Answer | By sustaining and taking steps now to proactively secure our industry for the future, we are strengthening Britain’s position in the global superyacht market. It’s a small, niche community, but the UK has a big part to play. We may not be building the largest yachts – although that will come - but almost any yacht worldwide has some level of British involvement, whether that’s componentry or crew. Not only is our ‘Next Generation’ vision an opportunity to reinforce that positioning, but we want to be able to export the lessons we learn to the benefit of the international superyacht community.  

Achieving that requires a collective effort – no matter the size or scope of business, everyone has a part to play as an industry and as an association we value every part and every person. A lot of people are involved in the superyacht industry because they love it; it’s that passion that we want to tap into. The people wanting to make a difference are the ones we want to reach to really help inspire a new generation. 

For the companies that support us in these early stages – by contributing media assets, getting involved with presentations to schools and so on – the advantage lies in generating a high level of brand awareness among those new talents entering the industry that will put those companies at the forefront.   

It’s undoubtedly a long-term vision, but fundamentally it’s about working together to make our industry accessible and presenting our sector in the best possible way.

Answer | Member feedback highlighted a need for more dedicated expertise to help drive the association forwards, which led us to create the position of SYUK Manager. We were thrilled to be able to appoint Michael Beattie earlier in the year. With an outstanding breadth of industry experience, Michael is a fantastic person to have in the role. He has an exceptional drive and passion, as I do, to promote and support our industry to the wider world.

Michael’s first mission has been to get out and meet our members, listen to feedback, and find out what’s good and what can be done better within the industry. As much as we, as a committee, think we know our members and their concerns, we still want and need to engage with them and adapt accordingly. 

People are very much at the core of the superyacht industry. It’s a niche industry dependent on specialist skills and trusting relationships. Michael is very aware of the value of that, and that’s why those conversations are already playing an intrinsic part in the future direction of the association. We are delighted to have him onboard. 

Answer | It has been a whirlwind of activity since I started! We have set a variety of short- and medium-term goals and objectives. Some are around planning for upcoming events, but one of the key pieces of work is for me to be out engaging with our members, which will be an ongoing project. 

The other key areas of focus have been involvement with our ‘Next Generation’ initiative, as Ben has outlined, as well as Superyacht UK’s Young Designer competition at Southampton International Boat Show, the Monaco Yacht Show, METSTRADE and looking ahead to our Technical Seminar next year, which will take place on Tuesday 25 March 2025.  

 

Answer | SYUK, like other associations within British Marine, has a whole suite of benefits they can tap into. The list is long but ranges from networking events, legal advice, VAT information, training, discounted show space, etc. The challenge is that not everyone needs all of the benefits, and, in some cases, they need help in other areas entirely. One of the things I found initially is that some members are not aware of the range of benefits they can tap into, so that is something we need to develop. 

A lot of what we build on moving forward will be driven by the members, but I would certainly like to look at how we can help content-wise, particularly digitally, and with co-ordinating more networking events for both members and non-members.

Answer | Superyacht UK has a diverse range of members that cover a wide array of products and services. Everyone has their own reasons for being a member. The feedback initially has been great; there are challenges which need attention, but the members I have spoken with so far are delighted they have a dedicated person looking after the interests of SYUK and to help overcome some of these frustrations that might have existed previously. 

This is an ongoing piece of work, and we need to keep engaging with more members to build a picture of what they would like us to deliver on their behalf. Clearly trying to tick every box of what each member wants is tricky, but we need to try and box clever as we move forward in building a picture of how we can facilitate their needs. 

Answer | Clearly, we want to keep and retain all our current members while also growing the numbers. There are a couple of sectors we would like to see more involved as they are currently under-represented. We need to engage directly with companies in those areas to see how we can best work together and provide them with value. 

I feel the profile of SYUK could be further raised on the international stage. I would like to build on that by liaising and working with other key organisations, both domestically and abroad.

I’m very much looking forward to working with members and the committee to further develop the association.