Fort Lauderdale Boat Show Attendance Rises 7 Percent

Approximately 105,000 international buyers, sellers and browsers came to see the latest that the global boating industry has to offer at the 58th annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show and to do business in the “Yachting Capital of the World.”

Drawing visitors from more than 50 countries, attendance at this year’s event was up 7 percent over 2016, organizers reported.

“The near-perfect weather, strong economy and better docks and signage all helped make the show a great experience for everyone who attended,” said Bob Denison. 

Buyers had a larger selection to choose from, with an overall increase of 4 percent in the number of boats on display in the water, with a 9 percent jump in new boats under 100 feet and 10 percent growth in the number of brokerage (pre-owned) boats over 100 feet.

“Informa’s investments in the show delivered a superior visitor experience to previous shows,” said Andrew Doole, general manager of Informa, the show’s producer. “Excellent weather, a robust economy, realigned marketing efforts and a huge selection of new product offerings brought energetic crowds to the docks and exhibits daily.”

The 58th annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show spans more than three million square feet of exhibit space in-water and on land across seven locations including the Bahia Mar Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel & Yachting Center, the Hall of Fame Marina, Las Olas Municipal Marina, Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina, Sails Marina, Hyatt Regency Pier 66 Marina, and the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center.

Denison had more than 40 yachts at the show, including brokerage displays at Bahia Mar and Las Olas Bend, new Hatteras and Beneteau displays at Bahia Mar, the 203′ Benetti superyacht Mine Games at the Sails Marina and an additional yacht at Pier 66.

Other attractions at this year’s event included Take the Helm on-the-water boat handling classes from Carefree Boat Club, IGFA School of Sportfishing seminars, the Blue Wild dive and marine art show, and Hook The Future kids’ fishing clinics.

“The 2017 clinics were better than ever and drew hundreds of families eager to learn how to catch more fish and have fun doing it together. We can’t wait till next year,” said Hook The Future founder, Capt. Don Dingman.

One of the Windward VIP Club’s attractive benefits was the dedicated concierge team, Delmay and Partners, who worked on behalf of VIP passholders to arrange various services including yacht tours, local dining reservations, private transportation and other conveniences.

The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show contributes $11.5 billion to the region’s economy and supports the sustainability of 136,000 marine industry jobs in South Florida.