INVESTOR INFORMATION
We are building the world's number one media business serving the global superyacht market in print, in person and online.
August Equity completes ShowBoats acquisition for Boat International
September 7, 2009
August Equity LLP ("August Equity") is pleased to announce that its portfolio company Boat International Media Limited ("Boat") has acquired ShowBoats International ("ShowBoats") and its associated publications, events and websites for an undisclosed value.
ShowBoats is the USA's premier luxury yacht publication and is highly complementary to Boat's existing portfolio of superyacht media assets. Its readership includes high-net-worth yacht owners, builders, brokers, captains, and designers, and it has a circulation of c.50,000. Boat will continue to invest in ShowBoats and will merge its own US magazine, Boat International USA, with the title from the next issue.
Tony Harris, CEO of Boat, said "This deal gives us the leading magazine brand serving the US superyacht market and greatly enhances our position as the leading media company serving the global superyacht market. Showboats has an impressive 25 year history in this market and will be a great addition to our global portfolio and enable us to be the clear No1 media choice in the US, the most important superyacht market in the world."
Commenting on the acquisition, Fraser Davidson of August Equity, said: "We are excited by the ShowBoats acquisition, which further consolidates Boat's position as the world's leading superyacht media group. We are continuously looking for ways to develop our portfolio companies and are pleased to have been able to work closely with the Boat management team to consummate and finance this transaction."
August Equity initially completed the management buy-out of Boat in December 2006.
www.augustequity.com
About Boat International
Boat International Media is the world's leading media group serving the superyacht industry. We publish the world's best
superyacht magazines and luxury books, organise high quality events, and provide digital media services and data to owners
and professionals in the superyacht industry.
This is a market leading specialist B2B media business with a significant upside via a clearly defined international,
multi-platform growth strategy serving a high growth global industry.
Our company provides global tailored marketing solutions to our customers that are innovative, high quality and effective
mixed media programmes that deliver results.
Over the past four years we have developed a strong management team with extensive experience in specialist publishing
as well as the superyacht industry, events, marketing and the digital media.
Boat International Media produce over 1.4 million magazines each year that sell in over 57 countries worldwide and are
published in six different languages. In addition to this we organise 8 annual events across the world in London, Monaco,
Fort Lauderdale, Venice, Porto Cervo and New York. We own the world's most comprehensive database of superyachts and
our newly launched social & business networking tool for superyacht captains and crew can be found at www.dockwalk.com.
The business is currently delivering strong organic revenue growth of approximately 20% YOY. Digital revenues and
events revenues are driving new revenue and profit opportunities at a much faster pace still.
Our business serves an underlying market that is experiencing unprecedented demand; our customers order books are at all
time highs and are predicted to continue to grow for the foreseeable future.
Business Development Timeline
2004 |
Acquistion of Edisea Ltd |
|---|---|
| 2005 | January - New US office in Fort Lauderdale opened May - Acquisition of Dockwalk June - Re-launch of Dockwalk and merging of Captains Log into Dockwalk August - Launch of Boat International Russia Sept/Oct - Launch of the Boat International networking events at Monaco Yacht Show & and Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show |
| 2006 | January - Increased Boat International USA's frequency to 7 issues a year January - Increased frequency of Mer & Bateaux to 6 issues a year April - The first World Superyacht Awards was launched December - Management buyout with August Equity Ltd |
| 2007 | January - Increased Boat International USA frequency to 10 issues a year April - The America's Cup special edition was published September - The record size Boat International issue (MYS 2007) was published December - Launch of The Superyachts Russia December - Re-launch of The Superyachts book December - Re-launch of The Refit book |
| 2008 | March - Launch of Boat International Gulf May - Launch of Dockwalk.com June - Acquisition of full ownership of the Captains' Hideouts Events June - Acquisition of The Wood Report June - Launch of the Boat International Superyacht Regatta - Silver Jubilee July - Relocation of the UK office to larger premises in Wimbledon, London July - 25th Anniversary of Boat International, first published Summer/Autumn 1983 October - Launch of the Superyacht Design Symposium - New York City |
| 2009 | September - Acquisition of ShowBoats International |
| 2010 | June - Launch of The Rendezvous, Monaco September - Launch of Boat International China October - Launch of Showboats Design Awards |
| 2011 | March - Launch of Caribbean Superyacht Regatta & Rendezvous, British Virgin Islands June - Re-launch of Boatinternational.com |