Great success and record-breaking numbers for YARE 2024 (Yachting Aftersales & Refit Experience), the event that ended last March 15, organized by Navigo as part of the Yachting Week Toscana.
and Technical Director of NauTech.
Together with the Director of Navigo, organizer and creator of YARE, we revisited some of the most significant milestones that, more than a decade ago, led a keen insight and a strong desire to anticipate the future of the nautical sector to create what is now unanimously recognized as the most important international event for Refit and Aftersales.
“At the core of the birth of YARE,” says Pietro Angelini, also Technical Director of NauTech, “there was a desire to begin to expand the boundaries of an important Nautical District, Viareggio, traditionally focused entirely on new products and sales.
Far ahead of our time, as Navigo, we understood the value to go further, untying the business from mere production”.
An innovative vision: the aftersales
“The same trend,” Pietro Angelini goes on “also concerned boat shows and industry events, at those times only focused on the finished product but rarely on the concept of the experience; it was this awareness that motivated us to be the first to introduce the idea that the boat was not just an object to be sold and/or purchased but a real experience that began right from the aftersales.
Far ahead of the game we understood the fundamental importance of carefully and professionally exploring the Aftersales & Refit asset.”
The technical stages of a winning story
From the third edition YARE took on its current structure, as an entirely B2b event.
“With the vision of making YARE a world-class event,” Pietro Angelini points out, “following an in-depth study of the US market, where B2b events were much more fresh, fast and informal, we took a gamble, taking out the cliché of dedicated stands and exhibition spaces to organize or to participate in major events.
In 2014, years ahead of a current trend, we chose to take a risk, revolutionizing a fixed paradigm, bringing at the table the buyer, the Captain, and not the seller.”
Only a year later, in 2015, Navigo was gaining attention for another winning choice, the development of YARE Navigo, a digital meeting/match application between Captains and Enterprises in the Nautical sector.
YARE 2024: the numbers of an edition to remember
“Thanks to our database of 5,000 contacts, each one including phone number and email address – Pietro Angelini explains –, we brought 120 Captains at this last edition of YARE and in just two days we recorded 2,000 meetings confirmed by both parties on our app.
Since YARE is held over a limited period of only two days, we need to consider the time over the quantity, or rather the time slots available for meetings: this year, with 600 guests, we reached the highest potential”.
Another important goal, in terms of numbers, has been about the Gala Dinner (a real ‘event within the event,’ whose location changes every year to ensure the best experience for every guest), which in 2024 was held inside a super innovative place: with 540 people seated it has been the largest yachting industry dinner ever organized in Tuscany.
“Finally, the reconfirmation for 2025 of world-class sponsors such as Adriatic 42, top Refit shipyard in Montenegro owned by Dubai, the main sponsor of this edition, is for us a big satisfaction and an excellent proof of the great work done all over these years”.
