PHOTO: COURTESY INFORMA MARKETSIf you like the changes that organizers have implemented the past few years at some of America’s best-known boat shows, you’re going to love what’s on tap for the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show this year.
The show, which is scheduled to take place Feb. 12-16, is owned by the National Marine Manufacturers Association in partnership with the International Yacht Brokers Association. It’s produced by Informa Markets.
Expectations are for an economic impact of more than $955 million, with more than 100,000 attendees and more than 1,000 exhibiting brands at six locations: Miami Beach Convention Center, Pride Park, Herald Plaza, Venetian Marina, Museum Park Marina and Superyacht Miami at Yacht Haven Grande Miami.
Jennifer Thompson, the NMMA’s senior vice president of boat shows, and Larry Berryman, vice president of Miami Boating for Informa Markets, both say a big goal for this year’s show is continuing to enhance the experiences that customers have, no matter whether they’re currently shopping for a boat or not. “The boats are the stars of the shows — absolutely, they are — but you can help that experience for the attendee as they shop through these experiential things,” Thompson says.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF INFORMA MARKETSExperiences being added and broadened target everyone from people dreaming about becoming boaters to people who are looking to learn new skills and take their cruising experiences to the next level. Discover Boating Beach Clubs let people get on the water in a fun environment with chefs’ tastings, music and more.
Opening-night parties benefit local causes, bringing people to the show grounds who might not otherwise come by and check out the event. Educational courses are scheduled for longtime and novice boaters alike. At the Miami show, Pride Park is filled with water activities, upgraded food and beverage offerings, and more.
“We’re there to serve existing boaters, but also for people who are interested in boating, so we continue to provide a breadth of experiences that make it easier for people to get out on the water,” Thompson says.
Berryman touts the area outside the convention center known as the Progressive Boat Show Experience. “We have an expanded area for fishing seminars, opportunities for kids to learn to fish and tie knots and participate in clinics — that changes every year depending on the vendors and what they’re bringing, so that part of the show continues to evolve and expand,” he says.
VIP Windward Lounges also continue to be a popular draw, Thompson and Berryman say. There will be two of these lounges at the Miami Show: at the convention center and Herald Plaza sites, with the latter being a hub for boats 60 feet and larger. “You can do a combo pass for both lounges,” Berryman says. “That ticket has been extremely popular.”
And this year, the VIP Windward Lounges will likely have a new theme, Berryman says. He’s keeping mum on the details until everything is finalized, but he says that ‑showgoers can expect a “different vibe than our attendees have seen. We want to keep it fresh and different. We’re looking at adding a whole different flair.”
Berryman says the base of exhibitors on tap for this year’s show is equal to or perhaps a bit better than the number who participated last year. “Every year, it grows a little bit. People may not be able to see it because it’s incremental, but at Museum Park Marina, we’re adding additional booths on the docks because that was popular last year,” he says. “We’re increasing that opportunity for our sailing accessory manufacturers.”
Berryman says organizers expect to have more than 500 boats at the convention center alone, more than 300 at the Herald Plaza, a section at Museum Park that specializes in sailboats and catamarans — overall, more than 1,000 boats for showgoers to check out, with some available for sea trials at the Venetian Marina site. Last year, Berryman says, about 70 boats were open for sea trials. This year, it will be about 85, giving showgoers even more opportunities to experience not just different types of boats, but also a bit of the boating lifestyle.
Water taxi service will be expanding this year, too, to help attendees get from campus to campus, as well as to Miami Beach.
Thompson says the NMMA is also pleased to see exhibitors adding customer-experience activities at their individual booths. The approach to entertaining showgoers, instead of just displaying products, entices a lot of different types of people, she says. This is especially true for attendees who already own a boat and are looking for gear or other upgrades to make their cruising and fishing time more enjoyable with friends and family.
In surveys, Thompson adds, the top reason people attend boat shows after buying a boat is “looking for additional gear and fun things to improve their experiences on the water. That can be water toys, electronics, navigation, audio, all kinds of things. We try to make sure there’s a lot of accessories to shop at the show — and Miami has a ton.”
Exhibitors who provide in-booth educational experiences or product demos are the ones that tend to do quite well, she adds. Giving people a place to relax and cool off is also a winning idea.
“They’re making people comfortable as they’re shopping,” Thompson says. “We’ve seen a trend in that, and we’re encouraging that. Doing any kind of virtual-reality demos is great. Creating immersive activities for any age is good — maybe it’s simulated docking or fishing tutorials. Provide water, somewhere to sit, somewhere to talk. That’s not doable for everybody, but we’ve seen that, and people will linger longer.
“It’s a trend growing in the right direction,” she adds. “People see and are taking notice that creating experiences within your displays and after the show — maybe a private invite or a chance to get on the water and try something — really nurtures the people you talk to at the show.”
Advance ticket sales for all NMMA boat shows are up year-over-year, Thompson says, though since the pandemic Miami has “been kind of flat. Obviously, we’re doing everything to encourage that increase again.”
Among the NMMA’s efforts to boost advance ticket sales are adding earlier promotions, as well as non-traditional promotions, which the association has been trying out at other boat shows across the country. “In Atlanta this year, we have a partnership with the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl college football [game],” Thompson says. Another significant change is moving the Chicago show to the Village of Rosemont, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention & Conference Center. “There’s kind of an entertainment district around the show, so people will be able to have dinner out when they attend the boat show,” she says.
Sometimes, those kinds of changes can help to overcome whatever challenges are happening in the world. Berryman says the overall consumer and exhibitor vibe heading into the Miami show, following the recent presidential election, is “cautiously optimistic. Lending might open up a little bit.”
Key indicators for the Miami show’s success are not suggesting any hesitation based on day-to-day politics or happenings, he adds. “Can you ignore all the news that’s going on in the world? No, but it’s not reflected in the ticket sales, the conversations or the optimism. Yes, there are headwinds, but I think you’ll see all of that balance out as the new administration comes in.”
Even the threat of tariffs, which have some marine manufacturers concerned, may not be enough to dampen enthusiasm among manufacturers, Berryman says. “Certainly, there will be impacts depending on which way tariffs go, but they’re resilient,” he says. “They will find ways to continue to produce the highest-quality product and keep it at the right price for our consumers. That hasn’t changed in 50 or 60 years.”
Focusing on an enhanced customer experience is key to making sure that product gets in front of as many current and future boaters as possible, Thompson and Berryman say. Generally speaking, people want to get out on the water no matter what’s happening in the world of politics, the economy or other news.
“The bottom line is that boating, at its core, creates opportunities that our exhibitor base and our attendees have as such a core component to who we are,” Berryman says. “Some people call it a luxury item or a non-essential item, but a lot of people can’t imagine their life without boating. It’s part of their DNA.”
Feeling the pull of the water is also something that doesn’t change, he adds. While the post-pandemic stretch has been rough for some manufacturers and dealers, a lot of signals seem to be lining up that suggest a brighter sales story this year. “Could we use a really good year? Absolutely,” Berryman says. “There will be ebbs and flows in 2025, but I honestly think Miami could set some good news for the year.”
