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ICC Sydney Welcomes Sydney International Boat Show

03 Aug 2017

International Convention Centre Sydney welcomes its largest ever public exhibition with the first day and 50th Anniversary of Sydney International Boat Show.

Kicking off today, sixty thousand visitors are anticipated to attend the biggest recreational boat show in the Southern Hemisphere from 3 -7 August in Darling Harbour.

Taking over the entire 32, 600sqm of ICC Sydney’s Exhibition Centre and activating the 5000sqm open air Event Deck publically for the first time, visitors will be immersed in the marine industry with boats, pools and live activations across the venue and Cockle Bay marina. An additional 1400sqm of exhibition space in the Convention Centre hosted Marine17 earlier this week.

Geoff Donaghy, CEO of ICC Sydney, said the venue was proud to be a part of such an iconic event that draws visitors from around the country and across the globe.

“The Sydney International Boat Show is celebrated across the entire Darling Harbour precinct. ICC Sydney is thrilled to be delivering an event where one third of visitors will travel from outside the Sydney-metro area, resulting in an economic benefit for the wider visitor economy.

“We are a nexus for business and innovation, and our ability to host such a large scale industry event showcases the diversity of our world class venue,” Donaghy said.

Howard Glenn, National CEO of Boating Industry Association, said this year’s event would be the greatest in the show’s fifty year history with over 245 exhibitors and more than 900 boats on display.

“We are proud to be recognised by the International Federation of Boat Show organisers as one of the leading boat shows in the world and know this will be a celebratory few days where there is something for everyone to enjoy,” said Glenn.

Joyce DiMascio, Chief Executive of Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA), said the Sydney International Boat Show was one of the most important events on the calendar for Sydney and Australia.

“This event has a major impact on the economy in terms of business generated, employment and also visitation to the city. It is a powerhouse. This year it is forecast to deliver A$500 million in sales.

“The number and value of boats that will be sold at this event is unprecedented to anything else in the industry. A staggering one in five boats sold in a year in Australia will be sold at the show, accounting for one tenth of the national recreational industry turnover.

“The Sydney International Boat Show is a credit to the Boating Industry Australia, ICC Sydney and all those who work to make it a success year-after-year. It is a logistics, operational and experiential triumph,” Ms DiMascio said.

The event will delight all, from marine enthusiasts to those dipping their toes into activities on the water for the first time.

With almost 400 events delivered and over 800,000 people through its doors since opening in December 2016, ICC Sydney is truly Australia’s premier convention, exhibition and entertainment venue.