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6th August 2008
The Sydney International Boat Show has celebrated its 20th anniversary at
Australia
’s most popular meetings venue, the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.
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Ton van Amerongen and Doug Olding
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This year’s Boat Show drew bumper crowds of more than 70,000 visitors over six days from July 31 to August 5, taking its total number of visitors over the past 20 years to more than 1.5 million.
In recognition of the event’s long-standing partnership with the Centre, Boat Show organisers presented Centre Chief Executive Ton van Amerongen with a special trophy at the show’s opening.
President of the Boating Industry Association of NSW Doug Olding said while the Boat Show launched in
Sydney
in 1968, it had flourished since moving to its
Darling
Harbour
site in 1989, the year after the Centre opened.
“This trophy recognises the assistance and guidance the Centre has given us to help make the Boat Show what it is today – the largest show of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and the most important event on our industry’s calendar,” Mr Olding said.
“This show delivers more than 25 per cent of the NSW boating industry’s annual income and the Centre, with its convenient and attractive
Darling
Harbour
location, plays an important role in helping us achieve that result.”
The 2008 Boat Show filled the Centre’s 30,000 square metres of exhibition space as well as the adjacent
Cockle
Bay
, with 300 boats on display on the temporary marina created for the show.
Mr van Amerongen said the Centre was honoured to be acknowledged so warmly by an exhibitor.
“The Sydney International Boat Show is a great event which uses the Centre’s waterside setting like no other, and we’re very pleased to play a part in its success,” Mr van Amerongen said.
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