Maksim Godovykh

Maksim Godovykh has received the Grand Prix of the National Russian Event Award, one of the country’s most prestigious honors in the field of event tourism and business events. The award is granted through an open national competition recognizing outstanding achievements in the development of event tourism, with more than 600 projects from over 60 regions participating each year.

Dr. Godovykh was awarded the Grand Prix in the category of top business-oriented projects for the organization of the annual international on-the-water “Volga Boat Show.” The jury highlighted the project’s innovative format, strong industry impact, and contribution to positioning the country on the international yachting and boat show map.

As the founder and director of the Volga Boat Show, Dr. Godovykh was subsequently invited to represent Russia within the International Federation of Boat Show Organizers (IFBSO) and to present at the International Congress of Yacht Show Organizers. This recognition further reinforced the Volga Boat Show’s status as a flagship international event and underscored Godovykh’s role as a leader in the global event and maritime exhibition industry.

The Volga Boat Show has grown into a recognized international forum, bringing together more than 130 manufacturers, dealers, and service providers from multiple countries. Its unique on-water format allows visitors to see vessels in action through live test drives, while also offering educational and family-oriented programming, including workshops, seminars, and demonstrations. This combination of business, education, and hands-on experience has made the show attractive to both industry professionals and the wider public.

Maksim Godovykh, owner and organizer of the Volga Boat Show, has positioned the event not simply as an exhibition, but as a strategic platform for developing the yachting and small-vessel industry. From its inception, the Volga Boat Show was designed to localize both national and international production, following extensive preparatory work that included presenting the project at major global exhibitions and engaging directly with manufacturers across Europe.

According to Godovykh, the project is guided by three long-term goals: the annual organization of the Volga Boat Show, the development of a dedicated yachting industry forum, and the hosting of the yacht design competition, which has already attracted dozens of high-quality project submissions. The success of this integrated approach has been recognized at the national level, with the Volga Boat Show receiving multiple prestigious awards in the events industry and being widely acknowledged as a flagship project.