The future of national and international boat shows and water sports fairs held indoors is undergoing radical change – caught between tradition and digital transformation. Events such as boot Düsseldorf are prime examples of this development. Europe’s largest nautical breakdown service, SeaHelp, has canceled its participation in boot in January 2026 after many years of uninterrupted participation. We spoke to Wolfgang Dauser, SeaHelp’s managing director, about the reasons for this.
Large, traditional boat shows held indoors are finding it increasingly difficult to survive. The reasons for this are likely to be the immensely high costs for exhibitors in terms of stand rental, logistics, hotels, staff, etc., but also the time required for setting up and presenting the stands; and the immediate success is often difficult to measure. Added to this is the lack of purchasing power or willingness to buy on site – many visitors are just spectators, not buyers.
However, one of the main reasons for the decline in exhibitor numbers is the change in buyer behavior. On the one hand, information behavior is becoming increasingly digitized. Young target groups conduct their research almost exclusively online. YouTube, Instagram, blogs, forums, and special nautical platforms are increasingly replacing the classic glossy trade fair stand, with online tours, 360° videos, live consultations, and virtual reality becoming increasingly relevant.
In-water boat shows offer more realistic impressions and greater involvement
Another trend concerns in-water shows, which are continuing to gain in importance despite this trend; they simply offer more realistic impressions and greater involvement. While indoor trade shows have a rather artificial atmosphere, in-water boat shows such as those in Cannes are more authentic, offering a real boating experience and often the opportunity to take a test drive. Indoor shows are attended by a broad audience, while in-water boat shows tend to attract a more specialized audience and serious buyers.
There are also differences in terms of costs: the financial outlay for exhibitors at indoor boat shows is usually very high (logistics), while water boat shows are generally more cost-effective in terms of logistics (on site). Indoor boat shows may be impressive for visitors, but they tend to be rather abstract, whereas water boat shows have a more direct and perhaps even slightly more emotional impact on guests. Against this backdrop, we spoke to Wolfang Dauser, managing director of SeaHelp, Europe’s largest nautical breakdown service, about his view of the current situation of large indoor boat shows – and what a boat show that will still exist in ten years’ time should look like.
Mr. Dauser, how do you assess the future of traditional water sports shows?
Wolfgang Dauser: I don’t see a future for traditional (indoor) trade shows in their current form. For example, I recently wanted to buy a new anchor chain for my motor yacht at a large international boat show in Germany. The employee at the (poorly attended) neighboring booth asked me to send him a written request by email. No one at the booth could give me a price or provide me with information about availability. My assessment is that expert advice at a traditional trade fair is now limited, as good booth staff who are knowledgeable are expensive and therefore rare. More and more visitors are simply searching for a product on the web, getting advice from YouTube videos, and can also gather several opinions at the same time.
What is the situation regarding booths of boat builders and dealers at trade fairs?
Wolfgang Dauser: The only reason it still makes sense to visit a traditional boat show under a roof is to see the boats and yachts on display. After all, this is the only way to view several manufacturers of a particular model in one day and compare them directly with each other. However, this can only work if all the major players are actually represented at the trade fair with their boats. If this is not the case, as is the case this year at boot 2025, a visit no longer makes sense for interested parties who want to make a direct comparison, and they will stay away in the future. Without boats and yachts, there can be no water sports trade fairs.
What about the cost/benefit ratio for exhibitors?
Wolfgang Dauser: In my estimation, the costs for the actual trade fair account for about a quarter of the exhibitors’ total expenses, another quarter is spent on stand construction and transport, another quarter on personnel costs, and the last quarter on accommodation and meals. When a square meter costs more than €220 net, as in Düsseldorf, then you start to consider whether you might be better off attending a local trade fair like Tulln, where you only pay €65 per square meter. Trade fairs that charge high stand prices will disappear sooner or later, as local companies simply cannot afford them anymore.
Until 2019, SeaHelp had approximately 90 square meters of stand space in Düsseldorf, after which we reduced this to 30 square meters. This reduced the stand costs from around €90,000 to €35,000, which was still a hefty price. In my opinion, boat and yacht exhibitors should be given more leeway when it comes to trade fair costs so that the costs of participating in a boat show don’t become too much for them to bear.
Is it still worth the effort to participate in a traditional trade fair?
Wolfgang Dauser: If you don’t generate any new customers, I don’t think the effort or the costs are worth it. Existing customers already know where to find the relevant companies and what products or services they offer.
In our case, it’s more about maintaining existing customers. You meet at the booth and exchange news with the members. That made sense for us as long as visitor numbers remained consistently high. Unfortunately, that was not the case. In 2023, we only recorded 60 percent of the visitor numbers at our booth compared to 2019, in 2024 it was only 40 percent, and in 2025 only 20 percent of visitors came. The costs were no longer in reasonable proportion to the benefits. Incidentally, our perception coincides with that of many of our neighboring booths.
What is your recommendation or wish for a successful trade fair in the future?
Wolfgang Dauser: Trade fair organizers should not view a boat show primarily as a business in which as much money as possible is to be taken from exhibitors and then additional revenue is to be generated from visitor tickets. I think that if traditional boat shows continue as they have done up to now, they will cease to exist in ten years at the latest. It would also be desirable, for example, for boat shows to offer more boat-specific lectures and panel discussions. It should also be ensured that (in the sailing sector) all class associations are represented alongside the federations by charging only symbolic stand fees, if any.
In my opinion, it is not a good solution to increasingly showcase cars, camping, and fishing at yacht shows. This only dilutes the decline of traditional boat shows. Alternatives to traditional boat shows – and new formats – could include local in-house shows at shipyards, for example, which are personal, cost-effective, and efficient. These allow for direct consultation and test drives. Digital boat shows can also be a good alternative. There are already a few good examples of this. They have low barriers to entry, are available 24/7, and reach a global audience.
Do digital boat shows also have disadvantages?
Wolfgang Dauser: Yes, there is no real experience here, and digital boat shows are also less emotional. That’s why hybrid events could be a suitable trade fair format for the future, combining on-site trade fairs with digital offerings, live streams of product presentations, and interactive Q&A sessions with designers or skippers. Of course, there are still good reasons to visit a water sports trade fair. You can touch and test products and, in the best case, compare them with others. Ideally, you can have technical discussions with experts. Trade shows often offer special deals and discounts, and you can be inspired by new products.
Your conclusion?
Wolfgang Dauser: Traditional boat shows will only survive if they change their character – they have to strike a balance between offering cheaper deals on the one hand and becoming more exclusive, specialized, and interactive on the other. Some trade fairs are already showing promising signs of progress in this regard. Perhaps SeaHelp will then also be represented again with its own stand in Düsseldorf. Until then, our members and all interested water sports enthusiasts will only be able to find us at the Austrian Boat Show – Boot Tulln (February 26 to March 1) and at the Palma International Boat Show (April 29 to May 4).
