In 2021, the Palma Boat Show was the first fair in the sector to return in person after the lockdown due to the pandemic, consolidating this edition as the “return to normality that we lost with the pandemic”, sans emphasises.

“It was a bit of an objective: to organize a fair again within normalized frameworks in every sense. That was the project and the fair has responded very well. “We are at a slightly higher sample than in 2019, we have exceeded the most optimistic expectations and it seems that we are going to enjoy a very dynamic and very powerful event on a commercial level”, Chema Sans Pubs,Director explains.

An event that has been held since April 30 to May 3 is full of “magic and illusions, “it is an event that transports you to the world of the sea, to nautical tourism, to sea sports”. And an activity in which, without a doubt, “you have options of all kinds. You don’t necessarily have to associate a boat show with boats, there are also other activities.”

All of this is done in a port environment “where we do a very interesting exercise and where a visit is almost obligatory because it will take you to see a lot of things of many kinds, always entertaining, beautiful, of an important plastic art. It is a way to spend time escaping,” the director of the fair emphasizes.

The international show has been growing year after year. We had many problems turning away shipyards due to lack of space. Chema Sans, Director of the Show, has always said. After several years and many conversations, we have managed to expand the space.

A new 5,000m² area is planned for Club de Mar

The 2025 Palma International Boat Show (PIBS) is expanding its exhibition grounds with a new area to meet the strong business demand for the annual event. A new exhibition area of 5,000m² will be located in the Club de Mar and will be connected by sea to the Moll Vell site. The next edition of the fair, organized by ADR Balears of the Conselleria de Empresa, Empleo y Energía, and the Balearic Yacht Brokers Association (BYBA), will be held from April 30-May 3.

PIBS 2025 will have two different exhibition areas, including the new one. The organizers have been looking for alternatives for years to expand the exhibition grounds to enable them to meet the growing demand for more companies and boats.

Given the impossibility of expanding at El Moll Vell, an agreement has finally been reached with the Club de Mar that will allow for a space for boats from 40m-100m (131ft-328ft), mainly sailboats. On land, an exhibition area will be set up with service and equipment companies for this type of yacht, including new-build, repair and maintenance, engineering and design firms.

The two exhibition sites, El Moll Vell and Club de Mar, will be connected by sea shuttles that will link the two areas in about five minutes. Visitors to the Palma International Boat Show will be able to visit both areas with the same ticket, which will make the experience at the fair much more attractive.

It is worth remembering that PIBS has more than 40 years of history and represents the fair that inaugurates the Mediterranean nautical season. With an average of 30,000 visitors per year and the participation of more than 280 companies, it has become an indispensable tool to stimulate an economic sector that is essential.

It should be noted that, according to data from the Balearic Marine Cluster, the nautical sector enjoys a solid business ecosystem with more than 850 companies and 5,150 employees. Each year the sector generates around €1,106m, which represents more than 3% of the Balearic GDP.

Ricard Bracons