New postponement by the Paris Court of Appeal
The end of the appeal procedure around the organization of the Cannes Yachting Festival, in the dispute between the Federation of Nautical Industries (FIN) and Reed Expositions, is being delayed. Already postponed from April 15 to May 27, the decision will not be made before July 1, 2021. The Paris Court of Appeal has postponed the date of its deliberation. It mentions in its opinion "difficulties", probably related to the congestion of the courts and the difficulties encountered in the context of telework measures. Initiated in October 2016, following the breach of contract between FIN and Reed Expositions for the organization of the Cannes and Paris boat shows, the dispute concerns the validity of a clause assigning to Reed Expo the operation of the Cannes Yachting Festival until 2041, including in the event of a breach of contract.
An unfortunate uncertainty for the marine industry
As we wrote in April, the lack of deliberation is detrimental to the yachting industry, while the entire profession is counting on the Cannes Yachting Festival to revive boat shows in 2021, after more than a year almost blank in France. If the organizers of Reed Expositions have displayed on May 21 their confidence on holding the 2021 edition from September 7 to 21, a greater visibility would have been desirable. Let's count on the stakeholders to guarantee a serene edition, even shortly after the verdict.
