Aside from Superyachts: Luxury Trends to Expect at MYS 2018

And while the array of stunning yachts lining the harbour will inevitably dominate proceedings, this has always been far more than a mere boat show, celebrating as well the lifestyle that encapsulates the world of luxury yachting.

Each year the Monaco Yacht Show places an increasingly strong emphasis on this very lifestyle in an effort to attract the next generation of yacht owners and charterers, using the event to showcase a huge assortment of luxury goods, products and services, many of which have been specifically designed to complement the luxury yachting experience.

And this year is certainly no different. But what will be most interesting is observing whether broader trends in the luxury industry – which is worth approximately €915 billion today and is expected to reach about €1,260 billion in 2024 – are reflected at the show. For example, millennials and Chinese consumers are currently being heavily targeted by luxury brands keen to make inroads into these two burgeoning markets – will we see this in evidence in Monaco? Indeed, MYS organisers have already developed public relations events, partnerships with Asian media, and social media strategies in an effort to reach such demographics, 

Or will so-called ‘green luxury’ be making an appearance, driven by rising concerns about climate change and environmental sustainability that is often taken on as a cause célèbre by affluent, socially aware consumers? How about the growth of AI, with the digital realm increasingly fusing itself into our daily lives, and millions of high-end consumers already deeply immersed in digital behaviours?

One certainty is that visitors will once again discover an exhibition fully dedicated to the superyacht lifestyle, with luxury manufacturers and service suppliers positioned in the Parvis Piscine tent. Meanwhile in the Darse Sud tent and on Quai Albert Ier, a host of nautical suppliers will display a vast range of high-tech marine-related accessories designed to seduce yacht owners, such as cutting-edge IoT products or James Bond tech-gadgets made specifically for yachts.

Meanwhile Quai Antoine Ier will be the site of a luxury tender exhibition in the Tenders & Toys zone. First launched at last year’s Monaco Yacht Show, so successful was the inaugural edition that it is returning even bigger and better with an impressive exhibition of luxury tenders, accessories and nautical leisure goods.

Then there’s the Car Deck, the Monaco Yacht Show’s ultra-prestigious car exhibition featuring a total of 12 special cars rebuilt from classic models, along with the Starboard lounge and art exhibition - named the Art Pavilion - which will both add to the lifestyle focus on the Quai Antoine Ier.

But that’s not all. The renewed participation of Swiss watch brand Ulysse Nardin as official sponsor of the show marks a decade-long collaboration. This year the brand will display its luxury timepiece collections, including a limited edition series made especially for MYS 2018, in the Upper Deck Lounge, the exhibition-lounge area reserved for the show’s luxury partners and participants.

Whatever the luxury trends you’ll encounter at MYS 2018, they are certain to be evolving in perfect harmony with trends in the world of luxury yachting, such is the perpetual synergy between the two.

MYS 2018 will take place from 26 – 29 September.