
photo: St. Maarten Information Portal
After three years marked by conflict, the St. Maarten Charter Yacht Show will no longer be run by the Mediterranean Yacht Brokers Association (MYBA).
The news comes from The Daily Herald, a paper in St. Maarten, which confirmed the information yesterday with both the St. Maarten Marine Trades Association and MYBA. It also comes as the trade show has just concluded its third-annual run, which began last Thursday and ended Monday.
The conflict arose the first year because its dates were – and have continued to be – too close to those of the annual Antigua Charter Yacht Meeting, which has been around for 49 years. Since both events are industry-only, many charter brokers felt it would hurt, not help, their business, to try to be present at each, thereby being out of town for a long period.
Despite MYBA intending to help the St. Maarten show grow and resolve the conflict, unfortunately neither happened. According to Frances Howorth, a fellow yachting journalist who attended the weekend’s event, 24 yachts were present, and far fewer than the 65 registered brokers actually came. “It seems like the party-givers’ worst nightmare in which they turn out the perfect party but the guests do not show up,” she writes, referring to the captains, crews, and exhibitors, who expected better results. MYBA chair Fiona Maureso told The Daily Herald that the show was smaller than expected, and despite the quality of attendees and exhibitors, it simply wasn’t profitable. Therefore, MYBA “cannot continue to lose money,” she was quoted as saying.
The future of the show seems uncertain, at least based on what The Daily Herald learned. The St. Maarten Marine Trades Association, which is now fully responsible for the show’s operation, may change the format to be more of a traditional boat show, not charter only. MYBA pledged to be present next year if it were to be held, but just as attendees.
The trade association’s desire to keep St. Maarten top of mind in the yachting industry makes sense. But another regular boat show is a questionable move, in my opinion. Much of the time the concept is raised, regardless of the region, industry representatives I speak with express, “not another boat show.” If the association has information stating otherwise, of course, more power to it. Regardless, there will be much to discuss among its members in the coming weeks.
UPDATE, DECEMBER 17: The following is part of a statement that MYBA issued this morning:
“The MYBA Board gave notice at the beginning of this year of the Association’s wish to terminate what has been a contentious and unpopular partnership since their decision was made in 2006 to invest in the St. Maarten Show. Ordinarily, the contract called for two years’ notice, but SMMTA President Jeff Boyd was gracious enough to absolve MYBA of its obligation to finance another show in 2010, since the past two years’ shows have run at a considerable loss to the Association.
“Even when the St. Maarten Show was fully sold out and easily covering its costs, charter agents and captains strongly objected to the need to attend two Caribbean charter shows running almost simultaneously. The clear consensus now is that MYBA should simply step aside and let the market determine which of the two charter shows should prevail. The Caribbean charter show controversy (2006-2009) is already well-documented and need not be revisited. Suffice it to say that this troubled chapter in the Association’s history is now over, and the MYBA Board will think long and hard before committing its members’ resources to any boat show again.”
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