How the industry best adapts to cater for the consumer of tomorrow is critical - finalists in this year’s Boat Builder Awards highlight three key ways the industry is seeking to expand its future base of customers 

The new Customer of Tomorrow category in the 2023 Boat Builder Awards for Business Achievement, held in association with Raymarine, has neatly highlighted three key ways in which the industry is seeking to expand its future base of customers.

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How the industry best adapts to cater for the consumer of tomorrow is critical – demographic changes are pushing diversity to the top of the agenda, whilst the largest wealth transfer in history (estimated at some US$84 trillion) from Baby Boom generation to Millennials over the next 25 years, offers a tantalising opportunity capturing new sources of discretionary spend. Attracting that new consumer and competing with other sectors for this potentially lucrative gold rush, will be a game-changer for the leisure boating industry if we get it right. Three boatbuilders and their collaborative partners have been singled out by the jury of this year’s Boat Builder Awards as flag bearers for new ways of embracing tomorrow’s potential buyer.

For Axopar the solution has been to get into partnership with boat club Agapi and link all of that into this dynamic boat builder’s 100-plus global dealer network to guarantee reach. Axopar has already recognisably created a new genre of motorboat that has drawn in a fresh generation of owners. This move opens those same boats to many more people who prefer experiential opportunities without major capital investment.

RAND has for some time now been the enabler in terms of boat provision for GoBoat’s increasing number of successful and highly accessible hire fleets, some of them based in very non-traditional marine locations, independent of boat yards and with pop-up style infrastructure. In this latest venture the GoBoat Connect app will further serve to build a sense of community, connecting customers with the fleets of RAND boats, encouraging impulse repeat booking and reminding all users of the sustainability focus of this fully electric-powered operation.

The third finalist to make the list has been billed as a potential beacon for change by rethinking the whole onboard experience of boating. The unique styling of TYDE’s The Icon has grabbed headlines and caught the eye. However, it is the sensation of flying in the glass ‘arrow’ above the water that has the genuine potential of converting even most reticent landlubber to the idea that getting away from it all on a boat is a good idea. The Icon certainly pushes boundaries and splits opinion among traditionalists, but initiatives such as these serve to remind that we really do need to think outside of the comfort zone to attract people much less familiar with boating’s traditions than most of the people working in our industry.

Each nomination had distinct merits and won plaudits from the judging panel and, as you might have guessed, the disparate nature of each approach was closely debated.

Don’t miss out on being in the audience when the winner is revealed at the Boat Builder Awards gala dinner at the Maritime Museum in Amsterdam in three weeks’ time.

The 2023 Boat Builder Awards is running on Thursday 16 November this year for the first time – the second night of METSTRADE. Individual tickets are priced at just €300 plus VAT with tables of ten at €3000 plus VAT. You can purchase tickets online here or for further information please visit www.ibinews.com/bba2023/tickets