BOAT SHOW SUCCESS

Visitors and exhibitors largely approved of the changes to this year's Southampton Boat Show (Sept 19-28) albeit with one major reservation. As well as being a week later than usual and noticeably smaller, the layout of both the marina and onshore exhibits were revised to improve the flow of visitors around the show.

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The biggest change was that instead of being spread across several adjoining venues with the main entrance next to West Quay shopping centre, it was all compressed into the one main Mayflower Park site with an entrance next to the Red Jet Ferry terminal. This resulted in a more focussed layout without any roads or bridges for visitors to cross and a busier vibe.

A single large hall kept all the smaller stands for clothing, equipment and charter operators in one place, while themed areas such as Explore Boating, the Powerhub and the Shipyard food and entertainment zone grouped related stands together, making it easier for visitors to find what they wanted.