"This is the third year we’ve come to the UAE to do a boat show and our second time at ADYS, as we were here for the inaugural show. To come back to Abu Dhabi after just one year and see the infrastructure that has been set up and the commitment of the Government of Abu Dhabi to turning the city into a serious yachting destination, is very welcome. I have no doubt that this destination is moving forward and is unstoppable."
Mike Kelsey Jr., President, Palmer Johnson
"ADYS is a growing show at this point. At this year’s show, Abu Dhabi MAR was very interested in showcasing who we are, especially to the local clientele. I think the show has the potential to emerge as a key highlight in the region in the next three to five years."
"The show is in its infancy but if we all work through the inevitable teething problems, then I believe that within the next 3 – 5 years, the ADYS will take a prominent role and become one of the "must attend" yacht shows in the world". Compared to last year the show’s improved. We have more traffic and a lot more qualified exhibitors as well. The show is starting to grow and in a couple of years it will be the best yacht show in the world."
Johan Valtijn, Abu Dhabi Mar
"We enjoyed participating at the second Abu Dhabi Yacht Show. It was a good opportunity to again network with key professionals from local and international industry. We look forward to the 2011 show where we hope to see an even broader scope of industry partners."
Lea Badro, Business Development Director, Green Line Yacht Interiors
"We liked the new venue a lot. A lot of effort has gone into this show and into the Yas Marina, and we commend the change in venue. We love the Middle East and the potential for growth here is immense. We want to be part of that growth."
Philip Purcell, Vice President – Sales, Westport
"The fact that Abu Dhabi’s marine leisure proposition, and solid infrastructure for the yachting community, has received a resounding vote of confidence from some of the biggest players in the industry demonstrates the potential this city holds to become a superyacht hub of impressive proportions. The path to this destination is one filled with several well conceived and inspirational projects and we look forward to their realization in the coming years."
Faisal Al Sheikh, Events Manager, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA)
"Amazing setting for the 2010 Abu Dhabi Yacht Show; with a great selection of yachts and exhibitors. I was pleased that the visitors we’d invited to attend the ADYS arrived – they seemed impressed with the setup and operation. I know things were not easy for you with all of the other events that happened; well done to you and your team."
Jamie Edmiston, Edmiston & Company Limited
This is Burgess’s second time at the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show. The ME market has always been very important for us. Obviously with the credit crunch and markets having changed, the switch made to the ME market by the entire yachting industry has been visible.
Yachting is part of the Middle Eastern culture. They like large yachts and they do a lot of yachting in the western Mediterranean. With the marine industry developing as it is now, with these wonderful facilities and the new marinas, yachting is arriving more on their doorsteps. That’s why it makes sense to move our marketing and our presence more into the Gulf region and to the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show.
We’re here to put a firmer footprint in the Gulf market and show our commitment to the ME market. We need to bring the product to the customer and for this market it’s a very positive move to be seen to have that commitment and to do that. We think there is genuine market here and there is business to be done.
Alev Karagulla, Burgess
We produce boats above 70 - 80 metres, usually more than above 100 m. These are special boats which require special clients, and the Middle East has these clients.
The Middle East is very interesting for us, in terms of potential new clients.
Andrea Piantini, Fincantieri
This boat is unique in the Yacht Industry. We call them SUVs, "Sport Utility Vessels". We carry almost everything on board; a huge helicopter, a Bentley, 48 ft tender and 33 ft tender, 4 jet skis, 2 scooters and 1 Smart Car. Actually, this boat is a toy for big boys!"
The marina next to F1 track is amazing. It’s fabulous.
We had a lot of interest from this region. Three Shadow boats are owned by people in this region and they are very satisfied with it. We’ve had very positive experience at the show, and we’ll definitely participate again next year with another boat.
Captain Kostas Andreou, VP of Maritime Operations, Shadow Marine
"A lot of people are visiting our stand and saying, ’What’s happened? Is this the boat you revealed?’ I think this response was continuous from the actual launch on the first evening. It was one of the highlights of the show. Our yacht received such good exposure, so we are very proud.
I was here last year but as a visitor. We were confident it was a good show so we came back as exhibitors. I believed in the show and the approach. You get the idea of quality; the whole setup looks very impressive and professional.
The Middle East market was always important. We have built three very large boats for this area and it’s an important market. We know this market is interested in large boats.
We’re glad we came. It’s not the quantity of people who come, but the quality of people, and we think we saw a lot of quality people. We are very happy."
