Palm Beach Boat Show more than one location can handle
5/25/2004 5:12:44 PM by Bill Fedorko and Mike Petrovsky
This year's Palm Beach Boat Show, expected to have more than $300 million worth of marine merchandise on display, seems to have outgrown its one-location tradition. “The show grows every year, and exhibit space sold out faster this year than for previous years,” said Elise Lipoff, a public relations coordinator for the company producing and managing the event, Yachting Promotions Inc. So, in addition to the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway in West Palm Beach along Flagler Drive between Fern and Banyan streets, the 19th annual Palm Beach Boat Show will have an expanded home in the city's new Palm Beach County Convention Center. Both venues combined will have more than 1 million square feet of exhibit space.
The event will be held from March 25-28.
“We currently have over 500 exhibitors,” Lipoff said. “The additional space allows even more companies to exhibit and provides support to the local economy.” The newly completed convention center at 650 Okeechobee Blvd. will have more than 100,000 square feet of boating exhibits dedicated exclusively to fishing. “It will be fun to be able to attend what is essentially a new show,” said Jim Green, owner of a Venture 34 fishing boat and a long-time attendee of the Palm Beach show. “I have a new girl friend, and she is interested in fishing and plans to take in one of the ladies fishing classes.” Various fishing boat manufacturers will be at the center. Fishing will take center stage at the show. Organizers say it is the best place to get an up-close look at the latest fishing gear -- a lot of it at special “boat-show-only” pricing. Adult fishing seminars will be held inside the convention center. Among the fishing seminars will be courses on cast netting, flyfishing, choices of lures, dock fishing, highspeed Wahoo trolling, and the aforementioned “Ladies, Let’s go Fishing” class. “We'll be looking to get all kinds of new stuff for the boat,” Green said. “You know how women are -- always wanting to change things.” The convention center has 1,100 parking spaces. Ashuttle bus will take people from the center to the Flagler Drive waterfront location at no charge.
The waterfront location will have an array of new and used watercraft -- ranging from kayaks to superyachts 80 feet or greater in length. On the waterfront, more than 50 manufacturers will be exhibiting their newest models -- from mega yachts, to sport cruisers, to fishing boats.
At the waterfront show will be representatives from a who's who list of manufacturers, among them Alcon Yachts, Nordhavn, Fairline Boats, Bayliner, Sea Vee Boats, Boston Whaler, Albermarle Yachts, Rybovich Spencer, Viking Yachts, Dakota, Protector Boats, Broward Yachts, Regulator Marine, Baia Yachts, Sunseeker, Oviatt Marine, Carver Yachts, Ferretti Group, Donzi Marine, Sabre Boats, Hatteras Yachts, Chris Craft, Dusky Marine, Four Winns, Regal Boats, Salt Shaker Marine, Jupiter Marine, Lazarra Yachts, Formula Boats, Mastercraft, Twin Vee Powercat, Strike Yachts, Doral Boats, Fountain Boats, Cabo Yachts, Robalo Boats, Seaswirl Boats, Sea Ray Yachts, Wellcraft Boats, Bertram Yachts and Pro-Line. Boats of all sizes will be lined up along Flagler Drive for close inspection. And, it has been one Sarasota boat salesman's experience that the people attending the Palm Beach show are more likely to buy than at any of the other boat shows held in South Florida. “So many of the people attending the show are serious buyers,” said Beryl Lipoff of Dolphin International Yacht Sales. “You get a lot of tire kickers at Miami or Fort Lauderdale, but Palm Beach seems to bring out the buyers. It makes it worthwhile for us to bring our very best choices all the way from Sarasota.” For those who can't afford to buy new, organizers say pre-owned choices will be plentiful. And, to aid in making the decision between new and used, financial and insurance advisers will be available to help potential buyers work out a budget. For buyers on tighter budgets, perhaps one of the newest manufacturers in this year's show could provide a more frugal alternative.
“Afirst-time exhibitor this year with a really cool looking product is SOLO,” Yachting Promotions' Elise Lipoff said. “It looks like a Wave Runner, and allows a person to water-ski alone.” In addition to the hundreds of boats and merchandise on display at the convention center and along Flagler Drive, there will also be continuous free showings of Guy Harvey's “Portraits from the Deep,” a video shot underwater featuring encounters with black marlin and bluefin tuna. It will be shown in an air-conditioned theater at Flagler Drive and South Clematis Street. On March 27-28 children ages 4 to 16 can participate in interactive fishing clinics. The clinics will provide children with hands-on instruction on various fishing and marine topics.
Boat-related products also will be on display. Among them will be GPS
systems, depth finders, stabilizers, navigation systems, outboard
engines, generators, boat lifts, nautical charts, maps and manuals,
electronic windlasses, anchors, davits, fighting chairs, fishing lures,
tackle, fishing rods, galley equipment, air-conditioning and
water-purification equipment, boating safety devices and equipment,
scuba gear, alarms, paints and sealants, anti-fouling agents, deck
shoes, UV protection clothing, and polarized sunglasses.
In addition to its in-water location on Atlantic Intracoastal
Waterway, the 19th annual Palm Beach Boat Show will have an expanded
home in the city's new Palm Beach County Convention Center.