Creative Solutions - Marketing, P.R. & Events

As we keep getting asked I thought I would post up the significant dates for the run up to the 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games:

* Youth Nationals: 4 − 9 April 2010
* Sail for Gold Regatta 2010: 8 − 14 August 2010
* Sail for Gold Regatta 2011: 5 − 11 June 2011
* International Federation Disabled Sailing Worlds: 1 − 8 July 2011
* Olympic Test Event: 31 July − 13 August 2011
* Sail for Gold Regatta: 10 − 16 June 2012
* Olympic Games: 27 July − 12 August 2012
* Paralympic Games: 29 August − 9 September 2012

Marine businesses are invited to come along to ‘Osprey Quay - Marine Day’, as part of the ‘Open 4 Business 2009’ fortnight of business events, focusing on Weymouth & Portland’s marine industry opportunities up to 2012.

The day starts with registration at 9am at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy on Monday 12th October with a series of speakers who will be focusing on this years theme of ‘Fit for Business – in the lead up to 2012’

This year we have a keynote speaker in Bernie Shrosbree, whose adopted title of Mister Motivator is very apt as the man responsible for training Ben Fogle, James Cracknell and Dr Ed Coats to race across the Antarctic earlier this year as featured in the BBC documentary ‘On Thin Ice’. As a world class athlete, motivational coach, team building expert and former member of the Royal Marines Special Boat Squadron, Bernie has excellent credentials to prepare the guys for one of the toughest challenges on earth. Who better then to get behind the marine industry with an incredibly powerful motivational talk on how to be ‘Fit for Business’ in the run up to 2012 with all the opportunities that are expected to come along.

After lunch there will be optional tours of the brand new £24m Dean & Reddyhoff Portland Marina, Osprey Quay, Sunseeker Portland and the Sailing Academy, with an exhibition of organisations involved in the marine industry.

Event organiser Roy Griffiths says “The marine industry has a great future ahead of it in Weymouth & Portland especially when we think about the opportunities 2012 will bring along, Marine Day will be a chance to catch up with developments at Osprey Quay and hopefully be inspired by Bernie to prepare for the challenge ahead”

With thanks to our sponsors and exhibitors we have managed to bring the attendance cost down to £12.50 + vat per person which includes a buffet lunch and refreshments – booking is essential as places are limited.

Speakers will include;

John Tweed, Chief Executive – Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy
Matthew Butcher, Economic Development Manager - Business Link SW
Adam Corney, SW Regional Manager – British Marine Federation
Gary Fooks – 2012 Legacy Manager – Team Dorset
Gareth Jones, Economic & Regeneration Manager – Weymouth & Portland Borough Council
And motivational keynote speaker…
Bernie Shrosbree, Bernie Shrosbree Performance Centre

To ensure attendance please contact Roy Griffiths at the event managers Creative Solutions roy@creativesolutions-uk.com or phone him on 01305 772100.

21 Sep 2009

BOAT SHOW: The PSP Southampton Boat Show closed on Sunday afternoon having attracted 121,671 visitors to Mayflower Park, which is not only 282 more than last year, but also a welcome confidence booster as we go towards winter.

The stunning ladies of Escala helped launch Sunseeker’s Predator 130

The show being 15% smaller in space terms from last year helped it appear busy most of the time, although the nether regions of Solent Park were draughty and sparsely populated some of the times BB went walking there.

But the overall response from just about all the exhibitors BB spoke to was they were very worried going into the show. But the mood changed as the show went on and – by the end – just about every exhibitor had a smile on his or her face.

Maybe it wasn’t record business - but most did more business than they thought they would, which was a nice surprise.

And the weather stayed on our side. The Tuesday was rubbish, but even Mark, the man on the Outdoor BeanBag stand, remained cheery in the rain.

The rain disappeared for the Wednesday, much to the delight of the 65 people who turned up to run, ride bicycles or motorbikes on the charity night based at Premier’s Swanwick Marina. Over £1,200 was raised and everyone had a great time – see separate story.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor
On top of that, the delightful Sophie Ellis-Bextor opened the show, the stunning ladies of Escala helped launch Sunseeker’s Predator 130 and hordes of people turned up to break the record for the greatest number of people to send a semaphore message.

Then there were over 100 new products launched and, as well as Sunseeker, all the Big Four showed glossy new big boats. Oh yes, Eddie Jordan turned up and wrote out his cheque for the first Sunseeker 46 – his 10th boat from Mr Braithwaite.

In all, not a bad show, we’d say.

Organiser National Boat Shows (NBS) says it’s delighted with the success of the show, which boasted more than 500 exhibitors and almost 1,000 boats, and reckons its exhibitors reported a feeling of ‘cautious optimism’ for the future.

