Prior to this year, the big Cannes-based conferences such as the Cannes Film Festival and MIPIM always had far more people who wanted yachts in the port than there were spots available.  But that has changed this year – in fact over 40 yachts (out of 100) were canceled for MIPIM 2009 due to the difficult economic times.  And there are still slots available for the Cannes Film Festival in May.  So if you or your company have always wanted to participate in a key Cannes event, 2009 may be the best year to make that decision.

About Chartering a Yacht for a Conference,  Event or Celebration in Cannes
First some background. There are multiple ways of attending a conference in Cannes, depending on your goals for the show.  To make the biggest splash, normally a company would charter a yacht large enough to entertain 50 to 70 people, and apply for a berth space alongside the Palais des Festivals.  This is called a “Static Charter” because the yacht doesn’t move, and these berths in Cannes are on the pier called “Jetee Edouard Albert”.  Many people who contact us about this type of charter assume that there is some cloak and dagger negotiation (with money changing hands) required to get these places.  This is not the case, in fact the process is straightforward, fair, and decided on a first come, first serve basis. So if you plan far enough ahead, you have just as much of a chance of getting a valuable slot as anyone else does.  Click here for additional information about Event Yacht Charters on the Boatbookings.com site.

Short of a full-blown static charter, there are several other alternatives for chartering a yacht during an event in Cannes.  The first is to simply charter a yacht in the port and use it for accommodation.  Often when hotels are full and charging double their normal price, you can find a nice sailboat or motor yacht to sleep 4 -8 people on, right next to the Palais. This is convenient, fun and very different from your normal hotel stay, and you also have use of the yacht during the day if you want to see the bay or entertain clients.

If you are looking to throw an event, instead of the same old hotel room or restaurant events, you can also charter a yacht to really show people a special time.  Normally, the yacht would be anchored in the bay, and you would ferry guests back and forth in the tender.  Because of strict maritime laws, there are only a few yachts that are licensed to run events like this – click here to see a selection of yachts for Events in Cannes for more than 20 people.

Again, because this is a down year for many of the shows in Cannes, you can find many more available yachts, often with prices that have been adjusted.  It’s the year that a charterer can really stand out of the crowd at any event in Cannes.  Please contact us if you are interested in an event charter in Cannes or see some of the great event boats that are available in Cannes.