London Boat Show
Encyclopedia
ExCeL Exhibition Centre
ExCeL London is an exhibitions and conference centre in the London Borough of Newham, England. It is located on a site on the northern quay of the Royal Victoria Dock in London Docklands, between Canary Wharf and London City Airport.- History :The centre was built by Sir Robert McAlpine, opened...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, just opposite the O2
O2 (United Kingdom)
Telefónica UK Limited is a telecommunications, internet and financial services provider in the United Kingdom owned by Telefónica, forming part of its Telefónica Europe division...
and the centre of London's business and entertainment centre. It is a very large event, now in its 54th year, which uses ExCeL's two 32,500 square metre halls. It is organised by National Boat Shows, which is a subsidiary of the British Marine Federation, the trade association for the UK boating industry.
The Show features a wide range of boats, boating equipment and clothing with interactive sections and feature attractions devoted to boating. There is also a display of tall boats and other vessels in the Royal Victoria Dock
Royal Victoria Dock
The Royal Victoria Dock is the largest of three docks in the Royal Docks of east London, now part of the redeveloped Docklands.-History:...
immediately outside the exhibition centre.
One of the major benefits of ExCeL Exhibition Centre is that it is an on-water location where, every year, the show hosts a dedicated marina and a naval ship (either a destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
or frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
). ExCeL is also the only exhibition venue in London that can host a regatta
Regatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
.
History
The first London Boat Show was held at OlympiaOlympia, London
Olympia is an exhibition centre and conference centre in West Kensington, on the boundary between The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham, London, W14 8UX, England. It opened in the 19th century and was originally known as the National Agricultural Hall.Opened in 1886,...
, before moving to the Earls Court Exhibition Centre
Earls Court Exhibition Centre
The Earls Court Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre, conference and event venue located in west London, United Kingdom in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea . It is the largest exhibition venue in central London. It is served by two underground stations, Earl's Court and West...
in 1957 due to increase in demand. A popular feature of the show during its time at Earls Court was the use of the venue's pool area to host floating boats for visitors' inspection. Up until the Second World War, sailing was very much a sport for the rich, but in the post-war years, with the launch of cheaper boats such as the dinghy
Dinghy
A dinghy is a type of small boat, often carried or towed for use as a ship's boat by a larger vessel. It is a loanword from either Bengali or Urdu. The term can also refer to small racing yachts or recreational open sailing boats. Utility dinghies are usually rowboats or have an outboard motor,...
, sailing became accessible to the middle classes and so there was demand for a show which could satisfy this trend.
The London Boat Show moved to ExCeL in 2004 because the old venue could no longer accommodate the vast selection of boats and equipment suppliers that visitors demanded from the show. Additionally the venue couldn’t accommodate the larger boats that visitors wanted to see and buy. The move from the intimate space of Earls Court, to the more functional space at ExCel, has been felt by many to be detrimental to the visitor's enjoyment of the show, and has been blamed for the steady decline in both visitors and exhibitors. However analysis of the figures shows that the downward trend in visitor attendance began before the move to ExCel, and is continuing despite various attempts by the organisers to increase the attractiveness of the show.
Attendance
Here are the attendances of recent years of the Show.| Year | Attendance | Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 154,211 | ABC ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulations UK) In the United Kingdom and Ireland, ABC has two roles:* To manage and uphold standards which reflect media industry needs... audited |
|
| 2003 | 145,845 | ABC audited | Last year at Earl's Court |
| 2004 | 213,801 | ABC audited | First year at ExCeL |
| 2005 | 154,041 | ABC audited | |
| 2006 | 140,000 | http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20060016155834ibinews.html (unaudited) | |
| 2007 | 130,000 | National Boat Shows press release, 14 January 2007 (unaudited) | |
| 2008 | 127,251 | ABC audited | |
| 2009 | 112,000 | National Boat Shows press release, 18 January 2009 (unaudited) | |
| 2010 | 102,655 | National Boat Shows press release, 17 January 2010 (unaudited) | |
| 2011 | 109,778 | National Boat Shows press release, 17 January 2011 (unaudited) |