International Multihull Show 2024: a record edition

The International Multihull Show in La Grande Motte has just wrapped up a record-breaking edition, reaffirming its position as a leading global B2B and B2C commercial event and already looking forward to the 2025 edition to continue its growth path. Held from April 3-7 with a remarkable presence of 160 exhibitors, the Occitan salon dedicated to multihulls was a positive, dynamic, and revitalized event. Under these conditions, the prospects can only be bright for the next 16th edition, announced from April 23-27, 2025, still in La Grande Motte.

In a global economic climate less favorable for the boating sector compared to previous years, the International Multihull Show still managed to fulfill its role as a separate market space and generate a good number of sales, orders, and contacts for national and international manufacturers and distributors. Thanks to the particularly favorable weather this year, the organizers estimate that the percentage of international visitors reached between 55% and 60%. The growth in the number of visitors, especially decision-makers, is a sign of the high nature of the boat show, with an increasing trend towards innovative, attractive, and environmentally friendly products and solutions.

“We have noticed that foreign visitors arethe majority on weekdays and English is the dominant language on the docks – says Caroline Popovici, the new director of the International Multihull Show– The balance obviously shifts over the weekend with more local and national visitors arriving, but what emerges from our conversations with industry professionals is an increasingly quality visitor base. Exhibitors are adapting to this discerning clientele, offering a wide and diverse range of products that reflect their growing expectations in terms of respect for the marine environment”.

Among European visitors, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom accounted for 45 percent of total attendance. The North American market (United States and Canada) accounts for about 10 percent of the 25 nationalities attending the show.

The next edition of the International Multihull Show

The next La Grande Motte International Multihull Boat Show will take place from Wednesday, April 23 to Sunday, April 27, 2025. The 16th edition will be hosted immediately after the new Nautic en Seine, which will open its doors on Tuesday, April 1, and will span six days on the banks of the Seine in the French capital. Details of this new strategy adopted for French boat shows will be revealed at FIN’s annual press conference in early September.

The organizers announce that the sixteenth edition of the International Multihull Show will be marked by a gradual transition and further synergy with local operators. The Fédération des Industries Nautiques and the new management of M2Organisation have aimed for a smooth transition that preserves the DNA and distinctive heritage of the boat show. “We knew exhibitors were concerned – underlined Popovici – Change always raises a number of questions, and that’s understandable. Our goal for the first year was to gain a good understanding of the show’s ecosystem so that we could ease the transition. For next year, we would like to make a number of changes, particularly with regard to the visitor experience on the ground, which needs to be reconsidered. We are full of new ideas for new areas, improving the layout, creating a new segment, developing new partnerships, etc”.

In this regard, the FIN (Fédération des Industries Nautiques) is keen to underline the exceptional collaboration with local stakeholders, particularly with Mayor Stephan Rossignol and his team, with the port of La Grande Motte and its director Éric Pallier, as well as with the Occitanie Region. The synergy between the FIN and the Occitanie Region has led to the signing of an industrial cluster agreement with the French government to support the existing 3,000 local jobs and pave the way for the future of yachting. This was the first partnership agreement of the “marine industries and services” cluster, signed last Friday, April 5th, during the boat show.