Yacht Interior Summit 2027: Oceanco to host the international discussion on yacht interiors
Oceanco will host the Yacht Interior Summit 2027, in collaboration with RedCabin, at its facilities in Alblasserdam, the Netherlands. Scheduled for 3 and 4 March, the event will bring together designers, engineers, equipment and component manufacturers, specialist companies and professionals involved in developing yacht and superyacht interiors.
The summit aims to connect design vision, technical expertise and production processes. The venue will support this approach: participants will meet at a shipyard where coordination between disciplines is part of the daily work of building custom yachts.
Collaboration is the guiding principle of the initiative. In the introductory message, Paris Baloumis, Director of Strategic Alliances at Oceanco, describes the event as an opening of the shipyard to the professional community: an opportunity to welcome different perspectives and discover which ideas may emerge from the exchange.
The intention is to create an environment where those who design, engineer and build can share experiences, discuss common challenges and learn from one another. Oceanco connects this approach to its own project development process, based on trust and the involvement of complementary expertise.
Interiors designed to last or built to evolve?
One of the opening themes will be the relationship between a yacht’s lifespan and the transformation of its interiors. The panel “Designing to Last or Built to Evolve?” will start with a practical question: how can interiors be designed for the long term when owners’ needs may change much more quickly?
The programme released by the organisers lists Jan-Bart Verkuyl, CEO and Director of Royal Van Lent–Feadship, Simon Rowell, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Bannenberg & Rowell Design, and Adrian Chisnell, Founder and Creative Director of Chisnell Design, for this session.
The issue concerns both new builds and subsequent modifications. The ability to update layouts, furnishings and equipment raises questions about the flexibility of the original design and the coordination between interior architecture and technical integration.
A dedicated working group will explore the relationship between luxury and liveability. Another session will address interior customisation, focusing on bespoke materials, spatial configurations and wellness. Originality will also be at the heart of a round table examining the boundary between genuinely bespoke design and the reinterpretation of established solutions.
Materials, artificial intelligence and refit
The technical programme will include discussions on digital manufacturing for interiors, the impact of artificial intelligence and procurement management.
These are areas where creative choices meet material availability, manufacturing processes, supply lead times and installation requirements. The exchange between designers, shipyards and specialist companies will therefore offer an opportunity to discuss how to make the transition from concept to execution more effective.
Interior refit will also have a dedicated session, with a round table featuring Carla Guilhem. The focus will be on opportunities to improve work on existing yachts, where new requirements must be reconciled with the characteristics of the vessel.
An exchange with private aviation
The programme will also include a session on the contribution of expertise from different sectors. Moderated by Katharina List-Nagl, CEO of F/LIST Group, the “Beyond Boundaries” panel will feature Tom Chatfield of Camber Aviation Management, Marie Soliman of Bergman Design House and Grischa Schmidt of Jet Aviation.
The dialogue with private aviation will allow participants to compare approaches to customisation and the management of complex projects. As Monica Wick, Founder and CEO of RedCabin, highlighted in the announcement of the collaboration with Oceanco, the organiser’s experience in automotive, aviation and hospitality interiors will help broaden the summit’s perspectives.
The project case studies will include REV Ocean, with a discussion involving Espen Øino, Jonny Horsfield and Sébastien Gey, and the Orient Express yachts. For the latter, the programme will offer an in-depth look at Corinthian and a preview of Olympian, with contributions from professionals involved in their development.
Alongside the panels, there will be working groups, audience Q&A, one-to-one meetings and tours of Oceanco’s facilities. A pre-event reception is scheduled for 2 March.
From the first edition in Papenburg to Oceanco
The 2027 event continues the journey that began with the first edition of the Yacht Interior Summit in Papenburg, at Meyer Werft, presented by PressMare in February 2026.
The inaugural edition introduced a technical and multidisciplinary exchange dedicated to yacht and superyacht interiors, with a programme covering layouts, materials, lighting, ergonomics and regulatory compliance. Announced speakers included Jim Dixon, Klaus Busse, Christiano Gatto, Axel Hedemann and Anders Kurten; the programme also included a day touring the host shipyard.
With the move to Oceanco, the summit continues to place the exchange between design and construction at its centre, developing dialogue between the yachting supply chain and other interior sectors.
The programme and participation information are available on the official Yacht Interior Summit 2027 website.
Filippo Ceragioli