Booking Manager Summit To Go 2026 : The Summit That Reimagined the Yachting Industry
A New Chapter for the Yachting Industry in Poros
Hosted at the iconic Xenia Poros Image Hotel against the backdrop of the Saronic Gulf, the different Booking Manager Summit To Go 2026, co-hosted by MMK Booking Manager and Y/KNOT, brought together leading voices from the international yacht charter industry to explore the future of sailing through the lens of experience, accessibility and long-term value creation.
Held under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Tourism, the two-day summit moved beyond the traditional conference format, combining strategic discussions with immersive experiences designed to reflect the evolving direction of charter sailing.
Building Connections through Collaboration
To kickstart the event and set the tone from the very beginning, guests gathered shortly after arriving and settling into their rooms for a workshop led by internationally recognized brand strategist Peter Economides. Titled Facing the Future Together, the workshop challenged attendees to collaboratively envision the future of the yacht charter industry.
Participants were divided into groups and assigned a shared creative task: designing a fictional Forbes magazine cover that captured their vision for the future of charter sailing. The exercise immediately highlighted two of the summit’s defining themes - togetherness and shaping the future through collaboration. Although many participants had not previously met, groups quickly formed strong ideas, exchanged perspectives and worked closely together to present compelling visions for the industry ahead.
The workshop was followed by a relaxed dinner at a nearby authentic Greek coastal restaurant, where the atmosphere shifted naturally from professional introductions to genuine connection. Guests who had broken the ice during the workshop continued conversations over Mediterranean cuisine, setting the perfect tone for the days ahead.
Shaping the Future of Charter Experiences
The conference officially opened the following morning with welcoming remarks from Marina Nikolaou and Lorena Franjic, who thanked attendees for joining the inaugural edition of the summit, while also acknowledging the support of the Hellenic Ministry of Tourism and the event’s partners and sponsors.
The program began with a conversation between George Koutsos and Vasileios Lagoutis focused on emerging tourism trends, the evolving charter market, and the untapped potential that a more experience-oriented approach could unlock for the broader industry.
The discussion was followed by a fireside conversation featuring George Koutsos, Ioannis Drymonakos, Vasileios Lagoutis, and Marko Gnjidić, bringing together different perspectives that ultimately aligned around a shared vision for the future of charter products, one centered on immersive, meaningful experiences rather than traditional offerings alone.
During the discussion, Y/KNOT presented its new Active Cruises concept developed in collaboration with Olympic champion Ioannis Drymonakos. Combining sailing with wellness, sports, and active lifestyle experiences, the initiative reflects the same philosophy that shaped the summit itself. At the same time, MMK showcased a prototype of a new platform experience currently in development, designed to better present and distribute experience-driven charter packages to the market.
Keynote Perspective on Transformation
Following the fireside discussion, the conference program continued with a keynote by internationally renowned brand strategist Peter Economides, whose career and philosophy around transformation, communication and innovation brought a broader strategic perspective to the summit.
Known for his work with some of the world’s most recognized brands including Apple, Audi, Coca-Cola, Citibank, Heineken, Nestlé and Unilever, Economides has spent decades helping organizations navigate cultural change, evolving consumer behavior and global expansion. Having lived and worked across South Africa, Hong Kong, Athens, Mexico City and New York, his approach to branding is deeply rooted in the belief that “everything communicates” and that meaningful strategy must engage people both inside and outside an organization. Beyond the corporate world, his experience also extends into the superyacht industry, having worked with leading names including Oceanco, Turquoise, Monaco Marine and F/Yachting.
During the keynote, Economides shared lessons and insights gathered throughout his remarkable international career while also presenting the polished final versions of the creative projects developed by attendees during the previous day’s workshop. The session left the audience inspired, energised and filled with fresh ideas, perfectly reinforcing the summit’s central themes of collaboration, innovation and experience-focused thinking.
Shipyard Perspectives on the Future of Charter
Following the keynote, the conference shifted toward another essential perspective within the charter ecosystem: the shipyard view. Norbert Leifeld shared Bavaria Yachts’ vision and mission around boatbuilding, highlighting durability, sustainability and long-term reliability as key elements that make their yachts especially suited for charter operations.
The conversation continued with Geoffrey Delabarre representing Beneteau, who emphasized that charter is not treated as an afterthought within Groupe Beneteau, but rather as a strategic segment deeply integrated into the company’s design philosophy and production processes.
Immersive Experiences Across Poros
This concluded the conference morning program and, following a light lunch, attendees were invited to fully experience the philosophy behind Y/KNOT Active Holidays firsthand. The afternoon activities included cycling, stand-up paddleboarding, sailing and swimming sessions led by Olympic champion Ioannis Drymonakos.
The experiential afternoon became one of the defining highlights of the summit - fully immersive, highly engaging and intentionally designed to demonstrate how charter experiences can evolve beyond traditional sailing itineraries into something far more personal, active and memorable.
As the day drew to a close, all attendees gathered for sunset yoga overlooking the sea before concluding the summit with a celebratory dinner party. Guests spent the evening sharing ideas, reflections and highlights from two dynamic days in Poros, continuing conversations that had started as professional exchanges but evolved into meaningful connections and shared enthusiasm for the future of the yacht charter industry. Day two ultimately brought the summit’s philosophy to life across Poros through sailing experiences onboard Bavaria and Lagoon yachts from the Y/KNOT 2026 fleet, reinforcing the belief that the future of charter lies in creating immersive and memorable human experiences.
A Shared Vision for the Future of Charter
Throughout the summit, industry experts, charter agents and shipyards explored changing customer expectations, the growing importance of emotional value and storytelling, and the opportunity to expand yacht charter beyond traditional sailing audiences through curated, experience-led offerings.
Executives from Y/KNOT described the initiative as part of the company’s broader strategic transition, combining more than four decades of industry heritage with a renewed focus on innovation and long-term value creation.
The Booking Manager Summit To Go 2026 was supported by partners including Clinique, Balaskas Yacht Provisioning, Therapis General Hospital, Medihall Mouzakis Taxing & Beyond, Forbes Greece and Voiles et voiliers.
