The primary one is a brand new marina for energy boats at Port Canto (one of many two in-water areas, the opposite being Vieux Port). The rationale for that is that development started within the port this 12 months – and understanding that we needed to reorganise the area for the present, as some areas the place we had been beforehand had been unavailable. This pushed us to be artistic and now now we have a brand new part.
As beforehand, we be sure that all the pieces is straightforward to seek out in our completely different sectors, in order that we preserve the customer and exhibitor expectations of being the ‘finest present on the earth’. Port Canto used to indicate fewer boats, however now now we have a fair cut up of about 350 boats in each [in-water] areas.
I’ve labored with my group to verify individuals realise that Port Canto will now be smaller energy boats, a few of them ‘dayboats’ – RIB and hard-bottom ones between six and 12 or 13m – which had been beforehand typically exhausting to seek out as they had been proven somewhere else [within CYF]. So if persons are on the lookout for this measurement class, it’s now going to be simpler, and water presentation will give these boats nice visibility.
Vieux Port will nonetheless present the larger megayachts.
The brand new 2,000sqm power-boat marina follows a giant change in in-water show areas that you simply launched in 2019, when CYF divided areas for giant motoryachts and crusing yachts, proper?
Sure, that one was fairly difficult. We determined to do this for a similar cause – to make discovering the forms of boats guests wished to see simpler.
Making a separate sail space was not straightforward then, as many shipyards, particularly in France – Beneteau, Jeanneau, Fontaine Pajot, for instance, and others – construct each sail and motor boats. We needed to ask the identical firm that makes each to separate and present in two completely different areas.
We understood it was rather a lot for them to organise, however I used to be actually satisfied it was a giant enchancment to the present and it took us three years from telling exhibitors to creating it occur by convincing and serving to them. However success was direct.
Exhibitors mentioned the brand new crusing space was ‘magic’ and the guests’ suggestions was nice. I count on the identical from the brand new powerboat marina this 12 months.
You’ve introduced that there can be a brand new eating space with 130 tables within the power-boat marina in Port Canto, which feels like an excellent sociable or assembly level for attendees.
I want I might have a present with extra assembly factors, eating places, music and locations to chill out however on the port there may be not a lot area, so I’ve to contemplate whether or not I ought to give the area to an current or new exhibitor, or save area for individuals to have a drink – it’s not straightforward to determine!
The brand new energy boat area has 450m of waterfront, so I negotiated with the port to get an upper-level terrace for the restaurant. It took lots of logistics however we managed to do it.
Is that this the place a brand new VIP lounge that’s launching this 12 months can be too?
No, that’s in a unique area in a brand new, trendy port authority constructing, additionally on the very best stage, so it’s going to have a terrace that appears over the entire of Port Canto. It’s for many who have VIP tickets – about 1,000 individuals [of the approximately 55,000 attendees who attended in 2023].
One other new-for-2024 ingredient is the Innovation Route – for these providing yachting {hardware} or companies that signify recent concepts on effectivity. What number of stands can be participating on this space?
About 40 or 50 exhibitors – from 600 participating. There’s a sure stage of innovation wanted to be chosen to participate. The business has grow to be increasingly more involved with ecology, so rather a lot will deal with that, which is able to permit guests to study extra about this. At present it’s nonetheless costly to be ‘much less soiled’, nevertheless it’s evolving. All types of latest know-how, together with navigation may also be on show.
How are entrance positions altering this 12 months?
We can be coming into on the backside of the purple steps that result in the well-known Cannes Movie Competition purple carpet. To be trustworthy, it was not our alternative. It’s resulting from development works which might be happening within the buildings which might be utilized by that pageant and likewise ours.
You’ve been supporting the identical marine charity for a decade via CYF. Inform us about this.
Sure, the Nationwide Society for Sea Rescue (SNSM), which is made up of volunteers and saves lives at risk at sea and alongside the coast in France. We help the Cannes operation – they usually have a stand on the present. Rising up on the ocean, and seeing how they actually save individuals, I’ve a lot respect for them.
About your pre-CYF working life, your first job was in a maritime workplace in 1985, what was this?
I labored for a giant French shipyard, within the proprietor’s workplace – it was every kind of administrative work, together with finance; an incredible expertise for 10 years. I then went into hospitality, luxurious property and yacht chartering corporations, in advertising. This was an excellent studying expertise in some ways for this boat present – in logistics and accounting, however operating this occasion wants the assistance of many different consultants.
What’s the scale of your core group, and do they work with you for a complete 12 months prematurely?
It’s very small – about 4 individuals. However I exploit increasingly more contractors and their groups as we get nearer to the present time. The boat present has used among the similar technical consultants and corporations for 20 years – longer than I’ve been concerned. That provides as much as 2,000 individuals working onsite throughout its final weeks, however these are beneath their subcontractors not me and my group.
What are your plans past the 2024 present?
I wish to proceed focussing on high quality, not amount, as a result of the present could be very massive already, with a really big selection of boats – from 8-50m. We might want to stabilise the brand new power-boat marina launched this 12 months. There’ll all the time be new issues, although – it’s within the blood of me and my group.
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Photos courtesy of Cannes Yachting Competition/Abracadabra Studio
This text was first seen on YachtStyle.co.
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