Booking Manager Summit 2025 Press Release (English)

Booking Manager Summit 2025 Sets a New Benchmark for the Global Yacht Charter Industry

Zagreb, Croatia - December 2025 

 

Booking Manager Summit, the world’s leading conference dedicated exclusively to the yacht charter industry, successfully concluded its 7th edition from 10-12 December at the Hilton Garden Inn Zagreb, reaffirming its position as the industry’s most influential knowledge and networking event. 

 

For three days, Zagreb once again became the global headquarters of yacht charter innovation. Fleet operators, charter agencies, and industry suppliers from more than 20 countries gathered both in person and virtually, connected through the Summit app where all sessions were livestreamed. Collectively, attending fleet operators represented more than 3,500 charter yachts - approximately a quarter of the global charter fleet, while participating charter agencies accounted for over 11,000 charter weeks sold annually. 

 

Across more than 50 hands-on workshops, data-driven keynote presentations, and expert-led panel discussions, Summit participants explored emerging trends, operational best practices, and future-facing strategies designed to deliver immediate, real-world value. The program balanced strategic insight with practical application, equipping professionals to navigate an increasingly competitive and fast-evolving market. 

 

The Summit was officially opened by Marko Gnjidić, Founder and CEO of MMK Systems - Booking Manager, who reiterated the event’s core mission: to elevate knowledge across the yacht charter industry, empower professionals with new skills, foster meaningful collaboration, and create a space where innovation and community thrive, while still leaving room to enjoy the journey together. 

World-Class Expertise, Practical Insight 

 

Booking Manager Stage welcomed an outstanding lineup of international thought leaders: 

• Peter Jan Grech (Malta), a globally renowned sales coach, delivered his trademarked masterclass, leaving attendees with clear, actionable steps to immediately enhance sales performance and client engagement. 
• Ioannis Savvidis (Germany) shared a compelling vision of the future of yachting, drawing powerful parallels with disruptive transformations in the hotel and transport sectors and offering guidance on how charter businesses can adapt to an increasingly volatile market. 
• James Ward (United Kingdom), a specialist in marine industry recruitment, led an in-depth workshop on how to hire, train, and retain high-performing teams while ensuring consistent service excellence. 
• Artificial intelligence emerged as a defining theme throughout the Summit, most notably in Daniel Disney’s practical workshop on prompt engineering and the effective use of tools such as ChatGPT for content creation and operational support. 
• Nadia D’Addezio of MMK Systems presented the State of the Charter Market, drawing on data from the world’s largest global charter distribution platform to provide a clear, evidence-based view of current market dynamics. Her analysis highlighted two pivotal shifts shaping the industry.   

Key Yacht Charter trends detected at the Summit: 

 

• Short-duration rentals (3 - 4 days) surged, replacing traditional Saturday-to-Saturday weeks, and skippered charters continued their upward trend. 
• Last-minute bookings now accounting for almost 30% of total reservations, significantly impacting fleets cash-flow. 
• The first recorded decrease in the average spending basket in yachting in over a decade

An Evolved Format for a Maturing Industry 

 

 Building on its well-established format of three parallel stages - allowing each attendee to curate a personalized agenda - the 2025 Summit introduced new discussion-driven formats that reflected the industry’s growing complexity and maturity.

• Top Destinations Panel - Offering a comparative view of the world’s most in-demand charter destinations, this panel equipped agencies and operators with insights to better inform and serve their clients. Eva Vatutina (Daymark Marine) represented Croatia, Kate Bray (Le Boat) inland waterways, Pınar Erzin (Most Sailing) Turkey, and Matina Leventi (Archon Yachting) Greece. Panelists explored each destination’s competitive advantages, compared go-to-market strategies, and identified clear opportunities for differentiation and improvement. 

 

• Tech Panel - Focused on the industry’s digital maturity, this session examined how purpose-built technology can streamline workflows, reduce operational costs, and enhance data security. Ante Kljenak (Floatist), Illija Kolomoiskyi (Fleetrank), and Marko Gnjidić (Booking Manager) discussed current technology challenges, adoption barriers, and shared their perspectives on the future of digital transformation in yacht charter. 

 

• Web Performance Panel - Bringing together performance marketing experts Josipa Koroman-Lelas and Petar Bogdan with Marko Gnjidić and Daniel Molnar, GMO at Boataround one of the market’s largest online travel agencies, the panel explored what defines a high-performing charter website and where businesses should focus to maximize visibility, conversion rates, and return on investment.   

Industry Cornerstones: Charter & Agency Panels 

 

The traditional Charter and Agency Panels once again stood as the crown jewels of the Booking Manager Summit, providing an open and trusted platform for stakeholders to address the industry’s most pressing shared challenges, exchange perspectives, and collaborate on solutions shaping the future of yacht charter. 

Addressing the evolution of the charter product, Francesco Lemonis, CEO of Yal'oou Greece, emphasized the need for differentiation and adaptability: “In order to advance, we need to get out of our comfort zone. The more luxurious the product, the more it requires a personal touch. On the other hand, the more mainstream the product is, the more it calls for AI, technology, and streamlined processes.”   

 

On the topic of hiring and employee retention, Bruno Kolovrat of Navigare Yachting highlighted the structural challenges fleets are facing: “It is not always about the money. It’s about talent availability, organisation, and structure - but it is definitely one of the bigt challenges fleets are dealing with today.” 

 

During the Agency Panel, discussions focused on the added value agencies bring to clients and fleets alike. Anne de Vries, CEO of Tubber, underlined the multifaceted role of agencies: “Agents build sales pipelines for fleets, but more than that, we are the first point of contact when things go right or wrong. We inform customers, manage expectations, and ultimately craft a beautiful experience. That requires significant effort, investment, and long-term relationships.” 

 

Adding to the discussion, Bora Inceören of Charterberater stressed the importance of clarity and professionalism in agency-fleet relationships: “It’s crucial for fleet operators to clearly define what they expect from an agent and put those expectations on paper. This allows us to move away from debates around client ownership and a purely ‘trust-based’ industry, toward a more structured and professional partnership.”   

Backed by Industry Leaders 

 

Summit 2025 is proudly supported by a strong lineup of sponsors and partners who are deeply invested in the growth of the charter industry. NCP Charter, one of Croatia’s leading charter companies, not only supported the event but also celebrated their 30th anniversary with industry partners and friends at the Summit. Pantaenius, a leading insurance provider with a product line tailored for the charter industry, shaped a keynote using their own data to provide insights on damages, claim trends, and prevention, presented by Gunnar Brock and Alessandro Brambilla. ACI Marine supported the event as both a prominent exhibitor and media partner, serving as the exclusive representative of marina suppliers at the Summit. The Summit also received strategic backing from the Croatian National Tourist Board, reinforcing its role as a key platform for promoting Croatia as a premier yachting destination and innovation hub.

Other key supporters OTP Leasing, Athenian Yachts, Icebreaker Magazine, Galić Winery & Hilton Hotels   

Looking Ahead 

 

With its expanded format, exceptional speaker lineup, and strong international participation, Booking Manager Summit 2025 once again demonstrated why it is the definitive annual meeting point for the global yacht charter industry. More than a conference, it continues to serve as a catalyst for progress - shaping conversations, influencing strategy, and strengthening the professional community that drives charter forward.  As the industry looks toward another year of change and opportunity, the Booking Manager Summit announces the 2026 edition from December 9th to 11th with remaining committed to leading the dialogue, empowering professionals, and setting new standards for excellence.