08 March 2019

The first Steering Committee meeting of the Venice Boat Show

The Mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, explained the goals and strategy. “It’s a big challenge to help relaunch the City”

The Steering Committee of the Venice Boat Show, which will take place at the Arsenal from June 18-23, 2019 met on December 14. The meeting was attended by the mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, who wanted to organize this first operational meeting involving institutions, bodies, law enforcement authorities and the main producers of the city. The Deputy Mayor, Luciana Colle and the Councillor for the Protection of Traditions, Giovanni Giusto, were also present on behalf of the local authority.

“The Boat Show is a challenge that so far no-one has had the courage to face – said the mayor – The idea is that Venice must wed the sea again, not only in symbolic terms as with the Festa della Sensa (Feast of the Ascension), but by putting it back at the centre of its productive life, at all levels and in all sectors, from industry to culture, as it was when Venice was a Republic. The challenge is to find the key to reinterpret the activities that revolve around boating and to relaunch them, and that every institution, body or company does its fair share. This is how the Boat Show can become an event in which you can all take part in different ways, proposing events, initiatives and shows as widely as possible, to unite the whole territory in the name of the sea “.

“Another fundamental theme is that of water – the mayor continued – which will be the real “oil” in the next decades. We are looking towards the future: we want to save Venice by starting from the water itself, managing salt water and fresh water and revitalizing the economy of the city and the entire territory, focusing on yachting and technological innovation for ecological boating. We are aware that a Show will not resolve everything, but it can help to attract attention towards discovering and strengthening other production activities throughout the territory, and here I am thinking first and foremost of those of Porto Marghera”.

The Arsenal will therefore host internal and external spaces for exhibitors, places for business, but also a leisure area where everyone can try out a boat – a rowing boat or a lug sail -. And yet again, it is a moment of revival for the Naval Museum and, more in general, a moment to rediscover this lesser-known part of the city.

The mayor’s presentation was followed by the technical presentation of the Communication and Events Director of Vela Spa, Fabrizio D’Oria, who illustrated how the entire area will be organized. The Arsenal can be accessed from four points: thanks to the collaboration of the Navy, the first will be from the Naval Museum, with the triumphal entry along the canal of the Arsenal, the second from Giardino delle Vergini (thanks to the Gondoliers Association a gondola service inside the Basin will then reach the northern part), the third from the Docks (also directly connected to the airport) and the fourth from Celestia. “It will require a heavy infrastructural intervention – specified D’Oria – in fact, we will build piers for 100 moorings on the North side up to the dry docks that will be reopened. Altogether we will reach 10 thousand square meters of exhibition area, in addition to spaces for meetings, events and food outlets”.

The morning ended with talks by several other participants, including the Commanding Officer of l’Istituto di Studi Militari Marittimi di Venezia and Presidio Marina Militare di Venezia (the Institute of Military Maritime Studies of Venice and the Military Navy Defence of Venice), the Rear Admiral, Andrea Romani; the CEO of the Ferretti Group, Alberto Galassi; the Prefect of Venice, Vittorio Zappalorto; the Regional Councillor for Economic Development and Energy, Roberto Marcato; the President of the Northern Adriatic Sea Port Authority, Pino Musolino; the President of Confindustria Venezia Area Metropolitana of Venice and Rovigo, Vincenzo Marinese, and the Interregional Public Works Superintendent for Veneto, Trentino Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia Giulia, Roberto Linetti, who fully agreed expressed their full cooperation and willingness to participate and organize the Boat Show, emphasising how this event can unite all the forces of the territory for the re-launch and future of the city.