Inside the Cannes Yachting Festival with Sylvie Ernoult

As director of the Cannes Yachting Festival since 2013, Sylvie Ernoult has overseen more than a decade of growth and transformation at Europe’s leading in-water boat show. This September marks her 13th and final edition before she passes the role to Constance Brément. In our conversation, she reflects on the evolution of the festival, the challenges of managing two iconic venues, and the innovations shaping the future of yachting.

FOR HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN RUNNING THE CANNES YACHT FESTIVAL?
I have been running the Cannes Yachting Festival since 2013. The 2025 edition is therefore my 13th and final edition as show director before passing the torch to Constance Brément.

THE SHOW HAS BECOME MAJOR EUROPEAN SHOW FOR MOTOR YACHTS, HOW DO YOU SEE IT?
The Cannes Yachting Festival is currently Europe's premier in-water boat show. Boats and motor yachts are central to this success. Every year, the Vieux Port hosts an exceptional fleet, showcasing boats ranging from 13 to 50 metres from the largest international shipyards. The offering is therefore paramount, but also its presentation, as with more than 700 boats showcased at the show, sectorisation is essential. 

The latest example is the opening of the Power Boat Marina in 2024 at Port Canto where we've managed to create a space entirely dedicated to new motor boats up to 12/13 metres, which has been a huge success. For me, this development reflects our ability to meet market expectations while preserving the diversity of the offering. This is our strength: in Cannes, you can discover both a 5-metre boat and a 50-metre yacht, which is unique in the world.

FOR YEARS, YOU ARE RUNNING TWO VENUES, HOW CHALLENGING IS THIS AND DID YOU THINK TO ADJUST IT IN FUTURE?
For almost 20 years, the show has been organised at two complementary sites: the Vieux Port and Port Canto. Over the years, Port Canto has grown to match the Vieux Port in terms of the number of boats showcased Each port has its own theme with different and complementary areas of interest.

Opening the pre-owned boat sector at Port Canto in 2006 was an important, structuring decision. It was the first step to a slow but relevant evolution. 2019 saw another stage of this development on the other side of the Croisette, with the opening of the sailing area, which has become the world’s largest space for new, large sailing boats.

The challenge, of course, is to ensure smooth traffic flow and a seamless visitor experience. To achieve this, we have arranged crossings in both ports to make it easier for visitors to move between the different sectors. We have also increased the capacity of our sea shuttles between the two ports to make it easier to move from one port to the other. Every year, we are refining our devices to make travel even more intuitive and to meet the demands of exhibitors, particularly in terms of sea trials. 

These developments are significant and require very sophisticated logistics. In 2025, we will continue to organise our sectors, making it easier for everyone to find what they are looking for. Looking ahead, the idea is not to change the format, but to continuously improve it. Having two sites gives us valuable flexibility, which is essential considering the size and diversity of the fleet we accommodate. This flexibility is crucial today, as we need to adapt the show to the constraints of the work in progress in the Vieux Port. 

WHAT ARE THE MAIN ATTRACTIONS OF THE SHOW THIS YEAR?
The 2025 Cannes Yachting Festival is promising to be a particularly rich and innovative edition. Featuring around 680 exhibitors and 710 boats, including 147 world premieres. This edition is set to be record-breaking and we're very proud of that! Another major strength of the show is its premier position on the nautical season calendar: brands choose Cannes to unveil their new products, reinforcing its reputation as an international showcase for the yachting industry. 

This year, the event features the second edition of the Innovation Route, dedicated to eco-friendly solutions, and the creation of the Innovation Route Awards, recognising the most promising projects in terms of sustainability. The selected initiatives reflect the show's growing commitment to align with the evolution of industry, focussing on greater environmental awareness. The Innovation Route will benefit from improved signage, and exhibitors will be interviewed as part of our Innovation Route Studio.

The visitor experience has also been enhanced: with two new coffee shops, one at each port! Another creation is a web application that will help navigate the different spaces, ensuring a smoother and more intuitive visit. 

Highlights include demonstrations of water toys every day from 12:30 p.m. in the Broker & Toys area. Jetboards, seabobs, foils and other innovative equipment are presented in real-world conditions, providing a dynamic and immersive show that attracts both enthusiasts and curious visitors. 

Ultimately, what makes Cannes unique is its exceptional setting between the Vieux Port and Port Canto, giving the show its incomparable atmosphere, a blend of elegance and Mediterranean charm.

WHAT IS INNOVATION ROUTE?
The Innovation Route is a pathway that we have launched to highlight the most innovative and eco-friendly projects in the nautical sector. It allows visitors to easily identify exhibitors working on the technologies of tomorrow: alternative propulsion, recyclable materials, eco-design, digital solutions… thanks to dedicated signage. 

In 2025, we wanted to go further by creating the Innovation Route Awards, which recognise four outstanding projects in different categories. A jury of industry professionals evaluated the applications and selected the winners. The aim is clear: to encourage the entire industry to accelerate its ecological transition and demonstrate that innovation is key to the future of sailing. 

WHERE DO YOU SEE THE SHOW IN FIVE YEARS?
One thing I can say for sure is: the show is part of a continuous improvement logic. Each edition is an opportunity to adjust the format, enrich the visitor experience and meet market expectations. In five years’ time, I am convinced that the Cannes Yachting Festival will continue to be an unmissable event for the international industry, with an even greater focus on innovation and sustainability. 

Our role is also to support the industry, which will inevitably become increasingly green. This means continuing to promote environmentally responsible initiatives and encouraging innovation in this domain. Finally, I think that we will increasingly use all kinds of technical and high-tech tools, particularly artificial intelligence, to enhance this support and offer services that are even more tailored to the needs of our exhibitors and visitors.