Two weeks ago, the Maritime Training Academy team — Matt, Beth, Keely, and Chloe — headed to the beautiful Port Hercule for the Monaco Yacht Show. It was a fantastic few days catching up with so many of our industry connections, past and current students, and even some future ones! There’s something truly special about being in Monaco, surrounded by the heart of the superyacht world.

This year marked Matt and Beth’s eighth Monaco Yacht Show, while Keely and Chloe enjoyed their very first — and what an introduction it was! A highlight for everyone was catching up with Ian Biles, Founder of Maritime Training Academy, and Ashley Rennie, our Operations Director.

For Keely, attending for the first time was an unforgettable experience — taking in the atmosphere around the port, seeing the impressive yachts up close, and meeting so many new faces. She had a great chat with Lynne Edwards from Phoenix Superyacht Training, and enjoyed meeting our new Childcare Onboard a Superyacht course author, Ella Peters.

Beth enjoyed reconnecting with many familiar faces too, including past student Ali Khreis, and Natalie, who is currently studying with us. It’s always rewarding to see students thriving in their careers and hear about their experiences in the industry.

Matt enjoyed catching up with past students James Oulds and Federico Cummins, as well as industry connections Jordon Martel and Jennifer Malone (VP at Med Yacht Services). He reflected on how valuable the Monaco Yacht Show continues to be for maintaining relationships within the superyacht community:

“This show really highlights the power of networking — being able to meet with students, colleagues and friends face-to-face is always so worthwhile.”

The team also had a great catch-up with Russell Stockil, Head of Yacht Management at YachtZoo and our Superyacht Management Course Director. It was brilliant to discuss the course, current trends in the sector, and the continued growth of superyacht management training.

It was also great to catch up with Georgie and Chloe at The White Admin Company, and spend time with Döhle Yachts, who hosted a fantastic event throughout the show — thank you for the wonderful hospitality!

And of course, a big thank you to Jess, Miriam, Sanjeev, and the team at Yachting Pages, who hosted an excellent cocktail event on the terrace — the perfect way to end a busy day at the show.

Overall, it was a wonderful few days of conversation, connection, and inspiration. Thank you to everyone who took the time to meet with us — we’re already looking forward to next year!