22nd Biograd Boat Show: Two weeks to go

by BBS Team 7 Oct 2020 06:08 PDT 21-25 October 2020

The 22nd Biograd Boat Show is organised by Ilirija d.d, a renowned tourism company from Biograd na Moru. The show has been expanded to five days to reduce crowding and to provide extra time to visit the largest in-water show in Central Europe. As an outdoor, in-water show, with plenty of fresh air and open spaces, it a relatively safe environment to end the boating season and prepare for the next boating year.

Biograd Boat Show is one of only a few nautical fairs in the world that will be held despite the global pandemic, which means Ilirija d.d. has managed to maintain its continuity, especially considering the importance of the nautical industry and tourism as our most competitive and highest quality type of tourist offer.

Given the circumstances in which it will be taking place, the fair will be held in accordance with the recommendations and measures prescribed by the competent state and county authorities in order to ensure the highest level of health safety for all exhibitors, visitors and participants in the fair. Ilirija d.d. is in continuous coordination and communication with the Civil Protection Headquarters of Zadar County and the Civil Protection Headquarters of the Town of Biograd na Moru, and is taking all necessary steps in order to implement all health measures and recommendations during the 22nd International Biograd Boat Show.

Unique to the marine industry, the Biograd Boat Show has hosted 21 record shows, growing every year, even through the dark years of the global financial crisis. The boating season in Croatia has exceeded all expectations after a gloomy, global lockdown. As a result, exhibitors are surprisingly optimistic, and we expect a good turnout for the show.

The Biograd B2B Business Networking continues to develop as the meeting point for the Croatian nautical industry. Sponsored by the Town of Biograd and the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, the event links nautical businesses through its Business Registry, offers online scheduling of meetings as well as an extensive Congress program and social events. Biograd B2B also ncludes the Croatian Charter Expo to be held on the 22nd and 23rd of October, and the Croatian Nautical Days congress event to be held from October 21st to 23rd.

News and important events:

• With just two weeks before the opening of the 22nd Biograd Boat Show, Ilirija d.d has surpassed 200 registered exhibitors. The recent lifting of travel restrictions from Germany has lead to a flood of new exhibitors, particularly for larger motor vessels, as overall optimism increases.
• The number of vessels that will be on display will be near last year's record number. On land, the number will be similar to last year, while in the water, only pier 6 will see a slight decrease.
• The Biograd B2B business to business networking event continues to evolve and now allows nautical businesses to participate remotely and schedule meetings via Zoom video chat.
• Also as part of Biograd B2B, the Croatia Charter Expo will be held at Hall D at Marina Kornati West, and has added in-water fleet providers that will exhibit on pier 14. More than 1600 yachts are directly managed by the participating fleet providers at the CCE. Yacht charter brokers and suppliers that cannot physically attend the CCE can for a small fee, register as a virtual visitors and arrange meetings via zoom video chat.
• For any international visitors requiring a COVID 19 test before returning home, testing will be available on Friday through Sunday, with same day results emailed in Croatian or English.
• Ilirija d.d. has received full support for the Boat Show from the Zadar County Civil Headquarters and Town of Biograd Civil Headquarters, and continues to refine the planning and measures to ensure a safe event.

Ilirija d.d. has established the Occupational Safety, Health and Environmental Protection Department, i.e. a professional and operational team led by educated and qualified persons in the field of health control and protection, occupational safety and hygiene and health standards as well as procedures in operational processes.

The persons managing health control and protection, occupational safety and quality control as well as food and beverage and household standards are implementing and undertaking exceptionally comprehensive activities aimed at the protection of the health and lives of all guests and employees by implementing and controlling the implementation of the recommendations provided by the competent authorities (Croatian Institute of Public Health and the Civil Protection Headquarters).

High hygiene and cleanliness standards that have been implemented so far have been improved, and the necessary activities have been performed in order to further expand the scope of all measures and procedures aimed at protecting the health and safety of our guests and employees.

During the fair, special attention will be paid to the adherence to all prescribed epidemiological measures, starting with systematic control of the visitor number, measuring the visitors' body temperature, ensuring hand disinfection and keeping records of their contact information. All visitors and exhibitors will also be provided with disposable protective masks. In order to better inform the visitors and exhibitors, COVID information materials will be posted at the most frequent locations of the fair.

Although the greater part of the nautical fair is usually held outdoors and the visitors and exhibitors mostly spend their time in the open, this year the directions of movement through the fair as well as entrances and exits will be marked to ensure the prescribed social distance.

Furthermore, additional controls will be performed at the exhibitor hall entrances and exits, while we as the organisers have decided to prolong the duration of the fair by one day, so this year the fair will last five days. At all exhibitor hall entrances as well as along the area in which visitors will move, disinfection stations will be set up, in addition to the ones previously set up in all permanent marina facilities. More than 20 additional disinfection stations will be provided, and the halls and other permanent facilities will be disinfected every day.

All staff participating in the organisation of the nautical fair will adhere to the measures prescribed by the Croatian Institute of Public Health in order to make all visitors and exhibitors feel safe and protected so that, in addition to doing business, they can enjoy Biograd Boat Show as the leading Croatian nautical fair.

Over the past 21 years, Biograd Boat Show has established itself as a top nautical event, the largest boat show in Central Europe and a must-visit nautical centre. The fair also receives support from the Croatian Chamber of Commerce in terms of promoting the fair as a congress of the nautical industry and tourism in Croatia and a place where all its key segments are presented together. Being aware of the role and significance of the Biograd Boat Show for the nautical industry and tourism, the fair will present all the latest novelties in October and will certainly facilitate B2B networking as an opportunity to prepare for new business ventures in 2021.

New dates: The show will run for five days from Wednesday, October 21st, until Sunday, October 25th, 2020 in Marina Kornati, Biograd na Moru, Croatia

For more information contact us at:

Ilirija d.d.. Tina Ujevica 7, 23210 Biograd na Moru, Croatia

Andrija Dešpoja, Public relations Biograd Boat Show
Tel: +385 (0)23 386 147