Cyan Planet was one of the more than 1900 exhibitors in the largest trade show for all water sports, taking many of the 250 000 visitors that arrived from 106 countries on to one of our visual expeditions in the “Love your Ocean” Lounge.
Stretched across 17 halls, you feel transported to a different world. A medium sized river channel to test your canoeing skills, huge tanks with real mermaids, a chance to get your first kite surfing experience, you can take a stroll on a superyacht or show off your surf skills on real waves - anything is possible here! BOOT is definitely a special event that allows people to reconnect with each other over their shared passion and to be companions in exploring this world of ocean dreams and possibilities.
The “Love Your Ocean” lounge dips into this passion and is a powerful example of how science communication, if done in a curiosity-provoking and empowering way, can gently make people aware of the responsibilities we have for our oceans. It invites visitors to become ocean stewards by educating them about the most important threats facing our oceans. Organised by the Deutsche Meeresstifung, the German Ocean Foundation, it shows the importance of marine conservation to ensure a sustainable future, not just for watersports enthusiasts, but for humankind as a whole.
One eye catcher and key topic this year was sound pollution - symbolised by a huge 20 m sperm whale with headphones and with a whole range of interactive quizzes, acoustic journeys and fun experiments for the visitors to explore. Showcasing current research for example on microplastics in our everyday lives and marine food chains gave everyone the chance to get a glimpse of the science that underpins our knowledge about the state of the oceans. A big part of Love Your Oceans focused on highlighting good practice and possible solutions - electric motors, innovative materials or new upcycling solutions for plastic and garbage. Cyan Planet was part of the visual expeditions zone, where visitors got to fully immerse themselves in our experiences and take a break from the busy atmosphere. Premiering our new experience “Amigo sa mga Iho”, we also focused on highlighting good conservation practice and providing hope, inspiration and lighting a spark to take action.