Genoa’s Boat Show is given its notice

Genoa - Vitelli’s statement is a torpedo that could sink the Boat Show, a direct attack, without any concessions to diplomacy or any attempt to save face, and for the first time, an alternate location has been proposed, at least for the next edition of the fair: Milan’s Idroscalo, which was originally built as an airport for seaplanes. The chief of Azimut Benetti, a major player in the sector, is Paolo Vitelli, and he has voiced the bad feelings that for months have been tearing the association apart, especially after Massimo Perotti’s election as president. Vitelli dropped the bomb in a letter sent to the members of UCINA’s board of directors. The newly elected president is considered to be continuing the legacy of the presidency of Anton Francesco Albertoni, and for this reason he is disliked by many important players. The Vitellis’ ultimate goal (the letter was signed not only by Paolo Vitelli, who was president of UCINA from 1999 to 2006 and is now MP for Civic Choice (SC), but also by his daughter Giovanna) is to regain control over UCINA, which is a member association of Confindustria, and Genoa’s Boat Show is their Trojan Horse.

It is a frontal attack seasoned with a long list of grievances. “Since market conditions have changed, we believe that the format and location of the Boat Show should be opened up for discussion. Our experience as operators tells us that the flow of international clients has declined to a few percentage points, that foreign journalists disregarded the last fair, that our foreign dealers are no longer interested in coming (nor in contributing to the costs) and most importantly, sales results are quite modest compared to the investment.” His criticism applies to both the Boat Show and the city itself. The Vitellis have suggested locations for the Show that are “more attractive to clients” and mentioned the following as potential partners: the Milan Fair, the Düsseldorf Messe and the British company Reed Expo, which they called “companies that are accustomed to guaranteeing professionalism and impartiality and most importantly investments and promotion.”

And this is the bomb that they dropped for 2015: “We will try innovative solutions, and concentrate our efforts not on the traditional Boat Show, but on the Expo, instead, perhaps exhibiting our products at Milan’s Idroscalo at the same time as the Expo, since it is also near the airport.” The owners of Azimut Benetti also dealt harshly with “I Saloni Nautici”, the company that the Fair and UCINA each own half of, which is controlled by their “enemy,” Albertoni. This initiative has strengthened UCINA’s relationship with the Genoa Fair, which the dissident members of UCINA consider to have become a less dependable partner. The Vitellis also rejected the initiative by the newly created company to request the management of the new dock. Its “continuing link with Fiera di Genova, which owns 50% of its stock,” worries them because they have “doubts about the solidity of the governance and business plans of a company whose two owners have meagre funds” as does the company’s “obligation to hold the Boat Show in Genoa.” Basically, according to the Vitellis, it would be a terrible mistake for UCINA to tie itself to the Genoa Fair in the future when that organization is itself struggling to survive. This is effectively an eviction notice for the Boat Show in Genoa.