Eal Kant, Managing Director, Oceanco
"We participated last year and found it very interesting. We wanted to have this experience again. This area didn’t have a boat show for the large yachts which we build, so we thought it was a good idea to create a new Boat Show for important constructions, and for us to be part of it."
Francesca Fennucci, ISA
"This is the 65 meter Trident; she’s the brand new Feadship. This is the first time ever that we’ve shown one of our brand new vessels. We’re delighted to be at the Show, and to demonstrate our quality, and the craftsmanship of our workers. We have many royal yachts and private yachts coming to our yards, and they have been using our services since the 1960s."
We have several reasons for participating. Abu Dhabi is a beautiful cruising ground. It’s growing, expanding and developing, and we would like to be a part of that.
Franco Van Vell, Feadship
"The Abu Dhabi Yacht Show provided access to some of the top buyers in the region and we are hopeful of doing more business in the coming show."
Francesco Pitea, General Manager of Sunseeker Middle East LLC
"We have seen a lot of interest at the show, particularly from local clientele. There is a lot of scope for development within this market. The marine environment is very conducive to boating. There is much more natural appeal in Abu Dhabi, particularly with its islands, and once the infrastructure develops we will see the market exploding."
Gareth Lloyd, Marina Manager, Al Seer Marine
"As a company with business concerns exclusively in the megayacht sector, we felt that having a presence in the Middle East required participation in this show, as the only yacht show focusing on larger vessels. We currently have two megayachts under construction, and many of the other boat and yacht shows in the region do not really meet our needs. We had a presence at Monaco, then at Fort Lauderdale, and now here at the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show,"
Esra Tarlan, PR & Marketing Supervisor, Dunya Yachts
"I’m very happy to be here at the show and am really impressed. The highlight has been the friendship and kindness shown by everybody and the team has been very helpful. The Abu Dhabi Yacht Show has a lot of possibilities and I expect it to grow every year."
Capt. Kostas Andreou, Allure Shadow
"This show demonstrates Abu Dhabi's commitment to be recognised as a global superyacht player at the same level as leading centres in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. We are convinced that by staging the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show, the emirate is embarking on what will prove to be a highly successful international marketing drive aimed at building awareness of the UAE capital's potential as a super yacht hub."
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces
"This is a start of what we intend to be a long and mutually beneficial relationship with all in the SuperYacht Industry. Abu Dhabi is committed to delivering business and leisure experiences that enrich lives and I believe the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show demonstrates the strength of this commitment."
His Excellency Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan
Chairman, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority
"The inaugural Abu Dhabi Yacht Show (ADYS) demonstrated to the global yachting community the phenomenal potential of Abu Dhabi as a world class luxury yachting destination.
As an Associate Sponsor of the ADYS, Aldar Marinas was able to present its many iconic marina development projects to a captive audience of leading players from the yachting industry. Aldar successfully exhibited its ambition to provide high quality marine facilities to the luxury yacht market.
Aldar's state-of-the-art marinas are designed to offer the infrastructure and ancillary supplies and services to meet the expectations of the discerning yacht owner and his guests."
Steve Burton,
Head of Marinas, ALDAR Properties
"This first edition of the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show was a great success and I was delighted to take part in this amazing event with HORUS. I’m looking forward to the next edition."
André Grossman
Founder of HORUS
"We were delighted for the opportunity to sponsor the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show. The setting of the show was fantastic and we were most impressed with the level of service we received from the organisers. With the Middle East being a focus growth area for our business, the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show was the perfect platform for networking and promoting our company and services to a very relevant and selected audience. We look forward to sponsoring next year's event."
Alex Berry
Executive Vice President, VistaJet
"Being able to reach out to that much broader an audience is exactly what we were after. The Abu Dhabi Yacht Show was a great opportunity to network."
Darryl Wakefield
President, Westport
"The reason we chose to come to the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show is because we now believe and I think it has been proven, that both Dubai and Abu Dhabi have become yachting destinations."
William Smith
Vice President, Trinity Yachts
"I think the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show can be rated among the best in the world. I can see that in the future, the important shows will be the Monaco Yacht Show in Europe and the Abu Dhabi Show in the Middle East."
Johan Valentijn
Abu Dhabi Mar
"You have managed to bring all the relevant persons in the yachting business to Abu Dhabi.
Today I met many people who did not come to Dubai but came to the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show and who always come to the Monaco Yacht Show, which is for me the reference. It’s a very good job you’ve done."
Isabelle Huet
Sales Manager, Blohm Voss Shipyards
"The show was a great success for us as we managed to promote both of our yachts next to each other for the first time."
