The Superyacht Summit Celebrates Its 7th Anniversary

The sixth annual Superyacht Summit, held this year in conjunction with the REFIT Show on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center, was the most prestigious gathering of regional, national, and international superyacht industry professionals in the United States.

This cornerstone US Superyacht Association (USSA) event featured professional and personal development programming, networking, and action planning for the global superyacht industry. With its particular emphasis on professional development, the Superyacht Summit is the only symposium of its kind worldwide.

This year’s event was more educational and enlightening than ever before with the addition of the refreshing and candid panel presentation, “Born in the USA” that featured serial yacht owner, Matt Voorhees, whose current yacht is M/Y Broadwater, a 50m Feadship, along with the well -respected panel of superyacht industry experts lead by moderator Rick Thomas of Nautical Structures.  “Boating is totally in my blood but there is nothing more valuable than my time,” revealed Voorhees. “I don’t even mind paying a bit more to ensure things get done on time.”

Year after year, the Superyacht Summit continues to attract a cross-section of leading luxury-yacht industry professionals. Key decision makers representing marinas and shipyards, yacht managers, superyacht captains, yacht brokers, service providers, media, and more attend every year. Furthermore, professionals from outside of yachting, such as insurance specialists, cybersecurity consultants, and mergers and acquisitions strategists have been drawn to the event. During the most recent Superyacht Summit, in April 2019, more than 100 industry leaders focused on making new connections, learning new tactics, as well as growing and strengthening their business initiatives.

“Every year during the Superyacht Summit, people tell me that they learned a lot,” said Diane M. Byrne, vice chair of the USSA and chairperson of the Superyacht Summit. “They also say that the diversity of our programming, especially our concentration on intensive, interactive learning, makes the Summit hands-down the best event they attend. We continue to attract better speakers and create even more compelling sessions each time, zeroing in on issues impacting their businesses—including ones they may not even realize are on the horizon. The bottom line for the Summit is about becoming smarter and more successful at tackling both personal and professional challenges.”

Highlights of the 2019 Superyacht Summit included “Born in the USA: Getting Americans to Think American for New Builds & Refit;”  “Propelling the Power of Women: Thought Leadership, Industry Influence, & Mentoring Rising Stars,” “Land Ho: Creating Career Opportunities for Crew Coming Ashore, and Tapping Their Potential,” and “Analyzing Your Marketing Plan—Do You Really Have a Strategy?” Additional sessions included business-building and management topics from marketing, legal, and legislative experts. Many of the sessions can be found on the USSA YouTube Channel online: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5pRtSgLv04ZyvuqLp7JarQ

While the programming for the seventh-annual Superyacht Summit is still being developed, attendees can anticipate even more input from yacht owners and captains as speakers, as well as topics such as creating apprenticeship programs and social media marketing.

The Superyacht Summit environment provides rich opportunities designed to improve a business’s bottom line and to promote personal development for those wishing to strengthen their position in the luxury-yacht industry. Early-bird registration opens in December, as do sponsorship opportunities. Visit www.ussuperyacht.com, or contact the U.S. Superyacht Association office at 954-792-8666 or via email at info@ussuperyacht.com.