Catch up on all the action from the Superyacht Design Festival 2026 in Kitzbühel

Keynote explores how Gen Z will reshape the future of luxury

Time: 09:55
Venue: K3
Session name: Inside the minds of tomorrow’s billionaires: ‘Gen Z whisperer’ Jenk Oz on the future of luxury
Speaker: Jenk Oz, founder and CEO, Thred Media

Jenk Oz challenged preconceptions around Gen Z and the next generation of ultra-high-net-worth individuals. He explored how values, behaviour and expectations are changing – and what this means for the future of superyacht design and ownership.

According to Oz, Gen Z and millennials are going to make up 74 per cent of the global workforce by 2030, which spells a positive shift for the industry. "This is good news for you, because we're choosing experiences over goods. Sixty-five per cent of people rank travel as their top priority and are spending, not saving," said Oz.

"We're spending 26 per cent on live events, more than the previous generations have. Our life journeys, digital exposure and future wealth have predisposed us to make choices that are leading us to buy and charter boats earlier and more often than [previous] generations."

The state of superyachting sets the scene for the day

Time: 09:40
Venue: K3
Session name: The State of Superyachting
Speaker: Gabrielle Lazaridis, business editor, BOAT International

BOAT International’s business editor Gabrielle Lazaridis delivered a forward-looking analysis of the global superyacht fleet, drawing on BOATPro’s latest data and market intelligence. Her presentation examined shifts in build activity and the evolving competitive landscape among builder nations.

"The latest Global Order Book shows there are 1,093 superyachts in the current order book, which is a slight decline on last year’s number of 1,138. [...] Some of this decline is because of the simple fact that yachts are becoming bigger, which means less room in sheds," said Lazaridis. "So, the industry doesn’t appear to be contracting, so much as evolving."