FLIBS attendance up 7% for 2017, number of vessels up 4%
Fort Lauderdale Boat Show 2017 (FLIBS) saw a substantial increase in attendance and number of vessels over last year, with overall attendance up seven percent and the number of boats of display up 4%.
There was a 9% increase in new boats under 100 feet and a 10% growth in the number of pre-owned boats over 100 feet year-on-year.
Back in March, FLIBS was acquired by multinational events company Informa Group. Commenting on the increases, Andrew Doole, Informa general manager, said: “Informa’s investments in the show delivered a superior visitor experience to previous shows. 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.”
FLIBS has contributed $11.5 billion to the region’s economy and supports 136,000 marine industry jobs in South Florida.
FLIBS industry responses
Ferreti Group: “The 2017 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show brought an increase in visits to our displays and enabled us to enter into many strong negotiations and a number of sales,” said Randy Coleman, vice president of sales of Ferretti Group America. “Fort Lauderdale continues to be an important show for Ferretti Group as we see great attendance from our US-based clients as well as an increase in visitors from South America. Our South American dealers were very pleased with the outcome and recognise the importance of attending this show.”
Ocean Alexander: “We were very pleased with the traffic at this year’s show and the overall feeling of optimism among our brokers and clients when the show concluded,” said Sally Doleski, vice president of marketing. “New docks, clear dock-markings for those trying to find their way through an incredibly large location, and increased variety for food and beverage options all added to the enjoyment of our guests at the show.”
Viking Yachts: “It was a tremendous show, with high energy, brisk sales activity and great enthusiasm for our new boats – the 93 Motor Yacht and the 44 Open — as well as all our other yachts,” said Patrick Healey, president and CEO. Viking sold 13 boats from 37 to 93 feet at FLIBS. The company’s 15-vessel display drew more visitors than any previous Fort Lauderdale show — more than 7,000 over the five-day event. The New Jersey-based company also announced that a new 68 Convertible will debut at the Miami Yacht Show in February.
