Brussels/Düsseldorf 11 March 2021 – European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, will participate in the 2021 International Breakfast Meeting on 20 April. He and other high-level panellists from business and politics will discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on the recreational boating industry, recovery, new trends and opportunities.
The full agenda for the 2021 International Breakfast Meeting, organised by boot Düsseldorf and European Boating Industry, has now been released. The event, which will exceptionally be held online, will offer industry visitors and journalists the opportunity to exchange information on the latest market trends, regulations and innovation, as well as to develop new contacts and networks.
Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, will participate at the event by video message. The Commissioner is responsible for the blue economy, including nautical tourism, the circular economy, as well as contributing to implementation of the European Green Deal. This is the first time a European Commissioner participates at the International Breakfast Meeting, showing the increasing importance of the event and interest from the EU institutions.
Other speakers include Petros Michelidakis (Director of boot Düsseldorf), Ismail Ertug (Member of the European Parliament), Amelie Cesar and Natascha Zwenke (Jade University of Applied Sciences Wilhelmshaven, who led a study into the impact of Covid-19 on the boating industry), Lyublena Dimova (Research Manager at the European Travel Commission) and Gianguido Girotti (Deputy CEO of Groupe Bénéteau). The event will be moderated by Philip Easthill (Secretary-General of EBI).
The theme of this year’s edition will be “A Corona reboot of tourism and recreation – What future for boating?”. The event will include the presentation of a study on the impact of COVID-18 on the industry and the industry’s outlook. In addition, discussions will focus on new trends in travel and tourism, the future EU tourism strategy, and how to build momentum for boating in 2021 and beyond. The 2021 International Breakfast Meeting will take place on 20 April from 10:00 to 11:45 (CEST). Registration for the event, together with the agenda, can be found here http://bit.ly/bootibmregistration.
Further information about the Breakfast Meeting is available here https://www.boot.com/IBM2021.
About boot Düsseldorf
boot Düsseldorf is the biggest boat and water sports trade fair in the world with almost 250,000 visitors and is the place where all of the industry meets every January. About 2,000 exhibitors are presenting their interesting innovations, attractive new developments and maritime equipment with the next edition taking place from 22 to 30 January 2022. The market will be coming to Düsseldorf to provide an exciting insight into the entire water sports world for the nine-day exhibition covering 220,000 square metres in 17 different halls. There is something for every water sports enthusiast, with the main focus on boats and yachts, motors and engine technology, equipment and accessories, services, canoes, kayaks, kitesurfing, rowing, diving, surfing, wakeboarding, windsurfing, SUP, fishing, maritime art, marinas, water sports facilities, beach resorts and chartering. All necessary information can be found on boot Düsseldorf’s website, boot.com.
Press contact:
Tania Vellen, Phone: +49 211 4560 518, Email: VellenT@messe-duesseldorf.de and
Cathrin Neitzel, Phone: +49 211 4560 589, Email: NeitzelC@messe-duesseldorf.de
About European Boating Industry
European Boating Industry (EBI) represents the recreational boating industry in Europe. It encompasses all related sectors, such as boatbuilding, equipment manufacturing, marinas and service providers. The industry is a significant contributor to the European economy, representing 32,000 companies that employ over 280,000 people directly. The vast majority of the sector is made up of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). More information on EBI’s website: europeanboatingindustry.eu.
Press contact: office@europeanboatingindustry.eu