March 11, 2019
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If you've been keeping an eye on the approach of the America's Cup and the marine industry in New Zealand, it's likely you've heard recent murmurs of a proposal which will see superyachts taxed to anchor in our waters.
Auckland Council is about to vote on a ten year proposal that will include charging foreign flagged vessels of over 40 metres in length a fee of $23 (inc GST) per metre, per day to anchor in the region's waters,...
August 11, 2016
Our industry is a game of two halves. On one side we have an industry made up of crew, manufacturers, builders, brokers, marketers, journalists and other folks who make their living from the supply, manufacturer, support and promotion of superyachts. On the other side we have the end users - the guests and owners to whom the superyacht industry is not an industry - it's a holiday.
A common line we hear from ou...
July 30, 2016
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Having a business in the superyacht industry can sometimes feel akin to planning a wedding - in that when people hear the magic word 'superyacht', they feel they can add an extra zero to the price they're quoting you.
We come up against it regularly and have honed a pretty solid skillset at beating this price back down to a fair point when we're gathering quotes on behalf of our clients! We also make s...
July 19, 2016
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If you're like us and you work in the superyacht industry, it's a fair bet you hear the word 'luxury' ad infinitum each day.
But like any word that's repeated often, luxury has lost its meaning. We see it on Instagram posts of everything from cars, yachts and villas, to cocktails and candles, and we see it in the copy of those same products' marketing materials. It's dotted throughout websites, brochures and press releases -...
July 17, 2016
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Northrop & Johnson's stand at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show
When faced with the line up of established and new-on-the-scene industry shows in the calendar year, picking which ones to allocate your budget to can be daunting.
There's the big boys - the Monaco Yacht Show, METS, and Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show - and there's the smaller shows which are highly relevant for certain sectors, or in certa...
July 10, 2016
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A question we get asked for advice on all the time, is how much is too much to spend on a website?
It's not unusual for our clients or industry friends to be told by web developers that they need to spend $20,000 - $30,000 on their website. And for some of them, that can be true.
For businesses engaging in ecommerce, or needing a complicated site to fully display a wide range of products, a significant investment in a custom...
December 22, 2015
When planning our Christmas do this year we decided that good company, delicious wine and a beautiful setting were the order of the day and where better to do that than on Auckland’s own wine paradise Waiheke Island? It was settled, Team Alba were off to Waiheke. Joining us for our outing were two of our favourite company partners, Dan Wein of Dan Wein Photography and Angie Bradley of Box 90.
Our destination was Stonyridge...
November 21, 2015
We are just winging our way back from Amsterdam where we had a great week catching up with industry at the Marine Equipment and Trade Show (METS). Team Albatross loves visiting Holland – as well as being the home of Stroopwafel, lots of tall people (the only place in the world Ellie feels short!), beautiful surroundings and the epicentre of the European yachting community, it’s also where our marketing partner Anco Kok of AK m...
October 12, 2015
In 2012, soon to be Albatross founders, Ellie and Isla were enjoying a wine in a North Wharf bar in Auckland. Enjoying because they were both recent New Zealand residents again after stints in London - and because they were swinging from the egg chairs suspended from the ceiling, which are features of The Conservatory and which lend themselves very well to drinking wine.
Having both come from the international superyac...
October 3, 2015
New Zealand's dining scene is always evolving and boasts a wide range of offerings, from cheap and cheerful to world class. Here in Auckland, there are countless options for eating and drinking out which keeps things exciting as there is always something new to try.
A quick skip and a hop up from the CBD and waterfront, Ponsonby Road is one of our favourite haunts - Alba HQ has been based in Ponsonby for the last two years an...