Specialising in recreational marinas and ports is a formidable venture. It is an incredibly vast and complex field, particularly in Italy. This specialisation involves addressing an often inextricable tangle of issues regarding state property concessions and their related laws and competences; handling project design, technical regulations, and aspects involving seamanship and hydraulic engineering; obtaining approvals from a long list of institutions and bodies; and formulating a business plan, which is particularly challenging due to the numerous variables involved. Other aspects include performing due diligence in order to seek partners and financing; conducting marketing research and developing guidelines for a market that has unique psychological components; determining appropriatesizing based on local trends and new products on the market; and finally management (not always satisfactory or productive in relation to the investment), which entails internal regulation and necessary contact with Maritime Authorities.

Last, but not least, specialisation in this field involves placing the final product on the market. As a result, this complex endeavour often entails considerable and even exorbitant costs, uncertainties regarding timeframes, inflexibility in the system and discontent among customers due to restrictions that are difficult to understand. Until recently, the demand exceeded the supply, so the market was almost forced to make the best of a difficult situation, with the vacationer segment smoothing out the differences. In Italy, many new marinas are at last being built all along the coastline, from the French border to the Slovenian border, as well as on the islands. In the near future, customer relations that comport with the principles of competition and the free market will be established.
 

Those involved in sales must have a thorough knowledge of the elements of marketing itself, including sales structure, image, advertising and contract writing, while also being well-versed in all of the other aspects of this complicated field. Experience in the field and proven know-how are the most important requirements for confronting – with business acumen and full knowledge of the facts – the diverse issues arising from this complex topic and understanding the various aspects of the changes occurring in the market.

The partners of ECYB have been involved, in different capacities, with marinas since the 1970s. In addition to the placement of moorings, they participated in the start-up of Marina3B, as well as large-scale operations such as ACY in the former Yugoslavia, the Pescara Marina, Staranzano, river ports on the Po, and Italia Navigando. They are currently involved in marketing Marinedi (Villasimius, Vieste, Argentario, Ischia, etc.) and are developing guidelines, performing commercial due diligence and handling exclusive marketing for Port Arsenal – La Maddalena. In addition to the commercial aspect of the placement of moorings, ECYB is a specialist incommunication andmarketing, offering such services as market research, studies and commercial due diligence.