Singapore Yacht Show 2020 postponed

Singapore Yacht Show 2018. On the boardwalk © Guy Nowell

"In view of the continuing and escalating coronavirus epidemic and the likely effect it would have on attendance and participation in the Singapore Yacht Show next month, we have over the last few days sought the opinion of our major exhibitors and partners as to whether they thought we should postpone the event to later in the year.

The overwhelming response has been that we should indeed do so, and our own assessment of our responsibility for the health and safety of all of those both working at and attending the Show only serves to affirm that decision. The Ministry of Health has this afternoon upgraded its Disease Outbreak Response level to Orange, which means we should do all within our power to limit further spread of the virus.

So we now need to reluctantly announce that our 10th Anniversary edition will be postponed to October 2020, by which time we can hope the virus will have been contained, travel restrictions eased, and any danger to the public disappeared. The exact dates are yet to be agreed with our host venue partner, ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove.

This is an extraordinary situation for which nobody is to blame, of course, but we nonetheless sympathise with all our exhibitors, sponsors, partners and visitors for all the nuisance and worry the situation is causing. Our own business is going to be significantly affected too, but we feel we must do our bit to help stop yet more people becoming ill or suffering loss.

I am lucky enough to have a team who are totally loyal and supportive, as are our long-term business partners, and all agree wholeheartedly that we will all pull together and get through this difficult period to enjoy an even bigger, better and more successful than ever Singapore Yacht Show in October 2020."