Marine firms set for Poole's first boat show

MARINE businesses are expecting a boost from Poole’s first boat show this weekend.

The Poole Harbour Boat Show runs on Saturday 9th May and Sunday 10th May, with family entertainment alongside the trade exhibits. Poole Harbour Commissioners is holding the event at its Poole Quay Boat Haven.

Its sponsors are Sunseeker Yachts, Humphries Kirk, Mazars, Coleman Insurance Brokers, Excellare and Bates Wharf Marine Sales. Sunseeker recently announced the line-up for its Sunseeker Sessions live music stage, which will be a central feature of the event.

Bryan Jones, marketing manager at Sunseeker, said: “We’re expecting to see high numbers of boat enthusiasts descending on Poole Quay and Poole Quay Boat Haven for the show and the Sunseeker Sessions stage will be a real focal point on the quayside.”

Katharine Jones, partner at Humphries Kirk, which has seven offices in Dorset and Somerset, said: "Poole is a marvellous place to live and work and we hope that this event is a success and encourages plenty of new faces to the area.”

David I’Anson, partner at Mazars, said “Mazars has been operating out of Poole for nearly 30 years now and we are so pleased to be a part of the first Poole Harbour Boat Show. It’s a real chance for businesses to take hold of what is going to be a spectacular event and it will further endorse Poole as world-class destination for nautical endeavours in the lead up to European Maritime Day in 2017.”

Staff from MDL Marinas, at nearby Cobb’s Quay Marina, will be at the show to talk visitors through their facilities and MDL’s Freedom Berthing package, which gives customers access to more than 90 marina destinations in the UK and Europe. There will also be a chance to win a summer berth, while a remote-controlled dry stack demonstration will give younger visitors a chance to manoeuvre boats in and out of a dry stack storage. Dave Wilson, marina manager at MDL’s Cobb’s Quay, said: “This is a key event for us. Cobb’s Quay offers the widest range of berthing options in Poole Harbour and this is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase them.”

PSP, a former sponsor for seven years of Southampton Boat Show, will be exhibiting at Poole. PSP, which opened an office in the port last year, provides boat transportation, packing and logistics. Managing director, Frank Dixie, said: “The marine business ecosystem in Poole is growing rapidly and the time is completely right for the borough to host its own boat show.”