The boot Düsseldorf experience
From Nordkapp's point of view
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- Published by Mats Hjørnevik, Head of marketing, Nordkapp Boats
More than 200,000 people attended Boot Düsseldorf this year. Nordkapp had 255 square meters of stand area where we displayed six of our top-selling boats.
The anticipation ahead of Boot Düsseldorf fills the air with a whirlwind of sensory experiences. The clatter of crates being unloaded, the echo of voices coordinating setup, and the subtle scent of fresh polish that lingers as boats are meticulously cleaned, all converge to create an exhilarating pre-show chaos. Preparing for the event is challenging. It has many pitfalls and running challenges that need to be solved one at a time.
This is only possible with a tightly-knit team like Nordkapp’s.
Preparations start almost a year before the opening day, with a lot of work leading up to the grand opening. But the reality of it all starts when our assembly team leaves for Düsseldorf on Wednesday and Thursday, a week before the event. We are proud of our distinct Scandinavian profile and invest significant effort and skilled labour to ensure every guest receives a true Nordkapp experience in our stand area.
Day -1: The flight down and preparation work
The day of travelling is always exciting. Our typical travel day starts at 5 am and ends at 11 PM, not calling it a day before everything is ready and looking perfect. The Düsseldorf flight this day is always full of comrades from the boating industry. It’s like stepping into the boat show even before it starts.
Landing in Düsseldorf, we head straight to the Düsseldorf Messe to start the work. Our German partner, Sportboot Center Hannover, does a stellar job preparing much of it before we arrive.
Digital preparations for the opening are as important as the physical one, even at a large physical event like Boot.
Day 0: Opening day
The day of joy! At 10 AM, the show begins with all boats sounding their horns, creating a symphony of deep, resonant blasts. The reverberations ripple through the air, accompanied by the shuffling noise of the crowd moving towards their favourite boats. It’s quite a kick-off.
What surprised me this year was the number of people who stopped by our stand and the amount of interest in our boats and what we do. It started instantly, and really never stopped this year (which was fantastic, fun and inspiring). We saw immediate interest in the Enduro 830, Noblesse 830, and Coupe 905, with the boats full of people. Hard to find the time to eat lunch, really.
This Saturday was also the Flagship Night, where the European Powerboat of the Year awards were handed out. Our latest centre console, the Enduro 830, was nominated but did not win, unfortunately. With a slight disappointment, but a lot of pride in being nominated, we went back to prepare for a new day.
Day 3: Motorboat Awards and a day we will not forget
Tuesday, the 20th of January, was a day to remember. The big dogs from the boating industry gathered at the Hyatt Regency hotel in the city centre of Düsseldorf. It was our first time attending the Motor Boat Awards show. And as faith would have it, we won with the Enduro 830 in the Best Sportsboats up to 30ft category.
Wow!
Sitting at the table together with my colleagues, Ola (export manager), Espen (designer), and Patrik (creative director) gave me great joy and made me feel really proud. To win an award like that is a team effort, from development to production, marketing, and sales. This marks the third major award for the Enduro 830 since its release last year.
A very happy Patrik with the Motorboat Awards.
Sleipner, a real Norwegian industrial adventure and an inspiration for us at Nordkapp. Their CEO Ronny Skauen gave a solid speech before the award ceremony.
Post-boot summary:
- We had more visitors than ever before
- We had more work than ever before
- We sold more boats than ever before
- We had more fun than ever before
Looking ahead, we are inspired by this momentum and are already sketching the 2027 experience in our minds. We're excited to bring even more innovative designs and thrilling experiences to our Nordkapp community.