RAI Amsterdam has taken a 50% share in IBEX, the International Boatbuilders Exhibition and Conference.
The event for professionals in the yachting sector is the American version of the RAI’s own event METSTRADE, which is held every year in Amsterdam.
The deal was announced on 4 October at the opening of IBEX 2016 in Tampa, USA.
RAI Amsterdam acquires the shares of the issuer of Professional Boatbuilder magazine. The other 50% of the shares will remain in the hands of the American branch organisation NMMA, the National Marine Manufacturers Association.
“This is a major acquisition for RAI Amsterdam,” said Ids Boersma, executive VP of RAI Amsterdam. “With the HISWA Amsterdam Boat Show since 1933 and the METSTRADE Show (formerly METS) since 1988, the RAI has rich heritage in this sector. The international watersport domain is a crucial and strategic one for the RAI. IBEX is the number one B2B watersport event in North America, while METSTRADE holds the same position in Europe, Asia and Australia. This new takeover will further enhance the RAI’s role as a global player in a sector in which Holland leads the way. It is with good reason that the Dutch government has made the maritime industry one of the key tenants of its so-called Top Sector policy.”
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