As boot Düsseldorf prepares to open its doors for the latest edition of this iconic trade fair in January, PBR takes a look at what awaits attendees …
From 18th January, Düsseldorf will once again be the centre of the international water sports industry for nine days. With 1,500 exhibitors in 16 exhibition halls and more than 1,000 boats and yachts, boot vividly demonstrates its global appeal. Companies from over 60 countries will be on board, showcasing world premieres alongside technical innovations in the accessories, equipment, propulsion and diving markets, as well as attractive destinations for water sports all over the world.
Boot size
The size of boot is impressive and a glance at its exhibitor portfolio shows that the ‘who’s who’ is on board again. A single visit to boot Düsseldorf thus replaces numerous separate trips to different companies. Boot President Robert Marx, representing the exhibitor industry, in describing the market situation, said: ‘When the entire world market is in the same place at the same time at a trade fair like boot, it creates an extremely attractive atmosphere for us manufacturers and dealers. In Düsseldorf, we meet our audience to ring in the coming season with the best contacts. For visitors, there is also the unique opportunity to compare the offers of top brands, interesting newcomers and specialists directly with each other. As a spokesperson for the exhibiting industry and representative of the boat engine sector, I can only recommend a visit to boot in January 2025 to anyone interested. Nowhere else offers a marketplace with this selection. The timing of boot fits perfectly into the schedule of a water sports fan. The boats are in the winter quarters after a thorough inspection and everyone knows what investments are needed for the coming season.’
Flying the flag
At the upcoming boot, companies and destinations from more than 60 countries will be ‘flying the flag’. Manufacturers from Italy are leading the way, followed by the Netherlands, France and Great Britain. However, companies from Poland, Austria, the USA, Greece and Turkey will also be present with large displays. The French Beneteau Group is the undisputed largest exhibitor at the trade fair, with stands in the powerboat hall, Hall 1 (Jeanneau Motor Boats, Beneteau and Four Winns), Hall 4 (Beneteau Outboards, Wellcraft), the luxury yacht hall, Hall 6 (Prestige), the charter/destination seaside hall, Hall 13 (Beneteau Concept) and the sailing hall, Hall 16 (Beneteau/Jeanneau, as well as the catamaran shipyards Excess and Lagoon). Groupe Beneteau is also, once again, the main sponsor of the ‘Blue Innovation Dock’ sustainability forum in Hall 10 at boot 2025. Information about the programme can be found at: https://www.boot.com/en/Visit/B2B_Section/Professional_Program/blue_innovation_dock.
All aboard!
Halls 1 to 17 are a veritable ‘who’s who’ of the industry. The halls for motor boats and motor yachts read like a list of the top of the industry and are fully booked. Affordable, fully equipped motor boats in Hall 3 are of particular interest to beginners. Family-friendly and cosy motor yachts can be found in Hall 1. Scandinavian market leaders and international innovators are on board in Hall 4. Superboats in Hall 5 are dominated by illustrious names that whet your appetite for more. Hall 6, with its international luxury lines, also leaves nothing to be desired. Fans of trendy ribs and power ribs will find a veritable flood of manufacturers in Hall 9.
‘All aboard’ is the motto for manufacturers of boat drives of all kinds, including Honda, Kawasaki, Mercury, Suzuki, Tohatsu, Yamaha (all in Hall 3), Torqeedo, Volvo Penta and Yanmar (all in Hall 10). Also in great demand are the suppliers of important and sometimes even vital accessories for water sports in Halls 9, 10 and 11. Here, the range extends from SVB, Europe’s largest dealer in technical water sports equipment, to high-tech suppliers such as Garmin and top brands of boating clothing. Spinlock are offering a special safety belt for all boot fans at the trade fair and in the boot.club – a blue ALTO belt with the boot logo and ‘We love water’ printed in white. And last but not least, bearing in mind that you should make sure that your own boat is adequately insured to be prepared for storm damage, yacht insurance companies such as Pantaenius, Schomakers (both in Hall 10) and Kuiper Verzekeringen (Hall 1) will be attendance to help.
Diving in
Scuba enthusiasts will want to dive into Halls 11 and 12, where they will find international market leaders such as Aqua Lung, Cressi, Mares, Padi and SSI, as well as a wide range of suppliers, trainers and attractive diving destinations. As with the seaside destinations, there is a pure holiday feeling – for example, on Curaçao, on the Red Sea in Egypt, in the historic underwater park at the tip of Italy’s boot in Gallipoli, cosy camping in Albo on the Little Belt in Denmark, cool yacht charter for trips between the Ionian Islands, water sports of all kinds on the Croatian Adriatic coast, the romanticism of the Baltic Sea in northern Germany between Lübeck and Travemünde, trips to the South Seas to Papua New Guinea or relaxation on a houseboat holiday in the Mecklenburg Lake District.
The focus of the canoe course in Hall 14 is on leisurely paddling along the river. And if you fancy buying your own canoe, you can get information and make direct purchases from suppliers such as Gatz Kanus or EKÜ-Sport. In Halls 15 and 16, the focus is on sailing, with exhibitors including X-Yachts, Jeanneau/Beneteau, Dufour, Excess, Hallberg Rassy, Contest, Amel, Saffier, Solaris, Grand Soleil, Lagoon and Bali. Water sports on the action pool in the surfing hall, Hall 17, are wild, fast and extremely spectacular. Here, the pros of the scene show what they can do with a board and a foil at international contests. Those who want to get on the board themselves are welcome to join in.
Tickets, travel and accommodation
Tickets for the trade fair cost €19 for boot.club members online in the ticket shop and are valid for two days of the fair. From this year, visits for families will be particularly affordable, because children up to and including 12 years of age will be able to attend the fair for free and will not need a ticket. Trade visitors can purchase tickets for €26, which allows them access to the trade fair and the trade visitor lounge from 9.30a.m. All information about travelling to the event by car, plane or train, as well as details about the Düsseldorf Ticket, can be found at www.boot.com. Campers among boot fans will stay overnight in the Caravan Centre of the exhibition centre in P1, north of the exhibition grounds, on pitches with an electricity supply, at a price of €25. During the fair, hot meals and drinks will be available there in the large catering tent. Reasonably priced hotel rooms can be booked through KUONI Tumlare Congress via the HotelMap booking platform at https://www.boot.com/Hotel.
The current boot 2025 theme song ‘We love water’ by the TYE Group, which is available for download at www.boot.com, will get you in the right mood for the event.
The world’s largest yacht and water sports fair
With more than 200,000 visitors from over 100 countries and 1,500 exhibitors spread over 220,000 square metres in Halls 1 to 17, boot Düsseldorf is the world’s largest yacht and water sports fair. Both sailors and motor boaters will find a wide variety of boats, dinghies, superboats and luxury yachts. The popular water sports of diving, surfing, kite surfing, stand-up paddleboarding, skimboarding and canoeing are available at boot in all facets and with the appropriate equipment. Attractive stage programmes with the stars of the scene, the latest trends and a high-calibre mix of workshops and hands-on activities, both for leisure sports enthusiasts and experts, make the fair unique worldwide. But marine conservation and innovative, sustainable technologies are also in focus at boot 2025. In cooperation with the European Boating Industry (EBI), the Blue Innovation Dock will offer a unique dialogue format with political, economic, technological and media expertise in Hall 10. In addition, two lighthouses for ocean protection will again be on board: the prestigious ‘Ocean Tribute’ award with partners the Prince Albert II Foundation and German Ocean Foundation, and the ‘Love Your Ocean’ campaign with its stand in Hall 11.
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