Time to Reboot RichLazzara.com

After seven months it’s time to completely reboot richlazzara.com.  For the next three days we will be moving it from WordPress.com to a hosted server and installing a new look as well as a ton of new features.  What does that mean for you?  

- Better Picture Navigation:  We will have a new picture viewer that allows you to easily click through multiple photos right from the site.  No more having to go to flickr or click one photo at a time.  

- Video Viewer – We will have the latest videos available at all times on the homepage. You wont have to dig through posts to find videos, just go straight to the viewer

- User Comments – You will be able to add your picture to comments and have the ability to track every ones comments easier

- RSS Feed

- Flickr Feed right from inside our site, no need to open separate window

- Most Popular posts tabs for keeping up with the post that are getting the most attention

- Twitter stream so you can see my latest tweets 

- Tag Cloud for easily finding topics

So thanks for your patience why we reboot and look for the new richlazzara.com this Monday.

Microsoft Surface Phase 2

I have been in NY the past two days working with Microsoft and Infusion to develop the next phase of Surface technology that we will introduce this summer.  LazzaraYachts is the first company to offer a retail version of the Microsoft Surface which we debuted in our showcase this past Feb, here. The opportunities for this device are endless.  One of the great things about working with new technology is that it allows you to create things that were previously not possible.  I don’t want to give anything away just yet but we will be utilizing the Surface device as the central “infotainment” hub on the new LMC76.  Located right in the Main Salon the unit will allow the owner to access systems on the yacht as well as data from “the cloud”.  You can read about cloud computing here but essentially the content is stored on servers in remote locations and only the information that is needed is pulled down when you connect to the Internet.  That’s all I want to say about it for now but needless to say we are excited to introduce it soon.

Big Dreams Wanted

I recently read a blog post entitled “In Search of Dolphin Leather”  by Seth Godin.  The ideas in this post ccouldn’t be more appropriate for our industry right now.   For those that don’t know Seth he is a world renown marketing guru.  I have one of his quotes on the blog here.   Read the full post after the break

Videos from Dubai

Offshore Power Boat Simulator

The sound of horn blasts at the end of the show

Cruising around Dubai

Some additional photos from a day cruise around Dubai.  See them here

Flying Man

This was on display at the Dubai Boat Show. As you can see in the video the water-jet pack attached to the guy sucks water in and the thrusts it down at such a force it lifts him right out of the water. You have to see it to believe it.

Dubai Boat Show Recap – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

So how was the Dubai Boat Show?  

The Good.  

Overall attendance was the same if not more than last year and specifically for us it was a good show.  This was the first year we had a boat in the show, while previous years we only had a display.  Having the actual product there was an important step for us.  By the third day word had gotten around to go and see the Lazzara LSX75.  The quality, design and presentation of the boat were a draw and something everyone commented favorably on.  The overall interest in our product mainly focused on the LSX line in the 75, 92 and new 75 fly.  And that interest came from around the region, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. We have several great prospects and I am confident we will have 1-3 sales directly from this boat show.  

The Bad

Uncertainty, the same problem that is plaguing our industry as a whole, is also prevalent here.  Questions about whats going to happen with various boat companies, where is the bottom of this economic downturn, what will my boat be worth in another 2-3 years, etc.  All of those objections that we heard at the Miami Show were in Dubai as well.  That’s something we continually will have to fight.  We’re tackling it head on by doing several things. First, we limit production so we aren’t fighting our own inventory or hurting our pre-owned market. Second is developing new product with the cutting edge technology so that it retains a higher resale value.  Third, producing product that is more economical to use and maintain like our LSX line or our new LMC line,  all of which use pod drives that are much cheaper to run. 

The Ugly

There is a surplus of boat inventory, too much.  Most of the “new” boats on display were 2008 models and some were even 2007 models.  This is not only a huge problem for the region but for the industry as a whole. One of the regions most prominent dealers in our size yachts has 40 units worth nearly $100 million in stock!  And there story is no different from any other volume builder/distributor around the world.  It’s one of the reason Lazzara Yachts mission statement says our “goal is to build a few, high-quality, innovative yachts”.  It’s hard enough to sell new yachts let alone competing against your own new models that are 1-2 years old.  

Thats it for now, I’m in Washington waiting to get back to Tampa.  Next up is the Palm Beach Boat Show March 26 – 29th.  Stop by and see us.