Is anybody going to Cannes?

Telling someone they are not worthy to look at an exhibit in a show and giving them a cap and told to (hypothetically) run along is condescending impo. I do however understand qualifying when it comes to private sales. As mentioned previously, you can see why Sunseeker do so well.

Once again I'm sure it's a case of reading your audience. As a kid I used to run round the now defunct motor show collecting brochures, stickers and badges. Came away with bags of them and was thrilled. This is a private one off boat for sale not an open house viewing. I'm sure everything is done in good humour with the person pretty much saying to you they aren't worthy of access, "It looks great but I wouldn't want to pay for the petrol. If I ever win the lottery......"

At which point you offer little Pierre a cap and he's thrilled. Indeed even dad on a day out to the show might be thrilled with a perceived €20 value cap if it looks cool and sports a cool brand on it. Alternatively a nice metal key ring, a mini Maglight or whatever. I can totally see the scenario and everyone parting as friends.

Showing actual brand owners round top of the range stuff is common throughout the industry. It confirms that even your modest purchase contains elements found in the £5, 10, or £15 million pound plus floating real estate and yes, it sows the seed just in case those numbers do come up on the lottery.... ?
 
Telling someone they are not worthy to look at an exhibit in a show and giving them a cap and told to (hypothetically) run along is condescending impo. I do however understand qualifying when it comes to private sales. As mentioned previously, you can see why Sunseeker do so well.

Have you read anything I have written ?

These are private sales, we could just give a blanket no but instead we engage with the visitor to the stand explain why we can’t offer them a viewing, this is usually AFTER they have volunteered information suggesting they simply want to have a look and have no interest in purchasing.

This is when the offer of gift happens

As I have mentioned more than once if they are insistent then we will sit them down with a broker and discuss their needs more to understand exactly what they want

If one of our boats (on display) matches their needs they can view if not we will look for something that does.

It’s really not that difficult or condescending, you are picking a fight that’s not there.

You’re not getting a cap now ;)
 
This has drifted and I don’t want to prolong it other than to say I find Time Out perfectly reasonable and not at all condescending.
Qualifying is perfectly sensible in my book. Imho.
J, just to try (yet again) to put this matter straight: nobody said that Time Out himself is condescending or unreasonable.
I surely didn't and didn't want to, and neither MrB, in my understanding.
Btw, I never had the pleasure to meet TO, and I'd never dare labelling anybody's personal attitude based just on a forum post.

What we are saying is that his statement above comes across as condescending.
And I sincerely struggle to understand how anyone, himself included, can argue with this simple fact.

I suppose that this can only be due to not understanding the difference I just tried to explain (which is BIG!), because if the statement "We will often give a cap or something instead" can not be called condescending, well, obviously my understanding of what this adjective means in English has always been wrong.
 
Joking aside it would be good to revisit this thread after or during the show and report back on the different visitor experiences.
You are saying that as if you would have been accused of not offering to some of your visitors a pleasant experience, which ain't the case - see the difference I just tried to explain in my previous post.
 
J, just to try (yet again) to put this matter straight: nobody said that Time Out himself is condescending or unreasonable.
I surely didn't and didn't want to, and neither MrB, in my understanding.
Btw, I never had the pleasure to meet TO, and I'd never dare labelling anybody's personal attitude based just on a forum post.

What we are saying is that his statement above comes across as condescending.
And I sincerely struggle to understand how anyone, himself included, can argue with this simple fact.

I suppose that this can only be due to not understanding the difference I just tried to explain (which is BIG!), because if the statement "We will often give a cap or something instead" can not be called condescending, well, obviously my understanding of what this adjective means in English has always been wrong.

You have met me you just don’t remember;) Antibes about 6 years ago very briefly. You were about to go on a dive trip with other forum members !
 
Doh! Sorry for having completely forgotten.
Anyhow, goes to further prove my post #65, I guess.
If you (as opposed to one single statement which you wrote - probably without thinking too much about it) would have been a truly condescending person, I surely would have clearer memories of that occasion! :encouragement:
 
Once again I'm sure it's a case of reading your audience. As a kid I used to run round the now defunct motor show collecting brochures, stickers and badges. Came away with bags of them and was thrilled. This is a private one off boat for sale not an open house viewing. I'm sure everything is done in good humour with the person pretty much saying to you they aren't worthy of access, "It looks great but I wouldn't want to pay for the petrol. If I ever win the lottery......"

