LIBS set for growth as Excel expands

National Boat Shows (NBS), organiser of the London International Boat Show, is looking forward to growth as venue ExCeL expands its facilities with the marine event in mind.

A £165m development will see 40 per cent more space added to the ExCeL Centre in London's Docklands, including a 4,500m2 dropped floor area designed for ease of access for boats. The new facilities will be opened in spring 2010.

NBS expects LIBS to be able to fill 90,000m2 of space at ExCeL by 2014. "In 2007, at the peak of the market, demand outstripped space by 40 per cent," says Andrew Williams, managing director of NBS. "A return to this level will fill 90,000m2."

The organiser is also considering moving LIBS from its traditional January slot. An announcement will be made in March to confirm the details of the 2011 show.

NBS is also looking at the possibility of using the extra space at ExCeL to run parallel special interest shows over the two weekends of the boat show's 10-day run. Potential subjects include fishing and watersports.

For 2010 NBS offered exhibitors reduced rates, cutting 20 per cent from previous stand prices for early enlisters. The organiser says that with hindsight, the lowest possible prices were possibly not what the industry needed.

"Some exhibitors approached us saying that we should have charged them more and invested more in marketing and features," says Williams.

"We want to make LIBS the number one show in terms of visitors per square metre and exhibitor feedback," he says.