Blog Archives

How to offer an experience of a dolce far niente lifestyle

October 28, 2022August 3, 2022 by Info Yachtmaster

Crewed and Luxury as a new sector at ICE will gather companies that offer luxury experiences for their clients. Patricia Van Steen, CEO of Anuras Charter Agency and Anuras Luxury Travel is excited to come to ICE’22 due to this reason.

“We from Anuras Luxury Travel are looking forward to meeting up with new companies who offer Luxury Crewed Sailing and Motoryachts. Our clients are looking for the extra experience of a Dolce Far Niente lifestyle and that is what we aim to deliver with our partners“.

Patricia recently decided to redirect her business and open Anuras Luxury Travel agency – a versatile company offering different travel experiences by providing the best service before, during, and after a luxury vacation. Clients are looking for „the all you imagine, and it will be there“ experience. Anuras Luxury Travel offers these kinds of vacations with partners in Greece and Croatia, and is planning to expand to Italy due to the interest and high requests of clients.

When it comes to the luxury sector, Patricia points out that it takes another approach to book these clients. A lot of money is involved in this sector, there are the MYBA contracts, APA etc.

“I know it seems like easy money in commission, but it is also in the interest of the company that they choose partners wisely, and it’s not always the agent with the most bookings or revenue that are suited for this niche of the charter industry“.

At Anuras Charter Agency, a personal approach and offering extra services were always the way of approaching clients. For Patricia that was the way she found her “Luxury Travel clients“ and a reason why she decided to expand and create a brand new website away from the bareboat and even skippered charters. A difference that she noticed from her previous experience is that:

“Clients who are looking for a 67ft-100ft or even 200ft yacht will not search in 5 or more clicks to find a yacht. They contact me directly, tell me their wishes and I find it. I even sometimes co-work with travel agencies because they have no clue how this works, and in all honesty; neither did I with my first booking, although I am a charter agent for more than 20 years. I was fortunate to have an amazing partner who I can also call a friend to help me out. His team was amazingly patient and helpful for my first 25.000€ booking with over 4000€ APA. So I took the leap of faith and it worked out. Word of mouth did the rest – and social media ;)“.

Since Patricia is new in the luxury sector, ICE and its new Crewed and Luxury sector are a very valuable expo where she will be able to find new partners, no matter if they have one yacht or ten yachts. “If I can find a common interest with a business, then I’m in as a partner“.

The crewed and luxury sector as a fresh addition to ICE’22 is an area where participants will be able to meet crewed and luxury fleet operators and central agents from Greece, Croatia, Turkey, Spain, Italy etc. all in one place. Companies that are wishing to expand their offers to clients, fleet operators that want to grow their business network and contacts, suppliers and booking systems which wish to make new business deals.

Exhibitors in the Crewed and Luxury are the fleet operators, central agents, and owners of sailing yachts, gulets, catamarans, mini cruisers, and motoryachts that are fully crewed and whose yachts fit the parameters: Vessel size: 15m -50m and with a weekly charter price: 20,000€ – 100,000€. Fleet operators with both bareboat and crewed departments can exhibit in both areas at ICE’22 (one booth in the Crewed and Luxury area, and a second booth in the bareboat area at a very special price).

ICE’22 – Layout Guidelines

October 28, 2022June 1, 2022 by Info Yachtmaster

ICE’22 will be the biggest B2B yacht charter event ever, spread over 10,000 sqm and two floors. To make your days more comfortable and pleasant, our team secured enough space for networking, relaxing and enjoying drinks and food. There won’t be any ‘bad’ location to exhibit because we secured that all participants get the best experience from each location in the hall.

Ground floor: Exhibitor booths, B2B lounge, Business corner, Dutch and Balearic corner and Tavern.

First floor: Exhibitor booths, Crewed & Luxury sector, Investors lounge, B2B lounge and Restaurant.

The central part of the ground floor will host most premium booths, surrounded by double and single booths. In the corners of the ground floor, you will be able to find the Dutch and Balearic Corners as well as the new Business corner. The Business corner is a new addition to ICE’22 that will provide all visitors an area to leave their promo materials. As in the previous years, the Dutch and Balearic Corners will gather charter companies from specific regions. The ground floor will have two meeting areas: Lounge 1 where participants can enjoy free and unlimited water, tea, and coffee. The second lounge will be hosted by a local tavern where everyone can enjoy local Croatian products such as wine, seafood, and snacks.

