In his second year in charge of the Union of Nautical Enterprises (UEN), an association responsible for the organization of the Valencia Boat Show, the director of the event announces new developments: more exhibition space, new companies and more activities

In 2016, the Union of Nautical Enterprises gave a strategic turn to the Valencia Boat Show: new dates in autumn, new concept - only new ships and new developments of the year - and new location in La Marina de València. This year, the Valencian living room sums up and continues, adding more square meters of cover exposure, more product supply from all sectors of the nautical and more activities.

What has been the response of the brands and exhibitors this year?
We are delighted to be able to say that in July we had covered 50% of the exhibition space. Many of the shipyards and brands that were present last year will repeat this year but there are also many new ones that will participate for the first time in 2017 and have already confirmed their presence months ago. I think we have a very attractive offer both for dates, as we close the circuit of Mediterranean living rooms, as well as for the rates of the living room itself and those that the city offers in accommodation and restoration. The possibility of testing the ships of the exhibition at sea and the good communications have been two great incentives for many exhibitors.

What can the exhibitors of the Valencia Boat Show expect this year?
Last year the living room was a success both in public and sales, with more than 4 million euros return in sale of boats between 5 and 18 meters long. This year we have more space to expose, and we want to open the competition to all sectors of nautical, sports such as surfing, paddle surfing, kayak or diving, which are activities more accessible to all that represent the entrance door to nautical. So we will again have a large fleet of new sailing and motor ships from the main shipyards and brands, along with engines, services and accessories, to which will be joined the exhibition of outdoor nautical sports, with a sheet of water to test the material.

Will there also be sea tests this year?
Last year sea tests were one of the great news. València and La Marina de València have the ideal conditions to test new ships comfortably at sea, and even for the exhibition ships to hibernate here. This possibility, along with the attractive offer of the living room and the city, we believe was key to last year's success.

What kind of visitors did the Valencia Boat Show 2016 have?
Last year the feeling of the exhibitors was that most of the visitors to the living room were users of the nautical, know-how of the products and the nautical terminology and interested in the purchase of ships. We had 60% local visitors, 35% national and 5% international and, by the economic result of the living room, we confirmed ourselves as a decision-making and shopping room.

How did you feel about changing the format to the 2016 exhibitors after the living room was finished?
Last year many exhibitors made an important bet for us, as the living room had new dates, new concept, new location and even new director. The competitive offer of the competition and of the city, the climate, good communications and the possibility of holding sea tests certainly contributed to the decision of many of the great shipyards to come to Valencia. At the end of the living room we did a survey of the exhibitors, and 78% assessed as good or very good the change of model (only new ships and new dates of autumn) and scored with an 8.1 out of 10 the new location.

This year there will also be activities and workshops related to nautical...
Last year the Valencia Boat Show hosted presentations, talks and meetings related to the sector. In some way our living room was an epicenter of the nautical in all its aspects: business, sports, and even solidarity. This year we want to be there again and that the brands and shipyards take advantage of the competition and the facilities for their meetings and presentations. We will have a night of the exhibitor, which will be a meeting point between companies that will surely come up with interesting ideas and agreements. In addition, we have the sponsorship of Bauhaus that will organize workshops for users of the nautical in the old base of Alinghi and soon we will announce more news. In fact, it will be precisely at the old Alinghi base where parallel events and activities are held and we want it to become a meeting point for the sector.

How does Valencia Boat Show integrate into the new València Marine Strategy?
The Navy of València is growing day by day in occupation, sociocultural activities and innovation and lives a time of booming in the hands of companies and institutions such as Insomnia, EDEM, Heineken, the Branch Group and perhaps in the future, Microsoft. I believe that the nautical hall of Valencia works perfectly as a focal point for all these worlds: business, business, innovation, tourism, services and of course, with the nautical as a driving thread, because we are in a marine after all.

What does the living room for Valencia mean in tourist terms?
The Gulf of València is an excellent place to navigate and practice water sports and I believe events like the Valencia Boat Show help to promote the city and its Navy as an ideal destination for sea sports. To this we add the cultural and gastronomic heritage, culture, good communications and affordable prices in accommodation and restoration and the result is a virtually perfect offer.

Do you expect to repeat last year's success?
I think last year was a test of fire that we successfully overcome, and this year we have consolidated and are in full growth. I like to use a nautical symile for this, and it's that we "sail at cruise speed." As our slogan says, Valencia sails.

From 1 to 5 November 2017 in La Marina de València, the Valencia Boat Show is organized by the Union of Nautical Enterprises (UEN), an association of companies in the nautical sector of the Valencia Community, with the support of Consortium Valencia 2007, the public body formed by the City of Valencia, the Generalitat Valenciana and the Government of Spain that manages the infrastructure of the Marina Real Juan Carlos I, as well as Tourism Valencia, the City Council of Valencia, the City of Valencia and the Generalitat Valenciana.