There will be a new face to front next year’s London Boat Show. Andrew Williams has been appointed Managing Director of National Boat Shows(NBS), it was announced today. NBS have been looking for a permanent MD since Paul Streeter moved on after six years in the post to a different position earlier this year. Williams has significant experience across the leisure and commercial sector He comes fresh from Metro Goldwyn Mayer Home Entertainment Group where he was Vice President and has held senior managerial positions at Walt Disney Company and Nintendo UK. He will take the reins from interim MD Chris Dalley as soon as the Southampton Boat Show finishes on September 25. Commenting on his new appointment, Williams said: ‘I’m delighted to be joining at such an exciting time.’

New management will by no means be the only novelty for next year’s show. Reduced sales for the 2006 event led organisers to re-think the format, and plans for the new-look show have now been unveiled. The 2007 show will have an ‘Island Nation’ theme, to be conveyed through music, art and exhibits. Children under 16 will enjoy free entry, and there will be sections devoted to fishing and canoeing. The show will be an interactive feast of ‘educainment’, say organisers, with master classes, a fog tunnel to teach visitors about radar and navigation technology, and an anchoring platform to help rusty sailors perfect their technique.

You can visit the London Boat Show at Excel, London, from 5-14 Jan 2007. For more information, click this link or go to www.londonboatshow.com