Why More Superyacht Captains Are Choosing Purser Support

Photo credits:  Lena Karelova

SPAIN, April 2026 The call often comes late – between port clearances, crew changes, and a guest request that cannot wait. A captain, already stretched, is no longer asking for help as a luxury. They are asking for it as a necessity. This shift sits at the core of Purser Support, a shoreside service built […]

The Superyacht Technology Show 2026 Highlights

Barcelona's World Trade Center played host to the Superyacht Technology Show on March 10–11 - two days that proved the superyacht sector doesn't need more events. It needs more focused ones. As the only independent show dedicated entirely to superyacht technology, SYTS has carved out a distinct space. This year's edition promised a lineup of fresh showcases, networking opportunities, and insightful discussions. Our roaming yachting writer Rebecca Whitlocke was on the ground in Barcelona with plenty of things that caught her attention. Insert Networking photo here A Show with Focus The yacht show calendar is crowded. Every week, attendees and exhibitors are bombarded with options from niche open days to multi-day conferences. For me, large-scale yachting events can sometimes have an unseen shadow that hovers in the background with plenty of ego-driven speaker panels, pricey tickets and pre-dictable show formats. However, since their inception the organisers of Superyacht Technology Show take ownership at the top for a well-planned experience. They make a solid effort to get feedback about the show programme, to represent a cross-section of businesses and to ensure that senior crew are present. Will Faimatea, Superyacht Technology Show Investor, explains: “I am personally very pleased for the team of Jack, Liz and Max - the team is focused on improvements each year and Jack and I met last week to look at the numbers and survey results to help us with decisions for 2027. Having been involved in the technology side of yachts for close to 30 years I am very pleased with the attendance and exhibitor growth. This focus allows us to help spread the industry knowledge and helps make it more accessible to those companies wishing to enter the superyacht market.” Insert InnovationHall photo here Their decision to host the show pre-season is smart; owners’ representatives, technical managers, yacht managers, crew services, ETO’s and AV/IT officers were there with purpose, scoping what's next before the season hits. “The dinner which was sponsored by CoByEx for ETO’s was a highlight for me, “ continued Faimatea. “Seeing how this sector of the industry has grown and then having a round-table discussion with those ETO’s contemplating moving ashore for busi-ness and being able to pass on my experience and knowledge gained over the last 20 years with several companies made this a very worthwhile event for me person-ally.” The two-day event is not driven by scale, but having the right audience, buyers and investors being there. And I give them credit for that. Our industry is saturated with conferences, forums and events it can be too easy to focus on high ticket sales and each event starts to blur into one another. The SYTS format feels inten-tional, and they recognise that not every idea, topic or trend fits their show. Insert BOND photo here Angela Cowcill, Services Representative for Bond, captured the value of direct ac-cess to the right audience. “Although I was on a 60-metre for 6 years, speaking di-rectly with senior crew, owners’ representatives, and technical managers helps us understand today’s reality of life onboard. Technology should make daily opera-tions easier and more secure for crew, and those conversations ensure what we offer truly supports them.” Bond's crew-focused cyber risk training drew strong in-terest from visitors. “We’ve developed the Self-paced E-Learning Cyber Risk Awareness Course with busy crew schedules in mind. Just like Bond’s IT and AV courses, it’s built just for crew, focusing on real-world scenarios at sea. Our train-ers’ experience working with technology and cyber support, refits and consultancy on some of the world’s largest new builds has been used to develop these cours-es.” TechTalks Long monologues and speaker bottlenecks are the enemy of a good conference. The TechTalks schedule, sponsored by Ideaworks and moderated by Larry Rum-bol, solved this with short, dynamic slots. It was a refreshing change as it proved that a part-exhibition/part-conference framework can coexist. Speakers covered ground that mattered: interior design principles and technology cohesion from yacht designer and founder of Atelier Cala, Arnau Salvadó Marlès, and Friso van de Nes of VBH discussing Project SailXplorer, an insightful look at onboard systems from Lorna Di Lieto at Computer Network Defence Ltd, and Nick Fichte from L-Acoustics who did a super job of creating emotional anchors based on his sound design presentation ‘The Art of Sound’. Insert Nick photo here The Crestron Marine Technology Awards The Crestron Marine Technology Awards on March 11 recognised outstanding work across AV, lighting and cybersecurity. Entries were judged on quality, originality, client outcome and the technical demands of each vessel. “For the fourth year running, we collaborated with the Superyacht Technology Show to present the awards live during the event,” says Daniel Kerkhof, director of Crestron Marine. “I know some truly groundbreaking projects have been delivered this past year, and we’re always eager to recognise the most outstanding ones in a room filled with industry professionals.” The 2026 