04.03.2026
Yachting licence? – Everything you need to know
boot 2026 – the start of the year for BAVARIA YACHTS
boot 2026 is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the international water sports and boating industry. From 17 to 25 January 2026, the exhibition centre on the banks of the Rhine in Düsseldorf will be transformed into the world's largest water sports centre for nine days. For us, it's always a very special start to the year. But what does the planning look like in the run-up to the start of the boat show, and what is a typical day at boot like for us at BAVARIA?
Planning and setup
Before interested visitors can visit our stand, we first have a lot of planning to do. This starts at the end of September and is led by Serena Götzner from the marketing team. Everything comes together here, from stand sketches and the position of the boats to walkways, storage solutions, banner sizes and carpet colours. Of course, this involves numerous consultations between internal departments, our CEO and Messe Dusseldorf.
Our service team is also on duty before the boat show begins. Once all the yachts have made the journey to Dusseldorf, they ensure that all boats are positioned correctly and that the power supply is working on board. This time, the team also installed the flybridge on the R40 and the hardtop on the C46.
Ready? Go!
A few days before the official opening, the marketing team travels from Giebelstadt to Dusseldorf. There, they finalise details with the stand builder, sort brochures and price lists, decorate boats and discuss final organisational issues. Of course, there is also a quick tour of the neighbouring halls, as everyone is curious to see how the other stands are set up. Wolfgang Ambros' ‘Schifoan’ blares from one corner – the industry has a sense of humour.
On Friday, there is a final tour and the final inspection of the stand. Our dealers are also on site by then and can familiarise themselves with the stand, inspect the boats, test the coffee machine and save the Wi-Fi password. A joint dinner brings the last day before the boot exhibition to a successful close.
Here's to nine exciting days!
After a short speech by Petros Michelidakis and the ‘opening horn’, we're off: nine days of boot lie ahead of us! Soon, a few interested visitors are standing at the registration counter. Now it's time to find them the right dealer.
But our hostess Linda and our trainee Maya quickly get the hang of it. NTV films a live sequence on board the R40 and our CEO is interviewed. To ensure that everything runs smoothly here, it takes timing and patience on the part of our visitors. While dealers and guests are visiting our stand, preparations for Monday's press conference are underway in the background.
Sunday starts with our team photo and segues seamlessly into the usual hustle and bustle of the trade fair. ‘Does the dealer for Switzerland still have an appointment available at short notice?’ – ‘Can someone please help out in the charter hall quickly?’ – ‘Where can I find the VIDA brochure in English?’
The stand is well attended, with interested conversations, photos and business cards being exchanged. The remaining days until the last Sunday of boot proceed in a similar fashion.
As soon as the traditional honking of horns at the end has died down, the chic exhibition hall is transformed into more or less structured chaos within a few minutes. Everywhere, people are packing up, collecting or throwing things away. The small sailingboats from the sailing hall are carried by hand to the transporter. With our yachts weighing several tonnes, we can only dream of doing the same. Our service team has until Tuesday to make all yachts ready for transport and to dismantle the hardtop and flybridge.
Back in Giebelstadt, we can say: It was a successful start to the year – see you next time!
