Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/765201
www.BoatingIndustry.com INDUSTRY NEWS 10 | Boating Industry | January 2017 The 2016 edition of METS saw record after record smashed, and the show wrapped up in Amsterdam, Netherlands, with a final atten- dance of 23,702 visits – an 8 percent increase over the previous record of 21,953 set in 2015. According to organizers, 64 percent of all show visitors in 2016 came to METS from outside of the Netherlands. "We have worked very hard and been very careful to take care of our core group of exhibitors and show visitors," said Irene Dros, maritime manager for show organizer METSTrade. "But at the same time we have also identified a number of niche markets and made specific efforts to reach out and engage them in order to grow the show overall. Examples would be our Superyacht Pavilion, with 265 exhibitors this year compared to 224 last year. The Marina and Yard Pavilion this year has 64 exhibitors where last year we had 49. The Construc- tion Material Pavilion this year has 45 companies exhibiting, and last year we had 31. These new exhibitors all bring new elements to the show. But just as im- portantly, they also serve to each attract new visitors to the show as well. So it becomes a cycle that adds value on multiple levels." For many exhibitors, the 2016 METS was the best yet. "Buyer attendance seemed to be up this year, everyone that came into our booth was ready to buy," said Brock Templeman, presi- METS 2016 sets attendance record BY CRAIG RITCHIE Record crowds packed the aisles throughout the three-day show.