The pandemic has prevented the Monaco Yacht Show from taking place in 2020. The organizers and the government of the Principality failed to come to an agreement, and at the beginning of summer, the event was announced postponed till September 2021. Coronavirus certainly had its impact on the format of the event, but this year, all the stars aligned, and the show is confirmed to happen.
What's new?
Let's start with ticketing. While in the pre-Covid days, visitors could purchase a ticket on the spot, now the organizers decided to minimize physical contact, and everything is done online only. Getting to the exhibition has become a little more difficult: at all entry points, there will be sanitary control zones, requiring visitors to show one of the following documents:
- Monaco Safe Pass
- an EU digital COVID certificate
- a negative PCR test (valid for 72 hours)
- certificate of full vaccination
- Certificate of COVID recovery.
And, of course, wearing a medical mask and maintaining a distance of 1.5 meters is now mandatory.
Perhaps the key innovation at MYS 2021 is a revised access badge system, with three different types of badges offered. The VIP Discover badges, giving access to all areas of the event, are issued to those who come to buy or charter a yacht, with the added bonus of remaining anonymous and not having to register. Brokers, yacht managers, designers, and other industry professionals will receive "Advise" badges. For other attendees, there will be a "Connect" badge.
On September 22, the first day of the Monaco Yacht Show, only the Advise and Discover badge holders will have access to the mooring area. According to the organizers, this will allow a more comfortable environment for potential buyers to communicate with experts and brokers.
This year, the new access system is running in test mode. We have yet to see whether it will remain in the future.
Some Facts & Figures
The first Monaco Yacht Show took place in Port Hercule in 1991, so this year we will be witnessing the 30th anniversary of the iconic event. According to the MYS’ press releases, we can expect up to 100 superyachts assembled in Port Hercule, 87 of them motor, 11 sailboats, and two catamarans. Because of the cancellation of the 2020 show, this year’s event will be rich in premieres, as 37 megayachts are getting ready for their world debut. The total LOA of the yachts exhibited is 4.7 kilometers, their price reaching 3.6 billion euros.
Of course, there have been better years, but let’s focus on the more positive tendencies of the market. According to Fraser brokerage data, 277 superyachts were sold in 2020, and 577 deals were registered in 2021 so far. A growing interest in big boats is evident, so we gladly expect to see some high-profile deals at the 2021 Monaco Yacht Show.