winners across four categories were: • Ultimate Yacht Installation Above 60 Metres: MY Valor by Yacht Intelligence Ul-timate Yacht Installation Below 60 Metres: MY Capri I by SMART SAFE PRO-JECTS LP • Best Design Meets Technology Award: Confidential 100m+ Project by Vide-oworks • Best Entertainment Everywhere Solution: MY Ada by Encore Electronics and En-tertainment On the Show Floor Entrepreneurship in the maritime technology space demands more than agili-ty, investment and strategy; it requires a certain bravery! I thoroughly enjoyed speaking to exhibitors who were poised to step into the spotlight with products and services that improve operational efficiency and client engagement. MedAire launched VitalStream, a solution for yachts wanting to transmit vital signs data to a shoreside medical team for analysis. Emma Deal, Director of Account Management at MedAire, was impressed by the balance of well-established com-panies and innovative ideas presented. “Feedback about VitalStream was over-whelmingly positive.” Being in Barcelona meant a productive week outside of the show too, with so many clients on the doorstep. “The efforts made by the organis-ers to encourage our core audience, senior crew, project managers and yacht managers to the show was commendable and made a noticeable difference to the quality of the visitors. The size of the show also meant that the pace was more relaxed than some other larger events and allowed for plenty of time for in-depth discussions.” Next-generation companies for new builds and refits were going large showcasing bridge and navigation systems, data management, cybersecurity, connectivity, lighting and energy solutions, immersive entertainment, and driving innovation through digital means. The Exhibitor Showcases were a bite-sized chance - 12-minute sessions - to discover what was happening on the show floor. On the nav-igation side, I stopped by dsnm Ltd’s stand for a demo of Compass, a cloud-based programme accessible across various platforms and devices. Compass is merci-fully straightforward and intuitive for a non-techie like me, multi-user, and built for the demands of passage planning at scale. At the Innovation Hall, I got to try a prototype of OBEDIO’s luxury guest service button with voice‑to‑text instant translation in 30+ languages. Built by ETO Branko Blagojević, it’s always fantastic to see products built by crew to eliminate crew pain points. Beautiful designs and a user-friendly dashboard that isn’t actively try-ing to waste your time, OBEDIO is clearly a product designed from the inside out, by someone who knows exactly what crew don't need more of. Insert OBEDIO photo here First-time exhibitor Richard Koch of YachtPrep brought his experience as a yacht owner and 15 years of safety-critical software development to a sector he was new to. His feedback about the show: ”This was my first step into the yachting industry and I didn't know what to expect. Barcelona was where I wanted to put YachtPrep in front of people who really know yachts and get honest feedback.” The culture of the show caught him completely off guard. “Coming from MedTech, I was used to institutional tiredness; people going through the motions in a heavily regulated in-dustry where innovation is slow. What I found in Barcelona was the opposite: genu-ine passion and people who love what they do and some truly amazing products and tech. That energy told me something important about the market I'm entering.” Comments like this from both first-time and returning exhibitors proves the suc-cess of the show; a continuation for what promises to keep 100% focus on adap-tive solutions for the future and the latest technological advancements for the superyacht sector. Insert HALO photo here Networking & Engagement In addition to the Discovery and Innovation exhibition halls, the Superyacht Tech-nology format allowed everyone plenty of time to connect and mix business with pleasure from the welcome drinks to coffee breaks and networking lunches. The SYTS Atlantis Party sponsored by EVOLUTION Yacht Agents, Titan Marine Net-works and Wisdom Audio had fun theming, good energy and flamenco entertain-ment that ensured everyone finished the opening day on a high note. Insert Altantis Party photos 1,2,3 here Superyacht Technology Show: Built to Last There was palpable excitement as the show ended with exhibitors and attendees already discussing next year’s show which says a lot regarding the culture that the event has created. Superyacht Technology Show isn’t chasing trends. I felt a grounded approach that there’s a responsibility to showcase suppliers that support vessels and the ecosystem that comes with that - which is challenging to do in an industry that pulls you in every direction. Technology matters because it holds up superyacht lifestyle, however it’s the hu-man factor that creates appeal at this show because people value credibility, con-sistency and doing what you say you’ll do. Mark your calendar for 2027. Visit the official website to stay updated: su-peryachttechnologynetwork.com Photo credits: Skyglide Productions Thanks to all the exhibitors who contributed to this article. Rebecca Whitlocke at-tended SYTS 2026 as a press representative on behalf of JWP Media Group.

By Rebecca Whitlocke Barcelona’s World Trade Center played host to the Superyacht Technology Show on March 10–11 – two days that proved the superyacht sector doesn’t need more events. It needs more focused ones. As the only independent show dedicated entirely to superyacht technology, SYTS has carved out a distinct space. This year’s edition promised […]