With so many yachts available to charter the choice is often mind boggling, especially for a company’s first event. Bespoke Yacht Charter’s job is to ensure clients are on board the right yacht with the best crew and facilities to enhance their event exposure and ensure the best Cannes event experience for the company and their guests.

Firstly, our yacht charter brokers ask clients to think about how many separate events will be hosted throughout the event on board the yacht, and to consider maximum guest numbers. Most charter yachts can host numbers in port way and above those they are permitted to cruise with. The majority of charter yachts can easily welcome 25-30 guests on board for cocktails with many welcoming 60 or more on board at any one time. Usually many more than this are invited to the larger cocktails and crew are trained in managing numbers to ensure the correct number of guests are on board at any one time whilst ensuring that VIP guests are never turned away. Planning and discussion with the charter broker, captain and key personnel is crucial in ensuring the smooth running of larger parties.

Secondly, budget is an important factor and when considering costs we ensure all of the associated costs are discussed in advance. Bearing in mind that once the yacht charter fee has been paid, everything else from bottled water to the DJ is in addition. Our yacht charter brokers are experts in managing budgets and advise on how to best manage your budget for maximum effect. Sometimes this can mean taking a slightly older yacht, but we advise do not be put off! In so many cases the older yachts are the most seasoned when it comes to event charters, with the most experienced crew, used to welcoming on board large numbers of guests and often managing several events on board at the same time. They are used to having branding all over the place and are very happy for clients to totally transform the vessel to become their very own floating HQ in Cannes! Branding is often a far more effective way of maximising exposure and having impact than simply having the biggest, flashiest yacht! Although if budget is no object then of course maximum branding on the most spectacular yacht works well too!

Thirdly, clients need to think about which style of yacht best suits not just their on board requirements but also the feel of the company. Do they prefer a slick, funky yacht to represent a cutting edge bespoke style, to host smaller events, or are they  looking for maximum deck space to host a formal seated dinner for 50 guests?

Once the possibilities become apparent, the original brief often changes and our brokers are there to be one step ahead all of the time, ready with answers and valuable opinions based on many years of experience to guide clients through the process to ensure they are on board the perfect charter yacht.

Bespoke Yacht Charter highly recommend that clients book their charter yacht as early as possible in order to ensure the best position in the Port of Cannes. Berths are allocated by the port and on a first come, first served basis. On completion of the berth application forms, our yacht charter brokers present, in person, each file to the port office and berths are offered based on firstly information being correct and secondly when the charter was confirmed. At MIPIM for example, which takes place in March almost all yacht charter clients rebook for the following year during the event. MIPIM has more berth applications than the Cannes Film Festival and competition is fierce for the best berths! As charter yachts become more popular as event venues, every Cannes event is receiving more applications, especially Cannes Lions, where this year the number of charter yachts has almost doubled and for Cannes Lions 2018 we expect to see another increase in yachts – so to ensure a berth right next to the Palais des Festivals in the best spot, Bespoke Yacht Charter’s advice is to book early!

Every charter yacht has its own talented on board private chef. However most charter yachts will ask that for larger events, caterers are used to compliment the chef, so they can concentrate on the overall running of the galley and to ensure guests sleeping on board and those hosting smaller intimate lunches etc. are looked after to the highest level. Over the years our yacht charter brokers have worked with many catering companies and have long established relationships with a range of specialist on board caterers. They will work with us and the client to design bespoke menus tailored to fit within budget without losing any of the wow factor! Used to the confines of a yacht’s galley, these flexible chefs are able to produce food of an incredibly high standard and keep your guests satisfied. One of the biggest headaches for crew during large events is storage, using outside caterers usually means they have additional space, refrigerated vans etc. so the yacht isn’t clogged up with too many ingredients, bottles etc. Top caterers as with any venue are worth their weight in gold in order to pull off a top class party!

We all remember the slightly dodgy school discos – this is not something clients want to replicate on board a luxury superyacht! So our advice again is to budget realistically, and if the budget is tight, then less is definitely more. Bespoke Yacht Charter work with an array of entertainment providers, from string quartets to jazz bands, to singers, and of course top DJs. In addition to music, we can arrange magicians, a flair barman, beauty treatments – we once turned an entire yacht into a spa for a cosmetics company during one TFWA event. Most charter yachts have very good on board entertainment systems so for those on a smaller budget, bringing along an iPod/iPhone/MacBook is a great way of providing cool tunes throughout the day saving a DJ for the big cocktail event. Those with larger budgets may wish to install additional sound systems, AV equipment, screens, microphones and special effect lighting. Everything is possible and Bespoke Yacht Charter are always happy to discuss with clients how to get the edge over the competition, especially as we are in Cannes for every single event and can share ideas from other events that perhaps hasn’t been thought of for another.