More than 700 industry leaders descended on the RAI Amsterdam this week for the year’s must-attend conference. From insightful discussions on the market’s current state to dramatic entrances from TrendWatching’s Henry Coutinho-Mason, this year marked a significant change in The Superyacht Forum’s history, now under new management with METSTRADE. But for over thirty years, The Superyacht Forum (TSF) has connected us and driven the most important conversations forward. This year’s iteration was a testament to those accolades.

The inaugural panel of the event, a discussion between two titans of industry – Giovanna Vitelli, CEO of Azimut|Benetti, and Rose Damen, CEO of Damen Yachting and chaired by TSF’s founder, Martin H Redmayne – perfectly set the tone for the rest of the show. Aside from reporting strong financials and praising stability brought on by the end of the US elections, Vitelli and Damen spoke firmly about sustainability.

As Vitelli highlighted, sustainability goes beyond building yachts with a lower environmental impact. We as an industry need to be realistic and adopt a holistic approach with practical solutions while acknowledging our current constraints. This theme was common through workshop conversations and networking chin-wags over the two days.

Sustainability in the green sense is only possible if we continue pushing the boundaries of science and technology. Still, we are also limited by (lack of) infrastructure, government regulations and willingness from owners. These will change with time and a collaborative effort from an organised and unified industry, something many in the audience have advocated for during The Forum’s three decades.

In the economic and operational sense, sustainability will only be achieved when we secure the next generation of yachties. There was a shared sentiment that there had been little movement since we last convened. Again, a concerted effort and increased support and understanding from owners were cited among some of the resolutions to such problems. And this necessitates change across the sector.

In partnership with the Superyacht Alliance, the Raising the Bar initiative zeroed in on retaining junior crew by using better data, sharper training and bridging gaps in understanding. Virtual-reality specialists also wowed their workshop, showing how VR is breaking old-school barriers in maritime education and expanding where we can train talent. Mental health had its moment, too, with an eye-opening session on how collaboration is finally pushing welfare up the industry agenda. It’s been long overdue, but at least it’s moving.

As the day drew to a close, we shifted our focus to the critical issue of reputational risk within our industry, a recurring theme in recent discussions and a core focus throughout The Forum. Here, retired cruise-line executive Roberto Martinoli, European Business Aviation Association COO Robert Baltus, crisis management consultant Maureen Veurman and session moderator Farouk Nefzi, Feadship’s chief marketing officer, urged the audience to consider how best to manage the reputation of the industry.

Moving forward, building trust will be essential to improving our reputation and securing the industry’s future. Perceptions of the sector vary depending on the region, so we need a tailored approach.

In towns like La Ciotat, the industry’s reputation is likely pretty high, considering a sizeable portion of the city is virtually built around the shipyard there, while in other hubs, that sentiment isn’t necessarily shared amongst the wider public, and it is here where we need to get our message across together. Establishing trust requires collaboration by bringing competitors together to work collectively and demonstrating how the industry is making strides in innovation and sustainability.

The importance of solid trade association representation was also made apparent in communicating the values and virtues of the yachting sector and educating the wider public. Veurman encouraged everyone to be proactive and tell their story first, as everything anyone hears afterwards is less critical. Baltus reinforced this point, noting that his association leverages data-driven transparency to showcase the positive contributions of business aviation, and this is something we can do in our sector, too.

Day two of The Superyacht Forum was all about substance, and the morning kicked off with a panel on the “Three R” model of reduce, remove and recycle, and the ambitious goal of turning the superyacht industry into a regenerative sector by 2050. Dr Vienna Eleuteri of Water Revolution Foundation tied the conversation to the global stage, quoting António Guterres’ COP29 address: “Ocean support is not charity, it’s an investment. Climate action is not optional, it’s an imperative.” This isn’t just a catchy vox-pop, it’s a challenge for all of us.

The day’s big theme was the future of not just yachts but more of the people who will own and shape them. The University of Monaco’s Dr Annalisa Tarquini-Poli and Dr Phil Klaus delivered a thought-provoking workshop on what the next generation of owners will want. According to their research, we’ll see the largest transfer of wealth in human history in 2030 in the trillions. The major takeaway here for our industry is that this next wave of owners won’t think or act like their predecessors, and the industry needs to adapt now to engage them.

With that in mind, Aino Grapin, CEO of Winch Design, unveiled a new designer protocol co-signed by some of the biggest names in the industry and spoke candidly about the challenges facing yacht designers before laying out her three building blocks for progress of experimentation, collaboration and commitment.

Feadship’s Roderick de Vries brought pragmatism and urgency to his discussion, detailing how the yard uses “green aluminium and steel”, hybrid propulsion systems and AI tools to make yachts smarter and lighter. But De Vries didn’t sugarcoat the obstacles of regulatory inertia, owner buy-in and the need to rethink processes at the yard level either. It’s a big ask but one we should all be answering to.

On the other hand, Anders Kurtén, CEO of Fraser Yachts, announced a partnership with Water Revolution Foundation to push the YETI (Yacht Environmental Transparency Index) programme. As he said, data is ultimately the key to helping owners make better decisions, and we need to make the shift towards measurable, actionable sustainability through the likes of YETI. And yes, a yeti was walking around METS, and you were not suffering from a fever dream.

In the afternoon, conversations focused on mergers, acquisitions and the next generation of leaders and owners. As Chuck Cashman of MarineMax put directly, we need more money and intelligent people in this industry. If we want our businesses to be acquired, run them well and get the best people. It’s easier said than done, especially considering the current recruitment and retention climate. Still, the point is that the industry is ripe for more significant investment, but only for those who prove they’re worth it.

The energy carried through to the closing keynote by Henry Coutinho-Mason, who threw down the gauntlet with three provocative questions: What stories does your yacht tell? Can you enable guilt-free experiences? And which tech superpowers will you embrace? His overarching message was relatively simple but a powerful one nonetheless. As much as we may focus on adapting and building for our futures, we shouldn’t let it consume us and become an uncontainable obsession. Let’s be pragmatic, focus on what we are good at, and build from there.

As the curtain fell on the first TSF under new leadership, METSTRADE’s Niels Klarenbeek closed, promising to make next year’s event even better. But looking at the bigger picture, the past five years have marked a turning point for the entire market. The industry is becoming more organised. We are building stronger associations and tackling challenges with more intelligent and efficient strategies. If the ideas discussed become a reality, they’ll reshape our image and sustainability footprint and secure our future. Holding ourselves accountable for the decisions we make today is paramount to this; change starts here but won’t end here.

We will see you next year.

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