Brokers and Boat Shows
There’s been a lot of “insider chatter” this week about the Mediterranean Yacht Brokers Association buying the annual, industry-only charter yacht show that’s held in December on the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten.
This news doesn’t really affect you, the charter client, all that much, but it reminded me of a terrific tip for separating good brokers from bad.
I first published this tip in my charter book, Have the Whole Boat: The Insider’s Guide to Private Yacht Charter Vacations. It’s in the section about the five questions you should ask any broker to ensure that he or she is reputable.
The question I suggest asking a broker is: What was the last industry-only boat show that you attended?
The reason is that every reputable charter yacht broker in the world attends at least one major show a year to inspect yachts, interview crew, and keep up on the latest trends and issues that affect private yacht charter vacations.
You should work only with brokers who say they’ve recently attended an industry-only boat show, with the most important shows being in Genoa, Antigua and, now, Sint Maarten. Other key shows (particularly for smaller crewed yacht bookings) include those on St. Thomas and Tortola, and in Greece, Turkey and Newport, Rhode Island.
The charter yacht brokers who attend these shows typically have the most up-to-date information to help make your vacation the best it can be. Attendance at these industry-only shows also signals a level of professionalism that you should demand from any broker you choose for your next charter booking.