Phuket PIMEX registrations open

The organizers of the Phuket International Boat Show have announced that registrations for the annual PIMEX show, to be held between January 7 and 10 2010 are now open. Launched in 2003, PIMEX is considered among Phuket’s leading events for the promotion of the island’s marine facilities and lifestyle to the world.

Organisers say that through business generated by exhibitors, the PIMEX contributes over 7 Billion TBH to Phuket’s marine tourism industry annually.

The boat show is now in its seventh year, and is held in association with Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TECB). As every year, the show will be held at the Royal Phuket Marina.

The 2010 show is expected to attract over 75 local and international exhibitors and over 4,000 visitors, including many wealthy overseas investors looking for the perfect holiday home with a leisure marine lifestyle. The show’s exhibitors include many major brands of motorboats and sailing yachts, as well as a variety of marine tourism products and services, yacht brokers, luxury real estate and other lifestyle products from Phuket, Thailand and around the world.

To be included in the 2010 event is a series of seminars on maritime safety. Organized by the Human Development Forum Foundation, a number of international speakers will chair discussions on various aspects of maritime security issues.

Mr. Andy Dowden, Event Director, has said the show is the biggest international boat show in the region in terms of the on-water display, and that despite the global economic downturn, continues to increase in popularity.

With confirmations of participation from many new brands seeking to exhibit at the show for the first time this year, an increase in international exhibitors and visitors is expected. The presence of two superyachts from Europe – a 32 metre Mangusta and a 26 metre Pershing – are definitive evidence that the industry is weathering the economic storm.

Phuket has five operational marinas, over 1,000 ‘resident’ yachts, and attracts approximately 300 international yachts and over 30 superyachts to the island each year. Combine some of the most modern marina facilities in Asia with the growth in multi-million dollar properties on the island, and it’s clear to see that Phuket has become Asia’s playground of the wealthy, reinforcing Phuket’s reputation as the marine lifestyle hub of the region.