Freedom on the Water, Responsibility for the Seas

The world’s largest yacht & watersports show celebrates the freedom of water. So how can that freedom support healthier seas?

What Healthy Seas Mean

Healthy seas are built on three closely connected ideas: clean seas, resilient marine ecosystems, and a circular economy that turns waste into new materials instead of letting it harm life underwater.

But how does Healthy Seas belong at a boating and watersports fair? Quite simply, because watersports depend on healthy seas. The freedom, adventure, and inspiration that draw people onto the water are only possible when oceans are alive, accessible, and protected. Events like this bring together the industries, innovators, and communities that have both an impact on the marine environment and the power to reduce that impact.

Creating Space for Experience and Exchange

Through our stand, collaborative artwork, and educational workshops, we invited visitors to slow down amid the energy of the exhibition halls and engage with the topic of Healthy Seas in a more personal way. We wanted people to experience ocean health rather than just read about it: to ask questions, share their own connections to the water, and reflect on how everyday choices on and around the sea can make a difference. We also had the pleasure of presenting Operation Ghost Farms at the Love Your Ocean stage.

A Collaborative Coral Reef

At the heart of our presence was a hands-on, collaborative artwork that invited visitors of all ages to participate. Together, we created a coral reef using “end of life” and sustainable materials, an idea developed by Fábio de Sá, whose work explores sustainability through design and storytelling.

Children and visitors were invited to create their own elements of the reef, gradually bringing the underwater world to life piece by piece. Participants could choose from four different materials and creative techniques, making each contribution unique.

Small mirrors were integrated into the artwork, revealing unexpected reflections within the coral reef. These mirrored surfaces encouraged visitors to see themselves as part of the underwater world, prompting both playful interaction and quiet reflection.

After the show, the finished collaborative artwork will continue its journey as an installation in a school, extending its value beyond the exhibition hall.

From the Exhibition Hall to the Open Sea

After engaging with around 1300 participants throughout boot Düsseldorf, one thing became clear: there is a growing willingness to rethink how we interact with the ocean. We witnessed people taking a moment to pause, create, ask questions, and reflect.

The moments at our stand, around the collaborative artwork, and within the workshops showed how awareness turns into connection. A child shaping a coral element, a visitor recognising their reflection in the mirrored reef, a short conversation about materials, these experiences are often the starting point for lasting change.