When you enter the world of Maritimo you get so much more than just the purchase of a wonderful ocean going and highly credentialed vessel. You will also be instantly welcomed into the Maritimo family and the strong connection that exists between all Maritimo staff and Maritimo owners around the globe.
Maritimo owners are our greatest brand ambassadors. Many of them are on their second, third or fourth Maritimo. So, it makes sense to say they are part of our family because they have grown with us from the very beginning, and have shared in the company’s journey and, in return, their stories with us. As an organisation we grow, evolve and benefit from these connections. More formally, our product improves with the feedback we receive and the collaborations we have with owners. Capturing this has become an embraced element of our new model development program.
From the very beginning boat shows have been key to launching and marketing the latest and greatest in Maritimo’s line-up. Certainly, way back at the beginning the launch by Bill Barry Cotter of the ground breaking Maritimo 60 in 2004 at the Sydney International Boat Show was a key ingredient for its resounding success.
“Boat shows are such a great opportunity for us to connect in more depth with those thinking of purchasing, and also those existing Maritimo owners who have come along to look and learn,’ said Simon Stewart, Maritimo’s Marketing Manager.
“People are really waiting for those boat shows to make certain decisions on their purchases, and Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show (SCIBS) is a great event for us. We consider it our home show, with it being so close to the factory. The stand’s been set up where we have an owner’s exclusive VIP area. It’s a great venue and great space to educate everyone whether it’s a new product, new innovation, new models, new enhancements, or whatever it might be,” Stewart added.
“I believe Bill has done every single SCIBS. Right back to the launch show with Frank Sinatra and Whitney Houston, which was before my time, unfortunately,” Stewart added.
“SCIBS is also a great show due to its proximity to the Southeast Asian Markets and also its similar time zone. It makes sense to target premier shows that are more accessible for our customer base and to work in conjunction with our dealership network in the relative jurisdiction.”
“As we expand globally, our strategic partners follow a plan which includes attendance at identified premier shows. This establishes a Maritimo presence with our visuals and scale models, and then as the market develops, we extend and progress the program to providing vessels on display. It’s a program that takes many years to develop and it’s an investment by Maritimo to establish and build these markets.”
“So, whether it’s shows in Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Dubai or the USA, they are all in various stages of their evolution and necessary to our marketing mix, rollout and ongoing engagement in that marketplace.”
“We’re seeing the benefits of this program in the US, one that we started many years back now. We just had a very successful Palm Beach Show back in March and the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show will be a key event for us again in October of this year, another great opportunity to connect with Maritimo’s US current and future owners alike,” Stewart said.
“Musters and Migrations are also a way in which we keep connected with our extended Maritimo family. Owners come and enjoy their vessel and spend time with other Maritimo owners. Musters are a one day only event and the ideal way to introduce new owners to the joy of ownership, and boating or cruising in general. Owners always chat and we get lots of feedback about the things they’ve learnt from others, in an informal way. It all builds confidence.” he said.
“Our Maritimo Migrations are bigger, longer, multi-layered events, again designed around fun, exploration and adventure. There’s a terrific Florida Migration on the drawing board for later this year for our US owners. For Australia we’re holding a migration to Sydney that we are just putting the finishing touches to. It’s off the back of two successful Hamilton Island Migrations over the last two years that owners have thoroughly enjoyed.
Migrations gives owners the opportunity to push out and cruise a bit further than what they might do on their own, with the confidence of other vessels being around and Maritimo experts guiding the way. There’re always opportunities for sharing, learning and lots of fun to be had at the destination, with a host of activities.”
Cam Wood, Australasian Customer Manager at Maritimo Gold Coast, described the upcoming Maritimo Migration south to Sydney by saying, “Whilst there’s quite a lot of lovely New South Wales coastline to see, the chance to get down and really experience, say, Pittwater and Sydney Harbour, or even down towards Shell Harbour, where there’s some very fun boating means we’ll probably try to get to at least Broken Bay in the one go, so we can maximise the time.”
“Migrations are a great managed event, and of course the migration allows owners to actually use their boats in a practical manner. So, when we all head south they get the experience and also benefit from Captain Isaac Marshall’s vast knowledge and each and every one of them will talk about their local area and the things that they’re familiar with, and share their knowledge.”
Wood encapsulated it well by adding, “I think this is the thing that the migrations and boat shows have shown us. Buying a boat is not a singular activity, it’s a community activity. People love to get together. The knowledge building gained from other owners, as well as product experts from our equipment suppliers only adds to the enjoyment. They go back to their marinas and favourite anchorages and tell others just how much they have gained from the experience.”
