It was just over a year ago that the 10^th Anniversary Edition of the Singapore Yacht Show (SYS 2020) was the first of the major international yacht shows to have to postpone its annual event due to the arrival on the global stage of the Covid-19 pandemic. How the world has changed – some think irreversibly – since then…

Exactly six weeks to go to the third scheduled opening, the SYS organizing team at Verventia are devastated to have to share that, on the advice of the show’s major stakeholders, including our principal exhibitors, a decision has been made to postpone what is now effectively SYS 2021 to later in the year.

While the organisers totally accept that the Safe Management Measures still currently imposed on business events in Singapore are necessary and clearly effective, after much deliberation they have concluded that it will be too challenging to stage SYS to the satisfaction of exhibitors and sponsors for the moment.

The consensus of opinion is that the show should be delayed until the advent of the global vaccination programme forces the retreat of the virus and facilitates the re-opening of borders, such that a near-normal SYS – so important for awakening the massive latent yachting market in Asia – can be properly staged. Realistic and practical new dates will be agreed with industry and government stakeholders alike and will be announced as soon as possible.

Verventia CEO Andy Treadwell remains resolutely positive and ever-optimistic: “Obviously this is something that nobody wanted – least of all us, from a commercial point of view. But the same forces that have taken away the shows, freezing marketing budgets and whole businesses like ours, have at the same time created an unprecedented boom in boat sales and a massive uplift in the industry – and, in my view, in its future, especially in Asia. So I don’t think it’s a time for complaining or despairing at all – the whole leisure boating industry, including its supply chains, eco-systems and universes, are currently doing, or will soon be doing, very well indeed out of all this and the undoubted global economic boom that will surely follow.”

As to the future, Treadwell continued: “We have to slightly re-think our business model, maybe, but everyone I’ve spoken to is totally supportive and wants us to continue developing our plans for the region – which we are doing entirely in consultation with the industry. Thailand’s government have finally rewarded our faith and shown that they believe in this industry and its future, and we believe that the rest of the region will follow suit eventually. We are consolidating the three regional shows and planning major changes in how we operate, so as to keep the boom going in the context of the new norms. We will be making some big announcements soon!” www.sgmarineguide.com

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In February this year, the Singapore Yacht Show (SYS) was the first international yacht show to have to postpone its annual event, but the organising team and all its other stakeholders were optimistic that the worst of the newly-arrived Covid-19 pandemic would have gone away by October.

We have always fully supported the Singapore government’s restrictions on staging large-scale events to ensure the safety of all its participants. Definitive approval to go ahead has not been given, and it is unlikely that trade exhibitions will be allowed to resume in Singapore in October.

With only six weeks to go, and in view of the scale of the logistical preparations necessary for building the show infrastructure and organising the arrival of all the yachts, we have taken an early and responsible decision to postpone the 10th Anniversary edition of SYS to April 2021.

Verventia CEO, Andy Treadwell, said: “It goes without saying that this is a hugely difficult decision to have had to take. All our exhibitors had accepted that a small local October boat show could actually have worked very well – the domestic market is currently very buoyant, as everybody suddenly wants to get out on the water! However, safety first, absolutely – we fully endorse the government’s caution and sense of public responsibility, whatever the financial consequences.”

Treadwell continued: “I would like to thank my team who continue to work so hard during this horribly tough period, and all of our wonderful exhibitors, sponsors, suppliers and other business partners who have always been and continue to be incredibly supportive. We will all pull together and plan for a bigger, better and safer Singapore Yacht Show than ever in April 2021.”

The 10th Anniversary edition of the Singapore Yacht Show will now take place from 22nd – 25th April 2021. https://sgmarineguide.com/