METS 2016 set for record year
In spite of cool temperatures and light rain, the mood in Amsterdam, Netherlands was decidedly upbeat Monday as more than 22,000 marine industry representatives arrived in town and set up for Tuesday’s official opening of the 2016 METS.
Although the final attendance figure remains to be seen, the 29th edition of the world’s largest marine equipment trade show has already set a number of records before the doors have even opened. For the second consecutive year the show marks a record number of exhibitors, with 1,471 companies this year over the 1,385 exhibitors who filled the massive Amsterdam RAI convention complex last year. This includes a record number of exhibitors in its SuperYacht Pavilion, with 265 companies this year over 224 exhibitors in 2015, as well as new high water marks for the Marina and Yard Pavilion with 64 exhibitors over last year’s 49, and the Construction Material Pavilion with 45 exhibitors this year, over 31 in 2015.
The 29th annual METS will set another record as the largest yet, with the addition of an eighth exhibition hall that will add more than 32,000 square feet to the show. It will also boast a record number of national pavilions this year, as the new Polish Pavilion brings the total to 19.
Visitors from 112 different countries have preregistered for METS, which runs from November 15 through 17 at the enormous Amsterdam RAI exhibition complex. Attendance at preshow events held Monday, including the Yacht Sustainability Conference and the 24th HISWA Symposium on Yacht Design and Construction, has been solid, setting a positive tone for the rest of the week.
