Ferretti Group was the multiple-award-winning protagonist of the Blue Design Summit 2026, the prestigious international event with a focus on innovation, design culture and yacht design, held from May 18 to 20 in La Spezia, in the heart of the Miglio Blu.
The event brought together the yachting sector’s leading players to discuss various topics affecting the industry, from sustainability and innovation in yacht design to coastal development and interior design.
The promoters of the Blue Design Summit 2026 are the Municipality of La Spezia, the Port System Authority of the Eastern Ligurian Sea, the Riviere di Liguria Chamber of Commerce, Confindustria La Spezia, Liguria International and Miglio Blu.
The contributors included Ivan Polidoro, the Director of Riva's La Spezia shipyard, who spoke during the Summit’s opening session on the panel entitled “La Spezia’s Miglio Blu: where UNESCO creativity is born”.
There was also great interest in Mauro Micheli and Sergio Beretta of Officina Italiana Design – the studio that has designed all Riva boats on an exclusive basis for over 30 years – who shared their ideas and experience during the panel discussion entitled "Lines on the water: two visions of design”.
Ferretti Group was also centre stage at the Blue Design Awards 2026, where the Riva and Ferretti Yachts brands won three major prizes awarded by the panel of experts, confirming the design and style excellence that have kept the Group at the forefront of international yachting.
The “Best Motoryacht under 24 metres” prize was awarded to Ferretti Yachts 800, one of the latest models presented in the flybridge range, representing a milestone in the brand’s design vision. With exteriors designed by Filippo Salvetti and interiors by the IdeaeItalia team, the award recognises the yacht’s bold yet refined stylistic personality, which successfully combines timeless elegance, dynamism and innovative design with features typically found on larger yachts.
The commercial created for the launch of Riva Cento, the open yacht for collectors presented at the Cannes Yachting Festival 2025, won the “Best Advertising Video” award. In the expert opinion of the jury, the video captures the essence of the Riva brand with an extraordinarily effective visual narrative that conjures up Italian style, heritage and beauty, transforming a product into an icon and a launch into a cultural moment.
Riva was also awarded the prestigious “Italian Yacht Ambassador” title, recognising the brand’s success in embodying and promoting the very concept of Italian-made yachting elegance around the world. From the legend of the shipyard founded in 1842 to today’s yachts designed by Officina Italiana Design: the Blue Design Awards 2026 have recognised Riva’s uniqueness as a legendary shipyard and a symbol of craftsmanship, design vitality and innovative drive.
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20 May 2026