Dion Liveras
Owner and Chairman, Liveras Yachts
"Abu Dhabi is a city where you can actually see the marine industry growing. The entire marina infrastructure is being developed over here. It’s not just talk it’s actually happening. We have found the show very interesting. In Europe and US business is down, here at least business is happening."
Dr. Rainer Behne
Managing Partner, Rodriguez Group
"We’re proud to be at this new exhibition.
The Abu Dhabi Yacht Show has the potential not only to double, but to triple in size next year. This is the beginning of something which I believe will be fantastic."
Alessio Tumbiolo
Chairman, ART Marine
Official Distributor of Azimut & Benetti
"Edmiston & Company was delighted to support the first ever Abu Dhabi Yacht Show. We were extremely impressed with the organisation of the show; the facilities were good and the event planning was excellent. Of particular note was the good number of large yachts in attendance. This yacht show is a key part of the growing interest in yachting in the Middle East.
By focusing on the biggest and best yachts I think the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show will quickly establish itself as the yacht show in the region. Edmiston will certainly be supporting the ADYS again in 2010."
Jamie Edmiston
Edmiston & Company Limited
"Thank you for the support and efforts in making the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show an outstanding event for our company. Your extensive cooperation in organising this show has helped us to continue our success story."
Mohamed H. Al Shaali
Chairman, Gulf Craft Inc.
"Congratulations on your successful Yacht Show. The experience was beyond what was expected."
Christina Norris
Owner, Oversee Yachts
"It’s a new show in a key market that we felt we could not afford to miss. It is very important for us to promote our brand to the market place especially in this new and exciting market which holds so much potential.
The Abu Dhabi Yacht Show is highly targeted to the large yacht market and we have received exceptionally good quality enquiries, which is very encouraging. It appears the market here is very different as it is so focused on the big boat sector.
Our aim from ADYS is obviously to sell a boat, but we also strongly believe that promoting our brand in this new market is extremely important. We are building our contacts for the future and hope to be part of the growth here in Abu Dhabi and the whole Middle East Region."
Ron Cleveringa
Burger Boat Company
"We are only involved with large yachts (over 24m) and this show is specifically aimed at this sector. This show is a good way for us to meet with other industry partners, shipbuilders, designers and project managers as well as the owners. The Abu Dhabi Yacht Show helped us network with other exhibitors, and to look for new business through the show visitors."
Anne Blythe, Senior Registrar
Isle of Man Registry
"We feel that there is great potential in this region for our standard of craftsmanship.
This show is smaller than some, but much more targeted to the Superyacht market, which suits us better than larger shows where the visitors are not so specifically targeted to our market. So far the ADYS has provided us with some very good quality leads and some very interesting clients."
Ivor Evans (Managing Director) and Eric de Meij (Commercial Manager)
Struike & Hamerslag
"We felt the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show gave us the opportunity to meet with yacht owners and other industry representatives to raise the awareness of Marina Ibiza."
Daniel Mari Rennesson
Marina Ibiza
"We have a number of important clients in the Arabian Gulf, so we wanted to come and support Abu Dhabi, explore the market and see where we can expand our market share in this region.
Middle East market is growing and is sustainable unlike Europe, America and Russia.
We’ve always been very strong in the Middle East and have worked very hard to be successful in this region, and to participate in the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show has been on top of our agenda.”
Jonathan Beckett
Chief Executive, Burgess
"This show is really going to go places – it is fantastic for a first time event. Many shows in Europe cannot achieve this standard on the first time, I think it has huge potential."
Ahmed Seddiq Al Mutawaa,
President, Atlas Group, UAE
"Fantastic show, and thank you for the opportunity that allowed us to be part of it.
No doubt we were very proud participants, representing the two largest yachts at the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show. This has brought us great recognition and tremendous exposure.
The show was good for us, the response was positive and very rewarding . It gave us the opportunity to meet many high profile VIPs and several members of the Royal family including HH Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
This was quite an honor for us, nothing else could have topped this!
Our participation in the show resulted in three excellent representation agreements with two leading manufacturers: one from the US, the other from Denmark and a third with Liveras yachts as their agent /representative in the Gulf and Middle East countries.
Also a definite sale of a 113' luxury yacht and two water limousines and several other potential leads that we're following up, has made the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show very successful for us.
We are already looking forward to another exciting, bigger and better Superyacht show in 2010. We are thrilled to know that Abu Dhabi has the potential to be the next Superyacht destination in the world. Abu Dhabi has what it takes!"
Sam Al Abbasi
Managing Director, 4Yacht Arabia