The Düsseldorf International Boat Show (), more commonly known as boot Düsseldorf or just boot () is one of the world's premier boat shows. With some 1,600 exhibitors from over 50 countries, boot Düsseldorf is considered a benchmark for the international boat and water sports industry. Unparalleled at other major boat shows, large vessels up to 180 grt can be looked on in their entirety, as the exhibition is a complete indoor event. Boot Düsseldorf is held annually at Messe Düsseldorf, Germany, for the duration of a week in the end of January. History The 1st Düsseldorf Boat Show was opened on 27 November 1969. It started with 116 exhibitors from eight countries, an exhibition space of 11,000 square metres and 34,000 visitors. The following year 183 exhibitors presented yachts and water sports equipment on 21,000 sqm to 40,000 visitors. In January 1972, the boot was first held within the new and current Messe premises in Düsseldorf-Stockum and functioned as a forum for preparations of the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. In 1976, Canada became the first partner country of the Düsseldorf Boat Show. In 1979 a glazed 8 x 4 x 4 meter saturation diving tower () by Preussag AG was presented at boot Düsseldorf. The 1981 show was themed "marine science", with underwater photography showcased by Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard. Visitor numbers peaked in 1992 with just over 400,000 and have gone down since, while the number of exhibitors has overall stayed constant. Also during the early 1990s, super yachts were introduced in Düsseldorf. The Lisbon Expo '98 became partner of the boot in 1998, with the common theme "The Oceans, a Heritage for the Future" and presentations by French environmentalist Jean-Michel Cousteau. The European Yacht of the Year Award was initiated by Yacht magazine in 2001 and since voted by eleven leading European sailing magazines and presented at boot Düsseldorf. Exhibition floor area reached a record 220,000 square metres at the show's 40th anniversary in 2008. The boot 2010 set records with over 150 premieres (of those twenty world premieres), among others for alternative fuel sailing and motor yachts. The Düsseldorf International Boat Show is tailored as a professional trade fair, showcasing state of the art developments in the yacht and entire water sports industry. Next to sailing and motor yachts, diving is one of the most visited sections of the exhibition. The fact, it is located