Seawork 2026 Review
January 7, 2026
Seawork is one of those rare workboat weeks where you can see equipment operating on the water, walk the pontoons, and then go straight into supplier and operator conversations that stay grounded in real operating constraints. If you buy, specify, or run commercial marine kit, Southampton is a practical place to compare solutions quickly and leave with a tighter shortlist.
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Seawork 2026 — Quick Info
Dates
9–11 June 2026
City & Venue
Mayflower Park, Southampton, Hampshire SO14 2AN, United Kingdom
Opening times
Tue 09:30–17:30 • Wed 09:30–17:30 • Thu 09:30–16:00
On-water focus
Commercial marine and workboat exhibition with pontoons, vessels, and live demonstrations alongside the quayside show floor
Co-located
Marine Civils (marine construction and civil engineering supply chain)
Official site
Venue map
Mayflower Park sits on the waterfront in central Southampton, close to the port and walkable city-centre amenities.
Best-fit visitors
Workboat owners and operators
Shipyards and builders
Ports, marine civils, contractors
Equipment and tech buyers
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What makes Seawork different
9 to 11 June 2026 • Southampton (Mayflower Park)Seawork is built around the workboat and commercial marine supply chain in a real waterfront setting. It is a show where you can evaluate kit afloat, watch demos, and then move straight into procurement and operations conversations with the people who run vessels day to day.
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A true on-water workboat show
Exhibitors are not only on stands. Vessels and equipment are displayed afloat on pontoons with quayside access, which makes it easier to judge
deck layouts, access, maintainability, and practical operating constraints.
Use the pontoons to check
- How equipment is positioned and serviced
- What a realistic install looks like on a working deck
- Access, safety, and crew workflow
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Speed@Seawork adds a trial mindset
The week includes Speed@Seawork, a separate pre-show day focused on high-speed craft activity and sea-trial style engagement.
If fast craft, patrol, SAR, or similar segments matter to you, it is a useful way to start the week.
Practical move
Plan Speed@Seawork on Monday, then keep Tuesday morning open for your top supplier meetings before the show-floor pace increases.
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Marine Civils sits next to the vessels
Marine Civils is co-located, which helps if your buying decisions connect vessel operations to port-side work, coastal construction,
dredging support, infrastructure maintenance, or contractor fleets.
Good questions to ask
- What is the uptime and spares strategy for harsh-duty use
- Which standards and certifications are expected on projects
- What training burden comes with the equipment
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A week structure that pulls people together
The official schedule builds in evening moments that keep decision-makers on site and make networking less random.
Use these as your “close the loop” windows after a day of demos and supplier meetings.
Mon 8
Speed@Seawork (pre-show day)
Tue 9
Seawork Awards in the evening (listed 17:30 to 19:30)
Wed 10
Cardboard Boat Regatta in the evening (listed 17:30 to 19:30)
Thu 11
Maritime Training and Careers Day (runs on the final show day)
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Pavilions, trails, and serious content
Seawork leans into sector structure. Industry partners highlight pavilions and trails (including the SMI Hub), a conference programme,
and public-sector participation that is relevant to the UK workboat and RHIB ecosystem.
If you are buying this year
Treat the conference sessions as your filter, then validate on the pontoons and close with supplier meetings.
It is a clean “learn, verify, decide” flow.
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Seawork 2026 week game plan
Tue 9 to Thu 11 June 2026Treat Seawork as a decision week. Watch the gear and vessels in context, validate the service and install reality, then lock follow ups while everyone is still onsite.
Suggested time split for best ROI
Adjust for your role below
Pontoons and demos
40%
Supplier meetings
35%
Talks and networking
25%
A simple rule: if you did not step onto the pontoons and ask install questions, you did not really qualify the solution.
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Monday (optional)
If you are in the high speed craft space, use the Speed@Seawork day in Cowes to get a sharper view early.
- Pick 3 vessels or systems to see in action
- Write down your acceptance criteria before you watch
- Book 2 follow up meetings for Tuesday morning
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Tuesday
Use the first show day for hard qualification: pontoons first, then booths, then meetings.
