Exhibitors’ testimonials on Interboot 2026

Dennis Pfister, Managing Director of Boote Pfister

“We feel that we had slightly more visitors at our booth compared to last year. In particular, the entry-level segment is making a comeback. Last year, we welcomed many familiar, long-standing customers to our booth, whereas this year we saw more new faces and new customers again. Having jet skis on display also helped us attract newcomers. I believe we are slowly getting back to the roots: entry-level boats and regular boats at what I would call normal entry-level prices. From my perspective, this means we are moving in the right direction again. The quality of the audience was also better than last year. In addition to our existing customers, we also closed deals with new customers. You can tell that prospective buyers who have been rather hesitant until now are slowly becoming more confident about spending money in the leisure segment again. This is already my twelfth Interboot. On the one hand, the event has become a tradition for us; on the other, the Lake Constance region is a very important market. Almost 40 percent of the boats we sell end up in the Lake Constance area. We also have customers from places such as Stuttgart. And, of course, we are always happy to see the entire Interboot team again. So for us, Interboot is a must-attend event.”

Davor Panarese, Sales Manager at KIBAG

“My overall impression of Interboot 2026 is somewhat mixed. Unfortunately, we didn’t see the number of visitors we had expected. Wednesday and Thursday in particular were very quiet. Nevertheless, considering the visitor numbers, our business at the fair was okay. We sold three boats, including an electric boat, and we will now see what kind of post-fair business develops. The visitors here were very relaxed and interested. We also welcomed existing customers to our booth who have already placed orders with us for winter storage. So overall, my conclusion is still fairly positive. Hall B1 looked fantastic and was very well filled with elegant and attractive boats – including those of our competitors.”

Günter Ambrosi, Sales Manager at Sunbeam Watersports GmbH

“We are very satisfied with how the fair went. We received a very positive response to our product and had some excellent conversations. We also sold two boats and attended all the appointments we had arranged in advance. Our product is ideally suited to the local waters here. Visitors were very interested, particularly because we had brought along the swing-keel version, which was naturally in demand given the current water level of Lake Constance. In fact, the water level was one of the main topics of conversation at the fair. The sailing hall A3 was very attractively designed this year. A great deal of effort went into it and, from my perspective, it really paid off.”

Michele Angiletta, Managing Director of Graf Hardenberg Nautic

“There were significantly fewer visitors this year than in previous years. To be fair, however, while we had fewer conversations, the quality of those conversations was good. That certainly gives us something to work with. We have already received commitments for one or two boats, although nothing has been put on paper yet. At the same time, you can tell that customers are currently very cautious. Of course, we would have liked to see significantly more visitors and more walk-in traffic. As always, working with the team in the run-up to the fair was excellent and a lot of fun.”

Richard Mathias Furrer, Managing Director of Nautica’s Services SAGL

“The fair was interesting for us because we were able to make some very good contacts. While visitor numbers were not particularly high, the ratio of visitors to genuinely interested prospective customers was quite good. I wasn’t busy all the time, but whenever conversations did take place, they were worthwhile. The exhibition halls are also very pleasant: it isn’t noisy, there is no music playing, and the air quality is good. I really appreciate that.”

Axel Albrot, Managing Director of Boot Experte Costa Brava S.L.

“The fair went very well for us. It was our first time exhibiting here, and everything was perfectly organized. We are very satisfied with our sales. People stopped at our booth and were very receptive to what we had to offer. Overall, we had a very positive impression of the audience. A trade fair like Interboot is very important to us because it gives us the opportunity to meet knowledgeable people and talk to them about our product. The exhibition grounds here in Friedrichshafen are also very nice.”

Norbert Staab, Founder of ACS 3000 coatings GmbH

“Everything went very well for us. We established good contacts with partner companies, which is very important to us. Sales were average, but our primary objective was not to sell products; it was to establish contacts. The visitors in our particular field were very interested because the technology we presented here is something completely new for the marine sector. The organization and service provided by Messe Friedrichshafen are excellent. Interboot is also particularly important to us because the three-country region gives us access to three relevant markets where people face exactly the kinds of challenges our ceramic coatings for the marine sector are designed to address.”

Daniel Harbeck, Managing Director of Harbeck Fahrzeugbau GmbH

“I have nothing negative to say about how the fair went. The audience was good and everything went well for us. The first two days of the fair were somewhat quieter, but visitor numbers picked up over the weekend. I really like the exhibition grounds here and, in my opinion, they are by far the most beautiful exhibition grounds.”

Vito Catalano, Sales Manager at Alife & Kiickin

“Visitor numbers were fairly moderate during the first two days. The weekend is traditionally somewhat busier, and that is naturally when we generate more sales, so overall the fair went very well for us. The audience in Friedrichshafen has been really excellent this year. We also welcomed many customers to our booth who had already visited us last year or the year before. The trendsports hall was also very cool with its two attractions and, from my perspective, was much better designed than last year.”

Ernst Houtman, Head of Direct Sales Europe at TB Yard

“We made a sale at the fair and, overall, we are satisfied with the event. From my perspective, some visitors were not particularly knowledgeable about the subject, so we had to explain quite a lot. The willingness to buy was also rather subdued. However, there was definitely interest, particularly when it came to electric boats. We are certainly planning to return next year. Trade fairs like Interboot are interesting for us as a way of generating new business – particularly here in the three-country region.”