Melbourne Boat Show Goes From Strength to Strength
The Melbourne Boat Show goes from strength to strength, and the 64th has been hailed a great success. Highly visible on and around Victoria Harbour in Melbourne’s CBD, the event enjoyed four perfect days of weather and attracted more than 42,000 visitors. Organisers, exhibitors and visitors were all very positive about the event, as boaters and potential boaters enjoyed a great celebration of boats and the boating lifestyle.
The event featured more than a kilometre of waterfront and marina displays, over 100 exhibitors, numerous entertainment activations, an enhanced stage offering, as well as great food, coffee and waterfront vibes. The Melbourne waterfront certainly came alive with a fantastic display and a great atmosphere.
Organisers, the Boating Industry Association of Victoria (BIAV), were very pleased overall. CEO Steve Walker stated, “This has been a great boat show. The majority of exhibitors have been very positive, the crowds were excellent, and that weather!” he added, “Our event team, led by Katrina Muir and Mark Turnbull, did a brilliant job yet again, and the effort by exhibitors was outstanding. We also enjoyed a high-profile media position with excellent coverage across traditional and social media”.
Exhibitors likewise had a lot of positive things to say. “The response has been huge. One of the best shows we’ve ever had, to be honest”, stated Cam McDonald from Geelong Boating Centre. Andrea Tuckman, a first-time exhibitor from Tydra, was equally enthused, stating, “We have absolutely loved it. The industry and BIAV have been so welcoming and accommodating, and the public very engaged. It’s been a huge success for us.” Veteran of too many shows to count, JV Marine’s Mark Stav stated, “We started off well this week. Even before the show. And have capped it off with a good result. I’m happy. For the whole week, it’s been very good.” Richardson Marine came all the way from Warrnambool to exhibit, and Ed Richardson stated, “We’ve really enjoyed it. A great experience. A lot of good customers and yes, we’ll be back next year.”
Boat shows continue to deliver, giving the industry a significant week of profile and promotion. As an extremely visible CBD event, it also drew extensive TV, radio, print, and, of course, social media coverage to complement the official advertising campaign. Recognising this, BIAV President Scott O’Hare commented. “ It was great to have all the main TV networks present throughout the event and, in particular, having both Channel 7 and Channel 9 spend the entire Sunday afternoon on-site, capturing our boat show from all angles and speaking with organisers, exhibitors and visitors”.
Another event highlight was the Official Opening, where the state government announced bipartisan support for industry and boat shows. VFA CEO Travis Dowling spoke on behalf of the current Minister, Melissa Horne, and the shadow Minister, Milena Bath. Other highlights included the Supertank and seafood cooking, the other family-focused entertainment activations, a very successful Women on Water industry networking event, the Apprentice of the Year awards, and the new Exhibitor Function venue on-board the Lady Cutler. At that event, Sundance Marine went back-to-back and won best on-water exhibit, Inverloch Marine captured the large display award, and first-timer Tydra took the best small stand award.
BIAV is now turning its attention to its 2027 boat show campaign. This includes the recently announced Murray River Boat Show, which will take place in Yarrawonga from 12-14 March. Exhibitor documentation for this new boat show is out, and early indications suggest very high exhibitor interest. The Melbourne Boat Show 2027 will be in its third week of October at Docklands and is expected to continue growing in size and profile in what will be its sixth iteration at that location.