Morning
Pontoons and demos while decks are less crowded
Midday
Two supplier meetings with install, training, and spares questions
Evening
Seawork Awards window listed from 17:30 to 19:30
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Wednesday
This is the best day to compare alternatives head to head and pressure test support models.
Morning
Two competing vendors back to back, same question list
Afternoon
Return to the pontoon for your top 1 or 2 finalists
Evening
Cardboard Boat Regatta window listed from 17:30 to 19:30
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Thursday
Close the loop early. Confirm next steps, data needs, and timelines. The show day ends earlier.
- Ask for a written scope outline and lead times
- Confirm approvals and documentation required
- Schedule the post show technical call before you leave
The final day also hosts the Maritime Training and Careers Day, useful if you are recruiting or building pipelines.
Pick your track
Your best questions
- What breaks first and what needs the most maintenance attention
- What spares should be onboard versus shore stock
- How long to install and commission with normal crewing
What to leave with
- A short scope outline and lead time confirmation
- A realistic training plan and documentation list
- A pilot or trial plan if you are not ready to commit
Your best questions
- Interface drawings and tolerances, what is fixed and what is flexible
- Commissioning checklist and acceptance tests
- What needs class sign off and what can be handled as standard work
What to leave with
- Install schedule assumptions and labor estimate range
- Critical spares and testing equipment requirements
- Known risks and mitigation steps you can price in early
Your best questions
- Resilience and redundancy under real operations
- Support model and response time in your area
- Training and safety requirements for staff
What to leave with
- A shortlist of proven suppliers with port references
- Implementation timeline and critical dependencies
- Documentation list for procurement and compliance
Your best questions
- What is the buyer timing and who signs off
- What constraints might block adoption
- What proof and references matter most in this segment
What to leave with
- Next meeting dates booked before the lead cools off
- A clear pilot path if the buyer is hesitant
- Follow up list tagged by readiness and timeline
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Fast follow up tracker
Send within 6 hours
Three bullets: what you heard, what you need, and the next meeting date.
Ask in writing
Lead time, installation window, documentation, training, and spares plan.
Close your shortlist
Pick two finalists per category and schedule technical calls for the following week.
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Practical notes for Southampton and Mayflower Park
Waterfront venueThis is a city-centre port setting. Keep your week tight by staying central, walking where you can, and anchoring dinners in one or two districts.
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Arrivals and transfers
- Southampton Airport has a rail station next to the terminal, with fast trains into Southampton Central.
- For London arrivals, plan extra buffer if you have morning meetings on day one.
- If your team is split, pick one meeting point in the city centre before heading to the waterfront.
Simple tactic: schedule your first supplier meetings after you have done pontoons, not before.
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Getting around
- Central Southampton works well on foot for venue days plus dinner meetings.
- Use taxis or rideshare when you are carrying materials or trying to keep a group on time.
- If you are doing Speed@Seawork in Cowes, treat that as a separate travel day and do not overbook the evening before.
Group rule: agree on a single regroup time each afternoon to share what you learned and update the shortlist.
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Hotel zones that work
- City centre and WestQuay area for easy dinners, quick transport, and short venue transfers.
- Ocean Village and the marina side if you want a waterfront feel and evening meeting options.
- Old Town area for a strong mix of history, walkability, and quieter evening hosting.
If you plan to attend evening functions, stay central so the end of day does not turn into a commute.
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Food and meeting districts
- Bedford Place for a dense stretch of independent food and quick meeting spots.
- Oxford Street for an evening dinner zone that works for hosting.
- WestQuay for easy, central dining and casual meet ups if schedules change late.
Keep dinners in one district per night. That reduces no-shows and makes it easier to add a last-minute attendee.
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If you are doing Speed@Seawork in Cowes
Where it is
Cowes, Isle of Wight, hosted at the Royal Ocean Racing Club clubhouse.
How to plan
Give yourself full-day bandwidth. Aim to arrive early, then hold Tuesday morning for Seawork follow ups that build on what you saw.
Best outcome
One clear shortlist: what you want to see again on the Seawork pontoons, plus two supplier meetings already booked.
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Useful options if you have a spare hour
SeaCity Museum for a strong Southampton maritime and Titanic context.
Tudor House and the Old Town area for history without a long trip.
WestQuay area for quick food, easy regrouping, and informal meetings.