DAZZLER: Some of the boats at the Qatar International Boat Show.

85 luxury boats and more than 120 brands from 18 countries to lend the shimmer to the boat show’s
third edition at Mourjan Marinas. By Anand Holla

With 85 local and international luxury boats and the presence of more than 120 brands from 18 countries lined up, the third edition of Qatar International Boat Show (QIBS) promises to be a mega marine feast.
At the expansive Mourjan Marinas in Lusail City, the annual event will be held from November 10 to 14, expecting to draw around 15,000 visitors, which will be an increase by 3,000 from last year. Last year’s show brought in sales of more than QR80 million and further prospective orders, and this edition aims to beat that number.
The untimely demise of Essa al-Mannai, Chairman, QIBS Board of Directors, earlier last week, has no doubt deeply saddened the organisers. But they march on; after all, QIBS was his dream and was very dear to him, they say. Community caught up with Faysal Mikati, CEO and Founder of Snowcomms, the official organiser of QIBS, to know more.
 
What is the purpose and significance of QIBS? Is it essentially to promote and foster continued growth in the maritime industry in Qatar and the region?
Yes, it is. The show is a platform for international and local companies to meet each other and find common dealership, services, new and innovative products, and support the maritime economy. Moreover, there’s a tourism aspect with people flying in. We have already booked 80 rooms in a hotel, which spread over five nights, means 400 nights, and we hold exhibitor parties for the exhibitors so as to maintain a high standard.
 
How much has QIBS grown from its previous two editions?
In the first year, the exhibition featured around 45 boats on water and drew in 10,000 visitors. In the second year, we doubled in size. The market is now ready, the opportunities many, and Qataris have very high purchasing power. The show is becoming a focal point for anybody who wants to seek more market information or get clarifications as top brands gather here. While the exhibitors presented three or five boats in the previous years, we now have them presenting 10 or 13. To accommodate the growing numbers, this year, we have created platforms on water using floating pontoons so as to keep the exhibitors close to their fleet of boats. The first year we had 45 boat on show, second year 98, and we are expecting 120 for this year.

Also, there are more exhibitors from the Gulf, like UAE and Kuwait, this year. How big is the boating segment in the Gulf?
Dubai has been doing its boat show for 23 years. If there’s no market, it would have shut down by now. So there is definitely something to be explored. In Qatar, for instance, we are positioning the boat show as premier luxury lifestyle. We care about the shipyards who build the boats, accessories to soup up the boats, and luxury items. We don’t showcase generators, cables and the ecosystem of a boat. We believe when Qataris step out to buy a boat, they look at the product as a whole and won’t care about what brand the generator is. So we have kept QIBS as a premier event — you visit, you see the product, you buy the product. We are not targeting the technical guys. We are targeting affluent Qataris and expats as well.
 
Are the clients then mostly Qataris?
No, they are everybody who is affluent. Last year, we had four purchases from affluent expats. It’s about purchasing power. You can buy a Jet-ski for QR35,000, or a Jet-ski ski for QR70,000, or you can buy a boat for QR160,000. This means that even if you belong to the middle-class, you can still afford one of these, if you really want it.
 
How big a market are Qataris for the maritime industry?
Qataris now have the most purchasing power in the Gulf. That’s why Dubai and Kuwaiti companies are coming in, and even international ones. There is huge potential here.
 
What do the international companies bring in that’s different from those of the Gulf?
In international, there are two segments — superyachts, which are above 30 metres, and yachts. Superyachts come with a stand; a company can’t bring them unless they have one in the region because to steer it down here would cost them half a million Euros one way apart from the risks of having to pass through Somalia, where pirates are active. Our target are boats below 30 metres. Superyacht companies are here because the market is there for them, too. The expats usually buy anything from 21 feet to 62 feet, and the Qataris buy boats from 56 feet to 90 feet.
 
What sort of cool vessels are expected to be on display, this week?
We have boats on trailers that are upto 35 feet. These could be fishing boats or open bay boats in which you could go with your family, swim, barbecue, and relax on the island, do some fishing if you wish, and return. Another line is cruisers where you can stay for one or two days on the weekends. Then there are the yachts, in which you can stay for a week and travel to Dubai or Oman. After these three, there are the superyachts. While you can get your yacht in six months, superyachts take two to three years for delivery.
 
How challenging have the preparations for QIBS 2015 been?
We prepare the show on a yearly basis. Once we finish the show, we right away sign the companies to the next year’s show. We visit and advertise in about 22 shows around the world, such as those in France, Germany, UK, USA, and The Netherlands. It’s a lot of investment given the flights and accommodation for our team. We meet companies at these shows and repeatedly until we establish a good relationship and credibility. We understand their challenges so as to facilitate their visit to Qatar and convince them why it’s important to come down to Qatar. We must catch them at the right time of their strategy meetings where they have to decide whether they exhibit in Qatar or Brazil or Croatia. So things don’t get done with just an email or a phone call. A lot needs to be done to get them down here.
 
How did QIBS start?
It was sometime in summer 2012. Since al-Mannai and I both owned yachts, we would often go out to the sea. One day, we were sitting in his yacht, wondering why Qatar doesn’t have a boat show. We had no answer. Al-Mannai told me we should figure out how it can be done. We went to the Cannes boat show and met people and asked them whether they would want to exhibit in Qatar. Everybody seemed excited but they were sceptical because previously, seven or eight companies had tried to build a show and nothing happened. We then went to the boat shows in Monaco, Genoa, and Fort Lauderdale, and gathered insight. That December, we managed to put the pieces together. We secured a venue at Lusail, a licence from QTA, and al-Mannai pitched in with the investment.
 
What is the biggest high in helming QIBS for you?
The show has become bigger than our company itself. It has put Qatar on the world map of boat shows and has been recognised by the International Federation of Boat Show Organisers (IFBSO). Today, people plan a budget for QIBS, look forward to QIBS. In the first two years, people waited and watched because boat shows have come up in the Gulf in the recent past and disappeared. We have now shown them that we are serious and we are in it for the long run.
Next year, we know it will be even bigger. We know that because exhibitors, who couldn’t be part of this year, have already booked for 2016. It will be one of Qatar’s biggest shows.