The first floor will have a special dedicated area for the Crewed and Luxury sector, Investors lounge, one B2B lounge with a bar and a restaurant for lunch, and many exhibitor booths. The Crewed and Luxury sector is the newest addition to ICE’22, offering everyone the opportunity to meet new businesses in the yachting industry. The Investors lounge gathers international investors. Fleet operators will present their charter management programs, investors will get information from shipyards, have access to reviews of past booking statistics, and insights of all available yacht models. There will also be one lounge with unlimited refreshments such as water, coffee, and tea. We also took care of lunch, and you will have access to the indoor restaurant from 11:00-16:00 every day.

Don’t forget to schedule a break of at least 30 minutes to rest and eat once Handshake matchmaking software opens. We suggest you use this layout to plan your meetings in the Handshake software efficiently. Avoid running from one end of the hall to another as this is the biggest hall yet so plan smart & use our layout to help you with time management.

Ps: Participants will be able to choose their booth location after their MyICE registrations are confirmed, so if you want to have a specific location be sure to react fast.

CLICK HERE for detailed guidelines.

ICE’22 – International Charter Expo is back in Zagreb

October 28, 2022May 16, 2022 by Info Yachtmaster

International Charter Expo is returning to its physical form, from December 7 to 9, 2022, on the Zagreb Fairgrounds. Growing in size to 10,000 sq meters and projected 500 participating companies, ICE will again be the center of the global yacht charter industry.

ICE’22 will gather 200 Fleet Operators from Croatia, Greece, Turkey, the Caribbean, Italy, Spain, Thailand, Cuba and other worldwide destinations, 200 charter brokers and travel agencies, as well as 100 relevant suppliers to the industry, like shipyards, insurances and booking systems. A new addition to the expo is a sector of crewed-luxury fleets and mini cruisers.

ICE’22 is the first trade show to announce full Covid-19 insurance, guaranteeing full refund for participants’ expenses on the expo, travel and accommodation.

The proprietary Handshake matchmaking software will again allow businesses to schedule meetings in advance using company profiles, maximizing the efficiency of the event.

ICE has partnered with Hilton Hotels to ensure quality accommodation at below market prices. Additionally, to add to the ICEperience, a Christmas village will be prepared by the Garden In Hilton, to host ICE participants.

From the founder:

“Zagreb will give us flexibility in this transitional year, after Covid, to ensure a long awaited, full-size, physical event, to the satisfaction and benefit of all participants. Our team is wholeheartedly looking forward to seeing you again.” – Tino Prosenik

Registrations open May 23rd!

ICE’21 Advent Edition needs to go to quarantine

October 28, 2022November 26, 2021 by Info Yachtmaster

ICE’21 Advent Edition was a project with a great mission of bringing you all together to meet in person. After almost two years of Covid effecting our lives, and two digital events, both you and us craved to come back to the real-life meetings.

We were working on organizing ICE’21 in Vienna with a great location (ThirtyFive – Vienna Twin Towers) to make it possible for you to get the best experience. After a few months of planning, all done deals went out through the window when Austria announced a national lockdown.

We didn’t give up. We immediately started planning the same event with a change of location. In just few days our team worked and prepared everything, so that we could move the event to Hotel Academia in our home town of Zagreb. Your reactions to the sudden change were so positive that they gave us the wind in our sails to continue working towards our goal.

Unfortunately, yesterday (November 25, 2021) we got an offical statement from Croatia’s National Civil Protection Authority that our event cannot get a permit, thus; it needs to be postponed.

We would like to thank you all for your patience and understanding. We really appreciate all of your support and look forward to meeting you in person when the situation allows. Our plan is to work on future projects and we will let you know about them as soon as possible.

Stay safe,

Your ICE team

Tips & tricks how to speed date

October 28, 2022November 16, 2021 by Info Yachtmaster

ICE’21 Advent Edition is based on 10-minute meetings. To secure that everyone gets prepared for it, here are some tips and tricks to help you be most efficient. Apart from good preparation, bring your good mood and let’s make the best of this ICE and end of the year!

1. PLAN AND RESEARCH IN ADVANCE

Good preparation is half of the work. Researching about participants that you will meet and make business deals is a key of success. Write down questions you want to ask them, reasons why you need them or why they need you and prepare yourself for them. Structing and planning your questions and needs in advance will allow you make best business deals at ICE’21 Advent Edition.

2. BE AWARE OF TIME

You already know that the speed dating concept is based on a concept of 10-minute meetings per company. Ten minutes can seem as long or short period deepening on your preparation and awareness of time. Do not lose your time talking about unimportant topics. Go straight to the point of what do you want to get from that meeting.

