The Superyacht Group has formally confirmed the dates for the inaugural edition of The Pacific Superyacht Forum. This invitation-only, VIP event will take place in Victoria, British Columbia from 28th to 30th June 2020, in partnership with Victoria International Marina.

This strategic event will be the first step in what is a four-year plan to make transnational structural changes and implement institutional accords that will galvanise a genuine upturn in the number of superyachts cruising Pacific waters. We will be convening in Victoria, on Canada’s west coast, and home to Victoria International Marina. The location we have chosen and, in turn, our headline event host partner absolutely epitomise the objective of this project.

The city of Victoria represents the gateway to a 27,000-square-kilometere cruising area encompassing the vast province of British Columbia – an incredible, but relatively untapped area for superyachts to explore. This is a region of huge potential to inspire the superyacht owners of tomorrow, but it is also one requiring investment – in infrastructure and a more robust service sector – as well as charter options for those who recognise the market opportunity. 

Our host partner, Victoria International Marina, is a relatively new market entrant, enjoying its first full season in 2019 and being the result of investors building superyacht-specific infrastructure from the ground up in expectation of a growing demand. The proposition is now under the auspices of a visionary team of regional industry stakeholders who have understood and supported the ‘Pacific network’ vision as we have developed the concept.

In many ways, both the city and the host partner of the inaugural edition of The Pacific Superyacht Forum are case studies for what this event intends to achieve. Both are examples of the potential the Pacific has as a self-sufficient market in its own right. We firmly believe that The Pacific Superyacht Forum will bring together a vast swathe of similar working examples – the combined knowledge of which will help to further progress towards the collective goal.

As the old saying goes, ‘it’s a big old world out there’, but we as an industry are often guilty of having an Atlantic-centric view of the yachting world. A vast number of companies service the growing number of vessels that are going beyond European and Floridian waters, yet industry rhetoric still seems to focus on the traditional markets.  

As a business, we’ve been acutely aware of the large-scale investment taking place in key areas outside the hubs of the Mediterranean and Caribbean, specifically the Pacific Coast archipelagos. Through various regional meetings, conferences and discussions, we’ve seen a growing appetite among investors in various sectors to enter our market and forge a new path for the superyachts of tomorrow.  

While at first anomalous and ad hoc, investment in yacht servicing, berthing, chartering and a host of ancillary sectors has spread to almost every coastline that borders the world’s biggest ocean. Alongside this has arisen a greater dialogue between regional bodies and key industry stakeholders surrounding the feasibility of developing a genuine ‘Pacific network’ – a concept that would create a viable alternative for yachts looking beyond the Mediterranean or Caribbean.

The empirical evidence demonstrates that interest is growing among clients in the myriad territories that border the Pacific. With the addition of proven infrastructure and quality servicing, the opportunity grows still greater. It’s this reasoning that triggered the concept of The Pacific Superyacht Forum, the research for which began in 2018 and has since gained momentum with the wholehearted advocacy of key players in various regions. 

We’ve come to the conclusion that there is an appetite for this event among those who stand to benefit from a more coordinated and symbiotic ‘Pacific market’. Yes, the area is huge, but by presenting a degree of cogency to the clients, they will be reassured to take their vessels to new places.

That’s why we believe that bringing together around 200 of the most influential owners, regional industrialists and C-suite stakeholders, from Asia, North America, Oceania and South America, as well as Europe for two days of debate, discussion and road-mapping will mark the germination of a new era for emerging superyacht markets across the Pacific. 

The Pacific Superyacht Forum is an invitation-only event. To register your interest,  please click here.

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Victoria International Marina

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