Monaco Yacht Show 2026: notes from the quay

The 35th Monaco Yacht Show took place at Port Hercule from Wednesday 23 to Saturday 26 September 2026. The show is run by Monaco Yacht Show S.A.M., part of Informa Markets. The opening day is reserved for invited and VIP visitors, with the public admitted for the remaining three.

Our representatives were there, alongside MC Zero and Explomar, and the partners' lead-capture forms ran on Yachtbase Forms, as they had in Cannes earlier in the month. We attended and did not exhibit. This is a short account of the week from the quay.

As in our other recaps, there are no figures, no names and no deals. We met many professionals, discussed partnerships and discovered inspiring projects. What follows is a reflection on how the show works and what we take from it.

A different register after Cannes

Cannes and Monaco follow each other within days, and attending both is an exercise in contrasts. Cannes is wide, with many kinds of boats and a lively public. Monaco is concentrated: a single harbour, a focus on superyachts and the specialists around them, and a pace that is more deliberate.

The organiser describes the show as the world's premier destination for luxury yachting, with a large fleet of superyachts on display. Whatever one thinks of the claim, the quay has a distinct atmosphere. Conversations are longer and quieter, and the stakes in each are higher.

Three things stood out to us.

The conversations are slower

A discussion at Monaco is rarely a first contact. More often it is a stage in a relationship that began months earlier and will continue for months more. The meeting is a way of keeping it warm. A visitor may spend ten minutes asking about the yacht and an hour talking about something else entirely.

For a business the implication is that the show is a point in a long story, not a transaction. The notes that matter are not "interested in a 60-metre yacht" but "mentioned a plan for the Caribbean in winter, and asked about crew".

Specialists meet specialists

The superyacht trade is a network of experts. A broker, a designer, a manager, a lawyer and a charter agent may all be involved in the same project, and they meet at the show. Clarity about your own role, and respect for the others', is the currency.

Presentation is exact

At this level, the standard of material is high. A brochure, a media kit, an email: each is read as evidence of how the business operates. That does not mean glossy; it means accurate, consistent and considerate.

The partner forms

As in Cannes, each partner used its own branded form, and each team member had a personal link, so submissions were credited to the right person. For this show there was one addition: live results for partners. A partner can follow its own submissions as they arrive, through a secure link, without waiting for a spreadsheet at the end of the week. We released that, together with branded HTML emails for follow-up, a little over a week ago, in time for Monaco.

We will not describe what the partners recorded, since that is their business. What we can say is what we were looking for: whether a team could carry on a conversation at a quay-side pace while the record took care of itself. That was the aim, and we will form a more rounded view once the partners have had time to follow up.

What we learned

A show is a trust exercise

People do business with people they trust, and a show is the place where trust is tested face to face. Small things count: arriving on time, listening, saying "I will send that tonight" and then doing so.

The partner experience matters

Working alongside two partners at once reminded us that the product is not only for the person typing. It is also for the partner who needs to see what came from their stand, the visitor who fills in a form and the broker who follows up. A tool that serves only one of them is half a tool.

Rest is a skill

Two shows in one month is demanding. The teams that looked best on the last day were those that had planned breaks. A tired person makes careless promises.

What to do this week

If you attended Monaco, Cannes or both, the week after is the time to act.

1. Consolidate. Put every contact in one place, with who they are, what they asked and who owns the reply.
2. Reply. Personal messages first, to those who asked for something specific.
3. Offer. Propose a clear next step, such as a call, a viewing or an introduction.
4. Diarise. Set the date of the second contact now.
5. Review. In a month, check what has become of each conversation.

A shared CRM and a shared inbox help a team do this together, so that the follow-up does not depend on one person's memory.

For brokers

The quay rewards patience. A buyer who is not ready this year may be ready next year, and the broker who remembered what they said will be first in line. Keep the note.

For charter operators

The September show is when the winter and next summer start to be planned. Agents and managers will want to know about availability, rates and terms. Be ready with accurate, current information.

For yacht managers

Managers meet suppliers, crew agencies and owners' representatives at Monaco. The follow-up here is as much about service relationships as sales.

Looking ahead

The Monaco Yacht Show has announced 22 to 25 September 2027 for its next edition. The Cannes Yachting Festival comes just before it, from 7 to 12 September. Both dates are worth putting in a diary, and we will publish a calendar of the coming shows in the next few days.

Thanks

Our thanks to the teams at MC Zero and Explomar, and to everyone who spared a few minutes of a very full week. The quay is a good place to learn.

Takeaways

• Monaco's conversations are slower, quieter and part of long relationships.
• Presentation is read as evidence of how you operate.
• Make the record keep up with the conversation, and follow up on time.
• Plan breaks. Two shows in a month are a lot.