Established in 1988, METSTRADE has evolved into a prestigious international B2B exhibition, setting the stage for innovation, market development, and facilitating unique networking opportunities within the marine equipment sector. BHG Marine proudly showcased one of our key distribution products, Prop Guard, at the show. The year 2023 not only marked the 35th anniversary of the event but also served as a significant milestone for BHG Marine, commemorating 20 years as the exclusive distributor of Prop Guard.
After what has been a difficult year for many businesses within the marine industry, we were thrilled to see such a packed show with over 1500 exhibitors and visitors from around the world looking for new product and networking opportunities. Andy Yeates who manages Prop Guard was busy meeting with our existing network of dealers from across Europe to discuss their market trends, stock and new business. We also spoke with new prospective clients eager to be involved with the brand. Having already covered much of the European market we’re now looking further afield and speaking to companies from the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas about our distribution opportunities.
The very colourful and vibrant Prop Guard stand generated lots of interest and was packed from day one with visitors eager to hear about the benefits Prop Guard offers as a safety device and as a commercial prospect. It’s easy to see why it’s such a popular product commercially, the entire lineup consists of just 5 sizes and covers all outboard motors from 4hp to 350hp, it’s easy to fit, ship and store, priced very competitively and the demand for the product continues to grow. Thanks to new legislation a law was passed in Greece this year making it mandatory for all hire boats under 50hp to have a Prop Guard fitted. We hope to see more of this legislation rolled out across Europe in the coming years and will continue to work with our dealer network to facilitate this.
Our sister company Versadock who are part of the bigger Berthon group were also exhibiting their range of floating docks and pontoons and commented on what a success the show was with lots of interested parties and leads to follow up on. A special thank you to Chris and Jack for helping us with the logistics for the show.
We also took the opportunity to meet face to face with some of our suppliers, Hurley Marine from the United States were in attendance exhibiting their lineup of Hurley Davit systems. Having had a successful relationship with BHG Marine for some years they’re now looking to expand their offering across Europe. We wish them all the best in their endeavour.
Once again METSTRADE has proven to be a successful and worthwhile event and we want to thank the METS organisers, British Marine and everyone that visited the stand, it was a pleasure meeting you all and we look forward to returning in 2024.