METS Shows Buyers the Latest Yacht and Watercraft Products

As the world's largest trade fair dedicated to watercraft, marine equipment, and related services, the Marine Equipment Trade Show (METS), organized by the Amsterdam RAI International Exhibition and Congress Organizers in association with the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA), has long been a vital business platform for yacht builders, naval architects, distributors, wholesalers, super-yacht owners and captains, marina owners and operators, and equipment manufacturers around the world.

In the 2008 edition of the show, held on Nov. 17-19 at the Amsterdam RAI Convention Center, attracted 1,210 exhibitors and 18,485 visitors, with nearly 90% from European countries other than the Netherlands, 3% from the Middle East, 2% from North America, and 1% from Asia. Official statistics show that each exhibitor, on average, established contact with 53 new clients and won 33.6 orders. These figures make it obvious that METS is an important venue for doing business.

Full Range of Marine Goods

The 2009 show occupied an area of 52,000 square meters and featured 15 national pavilions for exhibitors from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the U.K., and the U.S.

A full range of marine goods and services were on display, covering the categories of anchoring and docking equipment, aspiration and ventilation, boat care, chemicals, coatings, maintenance, boat covers and canvas, shipbuilding materials and equipment, clothing and apparel, deck hardware and rigging, electrical products, electronics, engine management solutions, boat engines and motors, fuel handling, galley equipment and appliances, gas installations, marine hardware, hydraulic systems, insulation, interior furnishings, boat lighting, lubrication, marina and yard equipment, maritime goods, mounting equipment, navigation devices, plumbing, marine safety equipment, seating, starter systems and parts, steering stability equipment, trailers, and transmissions and gears.

For the convenience of buyers of luxury yachts, the show organizers set up a SuperYacht Pavilion (SYP) dedicated solely to showing off models of the newest megayachts and superyachts, and providing easy access to related services such as bunkering and fuelling, crew management, provisioning, repair and refitting, and yacht transport. The pavilion's 119 exhibitors attracted 4,000-some visitors.

DAME Winner

Another attraction of the fair was the DAME (Design Award METS) Awards, which were inaugurated in 1991 to recognize outstanding achievements in design development. DAME is recognized as the world's leading design competition for new marine equipment and accessories.

The M-626L Series Thermal Night Vision System, developed by FLIR Systems of the Netherlands, was the overall winner of the DAME Award 2009. According to the DAME jury's report, this system employs a micro-lux, low-light camera for improved visibility during twilight hours and has a 26-degree field of view. The product also won praise for its sleek exterior, Ethernet capability, and, especially, a remote control function which allows mariners to control the system with a joystick from anywhere on the vessel.

Specialist Conference and Educational Seminar

In addition to introducing the latest products in the field, METS is also known for providing educational opportunities for industry insiders through a series of specialist conferences and seminars. This tradition was continued in 2009.

The Global SuperYacht Forum, hosted by The Yacht Report Group, celebrated its 15th anniversary at METS with one of the most important trend-setting conferences in the industry, which was attended by a number of globally famous specialists and super-yacht builders. The conference focused on issues of ownership, super-yacht market prospects, and technological developments.

As the use of electronics and IT (information technology) in watercraft and luxury yachts is a growing trend in the industry, during the METS fair the National Marine Electronic Association (NMEA) hosted NMEA 2000 ConnectFest, and an educational seminar, in an effort to boost awareness of the application of electronic products in vessels and NMEA 2000 standards for shipbuilders. These conferences and seminars added much to the depth and practical nature of the show.

Taiwan's Participation

Taiwan's yacht and shipbuilding industries, along with its watercraft hardware, equipment, and maintenance tool suppliers, have enjoyed strong government support for technological upgrading in recent years and have strengthened their efforts to carve out more business niches in the global market. As part of this effort, scores of Taiwanese marine hardware and maintenance tool suppliers participated in METS 2009.

Known for their commitment to quality and customer service, Taiwanese exhibitors proved popular with buyers at the show. For instance, Marine Town Inc. and Homer Mfg & Co., both in the marine hardware sector, attracted intense buyer attention to their metal parts and furnishings for marine use.

Responding to the strenuous efforts toward globalization that are being made by Taiwanese manufacturers of marine hardware and maintenance tools, CENS, a Taiwanese publisher of export-oriented media, attended METS for the first time last year and circulated its publications there, including the newest Watercraft Hardware Special, to help Taiwanese enterprises in the field boost their global presence.

The next METS, again including SYP, will be held on Nov. 16-18, 2010 at the same showgrounds. Despite the current gloom in the industry, which will likely linger into 2010 because of the slow recovery of the global market for watercraft, insiders are confident that the show will help them to do better in the more promising times to come.