The recreational marine industry may be facing headwinds when it comes to new- and used-boat sales, but the companies that build boats and components are not slowing down on innovation. That’s the message from the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference, which was sold out as of late July on exhibitor space and had a waiting list of more companies that want to display products and services at this year’s show.

“You can see what’s happening in the marine industry now — it’s flat,” says Anne Dunbar, executive director of IBEX. “Boatbuilders had such huge, incredible growth, and now it’s normalizing. Exhibitors maybe won’t send as many people because they don’t have the budget for it, but there’s nothing drastic happening right now. Innovation doesn’t stop. It’s this ongoing thing. That’s what IBEX is all about: what’s new and what’s next.”

The IBEX show is scheduled to be held at the Tampa Convention Center in Florida Oct. 1-3. It’s the North American sister show to Metstrade, which has a global focus and is planned for Nov. 19-21 in Amsterdam.

As of late July, Dunbar says, IBEX visitor registration was tracking normally. In a typical year, the IBEX show sees a flurry of people signing up closer to the event dates in the fall.

This year, IBEX has a number of new offerings on tap for attendees. First is a space called the Yachting Ventures Start-Up Pavilion. It will feature 12 new companies that are trying to break into the marine industry, or that have a product they’re seeking feedback about, to see if it might work for the industry. “You’ve never seen any of them,” Dunbar says. “They have new concepts and new ideas, and they’re either trying to gain insights or have people comment and decide if they should keep going with their concepts.”

According to Yachting Ventures, some of the products will include a 3D image and animation studio; a way to monetize data and boost customer loyalty; an operating system to integrate on-board systems; a lightweight electric outboard; a fuel cell power generator; a shock- and vibration-mitigation system; AI-driven vessel navigation and monitoring; and night-vision technology.

Yachting Ventures is also working with the IBEX team to create a startup pitch competition in the style of the popular television show Shark Tank. “The industry is quite traditional. It operates in its silo,” says Lucy Wright, head of growth for Yachting Ventures. “It’s important to help new companies come through and get that exposure, and have a chance to secure an investment and funding.”

COURTESY IBEX

A similar pitch competition was held at Metstrade last year, Wright says, and one of those startups ended up securing an investment with a show attendee. “It’s an opportunity for the startups to get their toe in the U.S. market and see how scalable the idea is,” Wright says.

Dunbar says that, overall, this year’s IBEX show will have a little more than 100 new companies as exhibitors. “That’s my favorite thing at IBEX every year,” Dunbar says. “I know I’m going to see something, and everybody who attends is going to see something, that will really blow their minds and make them say, ‘Aha, I wish I’d thought of that. It’s going to make a difference. I’m going to want that on my boat.’ ”

IBEX will also have a new main stage this year — an idea that the president of a boatbuilding company suggested to Dunbar, as a location for talks that are more general interest than the show’s technical seminars. “She said, ‘This is amazing. All my guys are fighting to come here. I like learning too. Offer me something,’ ” Dunbar recalls. “That’s why we created the main stage.”

An example of how the presentations will differ is that there will be a technical seminar about using hydrogen to power recreational craft, hosted by Grant Suzuki, director and chief of technology for advanced marine systems at Yamaha’s U.S. Marine Business Unit. By comparison, on the main stage, the National Marine Manufacturers Association and the International Council of Marine Industry Associations will give an overview about the industry’s pathways to decarbonization.

Another presenter on the main stage will be Michele Goldsmith, vice president and general manager of the Soundings Trade Only Group.

Dunbar says this year’s IBEX show will also have a new third-level lounge where attendees and exhibitors can have conversations outside the fray of the main areas. “On our surveys, people said they had no place to sit down and meet,” Dunbar says. “We’re excited to have this new area that we’ve added.”

The Tech Talk theater is also being upgraded this year. It will be in a new, slightly bigger location and will have a higher level of complementary content. “This is for exhibitors who want some time to explain what they’re doing,” Dunbar says.

This article was originally published in the September 2024 issue.