Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

RYANI Welcomes Announcement Ireland’s First International Watersport Expo

2nd April 2022
The launch of the Ireland on the Water Expo at EIKON in Lisburn
RYANI chief operating officer Richard Honeyford (right) at the launch of the Ireland on the Water Expo at EIKON in Lisburn

RYA Northern Ireland has welcomed the announcement that Ireland’s first ever international watersport expo will be held at the EIKON exhibition centre in Lisburn next March.

Ireland on the Water Expo will take place on 4-5 March 2023 and is expected to attract up to 6,000 visitors over the two days to explore various offerings in sailing and boating, angling, kayaking, surfing, open-water swimming, diving, water adventure parks and more.

Speaking at the launch of the show, RYANI’s outgoing chief operating officer Richard Honeyford expressed his delight in the development of a showcase for all aspects of the marine leisure industry under one roof.

“While we have taken part in shows that are tailored towards the sailing market, Ireland on the Water Expo offers a fresh and exciting new perspective that ties in all sectors of the watersport industry, which offers a great opportunity to engage with the sector and interested members of the public,” he said.

“We are also thrilled that it will be held at the state-of-the-art EIKON centre, home to the largest indoor exhibition space in Northern Ireland, which means that exhibitors have the opportunity to design unique and appealing stands that highlight the diverse range of activities and equipment that is available to get on the water.”

Afloat.ie Team

About The Author

Afloat.ie Team

Email The Author

Afloat.ie is Ireland's dedicated marine journalism team.

Have you got a story for our reporters? Email us here.

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven’t put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full–time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

Direct Donation to Afloat button

About the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Northern Ireland 

  • The RYA is the national body for dinghy, yacht and motor cruising, all forms of sail racing, RIBs and sports boats, windsurfing and personal watercraft and a leading representative for inland waterways cruising.
  • The RYA is recognised by Government, the media and opinion formers as the representative body and voice for the activities that it represents. It continually fights for the rights and freedoms of its 112,000 personal members.
  • The RYA has more than 1,500 affiliated clubs and classes, which represent some 350,000 boaters throughout the UK. It is estimated that 4 million people in the UK take part in boating activity annually.
  • The RYA also sets and maintains recognised standards for training for both leisure and commercial boating through a network of more than 2,400 RYA Recognised Training Centres across 58 countries. More than 250,000 people per year complete RYA training courses.
  • The RYA is responsible for one of the UK’s most successful Olympic medal-winning sports. Our coaching and development schemes actively support 800 of our country’s top sailors, from talented juniors to Olympic and World champions.
  • The RYA is committed to promoting all forms of boating and making them accessible to everyone. For more information please visit www.rya.org.uk.
  • The Royal Yachting Association Northern Ireland (RYA NI) acts for the RYA in Northern Ireland (NI) and the Chairman of RYA NI is invited to join the Irish Sailing Association (ISA) Policy Review Committee.
  • You can find the RYA Northern Ireland at Sketrick House, GE8, Jubilee Road, Newtownards, BT23 4YH.
  • RYA NI is a company limited by guarantee – Registration number NI 51945
  • Contact RYA NI: Tel: 02891 827154 email: [email protected]