At which point you offer little Pierre a cap and he's thrilled. Indeed even dad on a day out to the show might be thrilled with a perceived €20 value cap if it looks cool and sports a cool brand on it. Alternatively a nice metal key ring, a mini Maglight or whatever. I can totally see the scenario and everyone parting as friends.

I was thrilled to get an Axopar panama hat on last years show. I did also get on the boats, though :).

I also totally get Time Out's MO and would appreciate a cap as a token of appreciation of interest in their services.

Letting everyone in on the new boat shows makes a lot of sense, thousands of people now know first hand just how desirable Sunseekers are. Then add the ripple effect of them talking to friends/family.

As we all know, desirability is a big thing also for the actual buyers.
 
After yesterday’s terrible weather it was amazing how hot it was at Cannes! Best time to enter the show is lunchtime, before that the queue is horrific. But at lunch there is nobody ;)
I didn’t bother looking at boats (:confused:) I was just there for research, passerelle research and air con research. I only took one photo

It’s not a good pic because of the bright sun and my crappy camera phone but nonetheless I thought it was the prettiest boat there:D
When you see all those shiny shiny so shiny boats, do you a) feel inspired to polish your own boat till it looks like a new pin b) get so so depressed that you can’t bear to look at your own boat ever again because there is no way in hell that you can ever get it that shiny again c) buy a new boat
We all know that English is the language of boat shows, what’s surprising is that Italian is a very close second.
Are boat shows the only time pretty girls talk to me these days?
Anyhow just some rambling thoughts on two hours at a boat show that’s so big that two days couldn’t do it justice ;)
 
When you see all those shiny shiny so shiny boats, do you a) feel inspired to polish your own boat till it looks like a new pin b) get so so depressed that you can’t bear to look at your own boat ever again because there is no way in hell that you can ever get it that shiny again c) buy a new boat
I feel inspired to suggest to my SWMBO that we spend our pension savings on a superyacht. She gives one of those looks that all husbands know and thats the end of the conversation
 
Yesterday was up there with the top three worst boats show days I have ever had. Hurricane and floods were one and two. Non stop rain, at times insanely heavy, made yesterday number three ! However we still had a number of visitors!

A good show so far and plenty of caps still to go ;)
 
What a great day. A rather pointless queue to get in as security worked the theory that the longer they make wait the safer it is but things went uphill from there.

Spent a while with Sirena Motor Yachts looking at the 58, 64 and new 88. Had a lovely catch up with Princess and looked round the new 50 which is potentially a really good boat - I was actually a bit surprised at just how good.

Saw the new Fairline F/line 33 as well as the Squadron 68. The 33 will generate a bit of discussion.....

Spent some time on Morrana 1, an Extra 76 that’s just completed her first season chartering in the Med. Experienced my first trip out and dinner on board being looked after by her delightful crew. The world is a truly wonderful place when embraced by the team as a summers day draws to it’s close off the coast of Cannes.

Being part of the circus of boats on sea trials during Cannes festival is a memory I will cherish. Loads of photos and video, sadly this forum doesn’t easily support. Still have two more days to go. Haven’t even scratched the surface yet.....

Henry :)
 
I thought it was the prettiest boat there
How refreshing to hear such opinion. Boatbuilders nowadays seem to believe that being somehow "different" attracts more buyers than sheer beauty.
As a result, none of the modern dayboats which were also debated here is as nice as this Comitti, which in a sense is just a modern copy of the Aquarama...
 


A very quick video from last night filmed and edited on the iPhone so please don’t judge too harshly. Being part of the whole Cannes early evening circus was a fantastic experience.

Some really interesting and different stuff out here. Some of it is pure madness, other boats are to die for with a price tag to match.

Henry :)
 
Looks good thx .
I,ve just tenanted my 50 ft berth across the bay in La Napoule on a 24 month contract to a P 50 owner .
Are you now not tempted to start a Med experience in the CdA ?
Most weather is like today , big blocking highs blue sky light breeze .
 
I totally get the lifestyle it is very appealing. Being honest for me I still worry about the cost and the hassle of mooring availability.

I’ve only popped here for a couple of days so don’t claim to have my feet under the table properly. It would be nice to experience some Med boating at some point but not as a commuter. I’d want to be based there for a while full time.
 
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