METS success

Just think – it was 15 years ago that METS boasted of getting 6,580 visitors to see 540 exhibitors.

This year's show had 1,137 exhibitors and attracted 19,764 visitors.

Just think: the UK could have had a slice of the action. But we turned it down…

Editor Lizzie Wright highlighted the METS success and pointed out it had already done for EMTEC Trade Days and was putting pressure on the British Marine Trade Show.

Wright called for National Boat Shows' directors to show some imagination and dynamism to take the BMTS more firmly into Europe.

A great idea. But a bit too late, perhaps.

Elsewhere, one Guy Dixon had been elected chairman of the MTA for the second time, taking over from Colin Merrett; Robert Braithwaite received the MTA/Boating Business Marine Trades Personality of the Year Award; and the British Marine Industries Federation appointed Tony Beechey as its first executive chairman.