‘I believe this show proves the resilience and innovative nature of the British marine industry,’ said NBS chairman Paul Strzelecki. ‘To have such a positive show in the current economic climate is remarkable and we are delighted with the number of visitors who have come to enjoy it and, importantly, make purchases.’

Exhibitors say
We exceeded last year’s value of finance applications by 32% - Ian Braham, Lombard Marine Finance

A 50% uplift in year-on-year sales - Toomer and Hayter

We secured sales or offers on more than 60 boats during the show - Boatshed.com

We’ve achieved twice as many sales as we did at the 2008 PSP Southampton Boat Show - Frank Stevens, Crownline

Absolutely fantastic! We’ve had a number of orders on our new offering - Matthew Hornsby, Williams Performance Tenders

We’ve had a very successful Show and look forward to taking that high to the Tullett Prebon LIBS - Robert Braithwaite, Sunseeker International

We’ve been delighted with the Show and have seen a very encouraging mood of improved optimism - Alan Morgan, Avon/Zodiac

We’re extremely pleased at the number of genuine boat buyers looking at a new Princess - Will Green, Princess Yachts International

Our show sponsorship has proved a great success and committing to next year’s sponsorship was the easiest decision I’ve ever made - Frank Dixie, PSP

I came here dead worried, but I think it’s going to be OK – James Grazebrook, Halyard

Great show and great quality people - Ian Cooke, Onward Trading

Source: Boating Business www.boatingbusiness.com

Following the official opening of the PSP Southampton Boat Show on Friday 11 September by pop princess Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Show organisers are delighted that attendance is slightly ahead of last year.  Advance ticket sales are still selling strongly with a further 2,300 sold on Saturday alone, with the overall figure an amazing 36% ahead of last year.

Attendance on the first day was roughly the same as last year with 8,018 visitors. Saturday saw 14,872 visitors attending the Show, which was 2% ahead of last year, while Sunday saw another great attendance of 13,592 which was again ahead of the same day last year. Attendance on Monday continued to grow, with 9,056 visitors - 3% ahead of last year whilst Tuesday (8,523 visitors) was only 1% down on last year.  Yesterday (Wednesday) saw 10,118 visitors attend the Show, 5% ahead of last year.  This puts the running total after six days at 64,179 which is 1% ahead overall.

Andrew Williams, Managing Director of National Boat Shows, comments: “This is a fantastic result, both in terms of attendance and the advance ticket sales; we’re really pleased that the PSP Southampton Boat Show has started off on such a positive note, and anticipate the rest of the Show will continue in the same vein.”

Join in the fun this weekend and head down to the Show to help us break the world semaphore record! Only ten people short last weekend, we’re calling for all hands on deck this weekend to smash the record.

Source: BMF Newsletter www.britishmarine.co.uk

BOAT SHOW: The first weekend of the PSP Southampton Boat Show brought a smile to many faces as the sun shone and the visitors came to see what they’d been missing all year: some fantastic boats and a bit of a dream.

After last year’s press day, where journalists wandered disconsolately from event to event, this year saw so many press launches the journos were spoiled for choice.

And that so many companies were willing to put new products on the market is a very good sign for the immediate future.

Organisers National Boat Shows (NBS ) had made much of the nearly 100 product launches planned for the show - including 30 world launches - and it seemed all were set for press day.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor provided the glamour for the opening ceremony, after which attention switched to Sunseeker’s Predator 130 where the four equally glamorous girls from Escala played as the new boat met her PSP SBS crowds for the first time.

After that, it was down to Formula One pundit Eddie Jordan to bring a smile to Mr Braithwaite’s face as he signed his cheque for the first Sunseeker 46 - his 10th Sunseeker - quoted in one newspaper as being worth £12m.

After that, we had launches from Peters & May, Sealine, Mastervolt, Golden Arrow Marine, Northshore Yachts, Discovery Yachts, PSP - where Frank Dixie announced his company would sponsor the Southampton Boat Show for yet another year - Williams Performance Tenders, Garmin, Clipper Marine, Fairline, Raymarine, Marine Electronic Services, Premier Marinas, Scorpion RIBs, Ultrasonic Antifouling, The Green Blue, Standard Horizon, Princess Yachts and Sunsail.

Then it was on to the Saltwater Party, where members of the press get the…er, mickey taken out of them for their transgressions over the past year.

Boating Business got off lightly with a prize (and a tube of Anusol) for its headline of Painful Piles Removed about some boat owners forcing a harbour authority to remove some badly-placed mooring piles.

An excellent press day by all accounts. And the visitor total over the weekend was just about on a par with 2008 which, after the ups and downs of the last year, was a great result.

And we understand 100 people went to the Sunday evening dinner at Dockgate No 4 and had a great time.

Fingers crossed the weather stays with us (OK, it would be nice if the high pressure drifted a little to the south to take the north easterlies away), but the people we spoke to reckon business had been a great deal better than they were expecting.

Source: Boating Business www.boatingbusiness.com