British Marine and its group association, Superyacht UK (SYUK), gave 17 international delegates and journalists the opportunity to visit and network with a number of key British companies who provide superior quality products and services for the superyacht sector.
The Superyacht UK Tour of Excellence, which took place over an entire week, ran from Monday 18 to Friday 22 April. During the course of the week the tour took delegates from Cornwall in the west to Sussex in the south. It was an opportunity to demonstrated Britain’s rich heritage as seafaring pioneers with truly world-class products and services from the global superyacht arena. Naval Architects, Captains, Technical Managers and Managing Directors from international companies were sent as delegates on the Tour. In addition, the delegates attended a dedicated Showcase Evening held at the University of Portsmouth to network with some of the sector’s key businesses who took part in the Tour.
They were also able to enjoy an exclusive trip to Land Rover BAR’s HQ, a tour of the HMS Victory and a drinks reception and dinner, sponsored by Cornerstone, in the National Museum of the Royal Navy.
Mike Carr, Chairman of SYUK and Joint MD of Pendennis Shipyard, commented: “The Superyacht UK Tour of Excellence provided an invaluable opportunity to showcase Pendennis’ capabilities to a broad range of international industry influencers and decision makers. By welcoming and hosting delegates personally we are able to provide a detailed overview of our business and develop relationships with new contacts.”
Richard Selby, International Development Manager at British Marine and SYUK said: “Industry statistics* released by Superyacht UK last year, demonstrate that the British superyacht industry is riding the wave of economic recovery. The value of the UK superyacht industry grew by +10.2% to £542 million in 2014/15, with the sector contributing £304 million in GVA to UK GDP. The rise in demand has also translated into more jobs with 4,000 full-time employees now in the industry (+6.9% year on year). It is important to continue to promote this sector and last week’s event was a fantastic showcase and a great opportunity for British companies to network with potential buyers.”
