March 2021

Why you should participate at digital ICE’21?

March 21, 2023March 15, 2021 by Info Yachtmaster

ICE’21 is closer every day and there are plenty of reasons why you should participate (save money & time, participate from the comfort of your home/office…). If you are still not sure whether you should register for the only major international yacht charter event this spring, we are giving you some reasons to do so!

Find out the latest news for your CLIENTS – keep them informed

It is important to keep your clients and partners updated. For example, fleet operators in Croatia are getting a Stay Safe in Croatia label of safety this summer. Do you know what this means? Greece is planning to open their borders to tourists on the 14^th of May. What if this does not happen, what happens to your client’s bookings? That’s why you should participate at ICE’21, to find out the latest information from your partners!

Find out the latest news for your BUSINESS – keep yourself informed

Don’t forget that you will be able to watch several 30-minute product/service presentations from our Premium partners and join their Q&A. You will hear everything you need to know from booking systems, insurance companies, online platforms etc.

Handshake, our matchmaking software is getting better working hours

Last year you could have meetings via Handshake from 8:00 CET to 20:00 CET during working days and weekend. At ICE’21 you can have meetings from 8:00 CET to 17:00 CET, and it is held during the week – Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday!

Loyalty discount for the next ICE

If you take part at ICE’21 in April, you will get a loyalty discount for the next ICE. It doesn’t matter if it will be held digitally or physically and if you are a visitor or exhibitor. Don’t miss this opportunity to secure this big discount later in the year. This year returning exhibitors and visitors get 50% discount for ICE’21.

New charter agencies, suppliers & booking system

At ICE’20 there were more than 200 participating companies and 112 booths. This year, that number will be even bigger with new companies coming to present themselves. The list of new companies which are registered for ICE’21 will be published soon.

Check out the video from Croatia’s TV show Novi Milenij about ICE’20 and see how ICE’21 will look like. Also, have a read of the Icebreaker article about ICE’20. This might help you make your decision too!

Digital ICE’20 entered Best Virtual Event 2020 awards

March 21, 2023March 4, 2021 by Info Yachtmaster

In 2020, virtual events became more important than ever. It was the only way to bring people from all over the world together. Staying connected in the yacht charter industry is one of the most important things for it to function. Because of that, ICE’20 became a digital event.

We tried to make ICE’20 the best it could be in these uncertain times, and we did. Our efforts and determination helped ICE’20 enter the Best Virtual Event 2020 awards category by the Virtual Events Institute.

The Virtual Events Institute is a platform whose mission is to inspire and educate the community to create virtual and hybrid events. It provides a place to discuss the quickly evolving topics around virtual and hybrid events. Additionally, VEI offers high-level summits, market insights, community networking, certification training and awards.

Why is ICE’20 an entrant for Best Virtual Event 2020?

The use of technologies needed for successful digital events was what enabled ICE’20’s nomination. The layout of digital booths and halls exactly represented those from the physical event in Vienna. This is what awaits you at ICE’21 too! See demo.

Our partners had their own booths with TV’s and virtual brochure racks where business representatives could download all needed materials and brochures. Moreover, personalized 2D real-life looking avatars greeted visitors as well! Screen-sharing was also possible during video one-on-one meetings, so our partners could have the best experience.

Handshake, our matchmaking software gave ICE participants the possibility to prearrange meetings with other businesses. As a result, they used their time in the most efficient way. All the pre-arranged meetings in Handshake were connected with the ICE’20 digital platform. Each meeting at ICE’20 started automatically, and ended automatically after 30 minutes. It was very user friendly as representatives only needed to accept the meetings for them to start.

Several premium suppliers had the chance to present their products or services to all ICE participants during 30-minute presentations. There were a few dedicated time slots when no one could have meetings and were invited to join the presentations and take part in Q&A.

Together we connected more than 300 participants from more than 35 countries. All of the used technologies await you this Spring too, so go to our official website and register for an even better digital ICE’21!

Why ICE went digital?

March 21, 2023March 2, 2021 by Info Yachtmaster

When the COVID-19 pandemic stopped the world, the yachting industry was put on hold as well. Businesses could not meet; boat shows were cancelled one after the other, and the future was uncertain. That is why ICE, the biggest B2B yacht charter expo in the world went digital. It was the only logical and safe solution. ICE’20 digital was well accepted, as more than 300 business representatives from more than 35 countries took part. Many ICE partners requested a new digital event in April, just before the season begins.

Of course, the success of digital ICE’20 was not guaranteed, and people had their doubts as it was something completely new and unknown. However, doing our best to connect fleet operators, suppliers, and brokers from all over the world, our team made it work. Our partners were very happy with the overall event and the meetings they had.

“This is not the first year we have been participating in ICE, but for the first time in an online format. I would like to say that the effectiveness of the negotiations was almost the same as ICE’19 in Vienna. This is incredibly interesting and useful for our business. Thank you for bringing us together and making our communication better. It is very important for us to feel that we are not alone in this field and there are hundreds of great companies that are going through this difficult year with us and making the yacht charter industry even better!” – Max Terbov, Sea Radar, Estonia

“Great digital experience by ICE! The event was a success, and it gave us the opportunity to meet industry professionals and attend interesting presentations, in an efficient way. Our company will definitely attend again!” – Andreas Georgatsos, Cavo Yachting, Greece

See what ICE’20 looked like from our partners’ perspectives

What did ICE’20 look like?

ICE’20 featured seven halls with 112 digital booths where businesses could present themselves and visit other businesses and new partners. Demo of the halls can be seen here. Digital booths looked like real-life booths, with TVs, brochure racks for e-brochures, and 2D avatars. With this set-up and possibility to prearrange meetings with the Handshake matchmaking software, time was used more efficiently. Without the hassle of travelling and booking accommodation, businesses save both time and money. As a bonus, they hold meetings from the comfort of their home or office.

“Being able to meet with my present and potential partners without traveling to a different continent saves a lot of time and effort while delivering the same results”. – Silvia Vlakancic, Anchor & Wine, U.S.A

We had some technical issues which happened the first day of the expo, after worldwide Amazon Web Services crashed for a few hours, and ICE team was on full support helping businesses manage to connect with other solutions. This year technical issues will be non-existent, as servers will also be backed up.

Apart from 30-minute B2B meetings, several premium suppliers had the opportunity to present their products/services to all ICE participants during 30-minute presentations. No one could have meetings during these time slots, and many businesses who attended the presentations were very active in the Q&A. Businesses needed to discuss some topics as well and give their opinions.

At ICE’20 there were more than 300 participants, from more than 35 countries, who held more than 3,500 meetings. We hope we will see you again this year in an even bigger number, so we can connect the yachting industry digitally once again before summer begins.

This year we turned the impossible into the possible! – Tatjana, Adria 4 Deluxe, Germany

Want to meet with new and old business partners? Register here.