3. LEARN TO PRESENT YOURSELF IN A SHORT TIME – KEY POINTS

Write key points of your business, what is representing you as a company, what are your offers and what are your needs. This will make it easier for you to present yourself in a short time while mentioning the most important things about your business. Be sure to address your needs and offers in a clear way, this will save time and effort for both you and your meeting partner.

4. PREPARE BROUCHURES & BUSINESS CARDS

Prepare brochures and business cards. You can easily distribute them. Since you will be having a lot of meeting in a limited time period, you are making it easier for others to have all the information’s in one place. They won’t need to write down some key points because they could just find that info in your brochures! It makes it easier, plus it establishes your brand identity.

5. NETWORK IN THE FREE TIME

Use free time to meet other participants in a more casual manner. Grabbing a coffee or dinner can be the perfect time to discuss business and make connections. Use the opportunity of beautiful Vienna which offers you plenty of good restaurants, bars and coffee shops to connect business with pleasure. Christmas markets can also be a good plan for you to spend your time at.

6. BRING GIFTS

Small gifts are always welcomed! They are an effective way of showing your gratitude and gifts leave a mark. Just be aware that some participants are coming with plane so make sure gifts are suitable for cabin luggage.

TOP 5 reasons to participate

October 28, 2022November 2, 2021 by Info Yachtmaster

“Hopefully we will meet in person next time!” – something you said many times in the past months and months. After all your wishes and hopes, we listened and are making this come true.

After two long years and two digital editions of ICE, we are excited to organize ICE’21 Advent Edition in person. This is going to be a more exclusive event with a limited number of places. We bring you five reasons why you should not miss this event:

MEET IN PERSON

ICE’21 Advent Edition is a long awaiting opportunity for you to meet all business representatives in person. Networking and finding out about the latest news from the industry is important. With more than 60 companies participating and more than 100 business representatives, there are plenty of possibilities to conclude this year with great business deals.

BUSINESS SPEED DATING

The concept of ICE’21 Advent Edition is business speed dating. It allows each participant ten-minute meetings with each of the business companies. It is a fast and efficient to have more than 30 meetings in just two days. Moreover, you don’t need to think about scheduling meetings because ICE team will do that for you.

NEW COMPANIES

We are happy that new companies are entering the market and joining ICE. This is a unique chance for quick connecting and spreading your businesses to new potential business partners. A list of both old and new companies who are joining ICE’21 Advent Edition will be published soon.

PRESENTATIONS OF SAILING AREAS

Apart from business meetings, sailing area presentations are a great way for you to find out what is new in the sailing world and what are the new HOT places to see while sailing. Find out what are the best places to sail in the Mediterranean and inform your clients where they should have their trips next year.

END THIS YEAR WITH BOTH BUSINESS & PLEASURE

Business should not be the only reason for visiting Vienna. Advent season is a wonderful time to visit the city and enjoy Christmas markets. Live concerts, Christmas lights, gastronomy, and other attractions will for sure make it worthy of coming. If we didn’t give you enough reasons, maybe shopping will change your mind.

After two years of being online, let’s finally meet offline at ICE’21 and meet in Vienna from 3-5 of December, 2021.

Register here!

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT IS VALID UNTIL NOVEMBER 4, 2021.

Register for the Special Edition of ICE’21

October 28, 2022October 27, 2021 by Info Yachtmaster

Based on the feedback from all of our business partners, we decided to end this year with an exciting and live event. ICE team is happy to inform you that we can finally meet in person from December 3-5, 2021. The International Charter Expo – Advent Edition will take place at Vienna’s highest event location at the ThirtyFive (Twin Tower).

Participants will be able to meet through the model of business speed dating which is similar to our already known and efficient model of the Charter Meetup in Greece. This way businesse representatives will have 10 minutes per meeting with each of the businesses participating. Since this event is going to be very exclusive with a limited number of places, we suggest you register as soon as possible to secure your spot.

The event will host 30+ fleet operators who will meet 30+ brokers, and a couple of suppliers. Additionally, there will be interesting sailing area presentations and networking opportunities. You can expect to have a very successful, efficient and fun weekend!

There is no better way to end the this year with a fun way to connect, make new business connections and meet up with new and current business partners, and also do some shopping and enjoy Advent in Vienna. Apart from business, you will be able to enjoy beautiful Vienna and all the magic of Christmas market and pre-holiday season.

REGISTRATIONS ARE OPEN!

Register here!

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT IS VALID UNTIL NOVEMBER 4, 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.