MIAMI MASTERPIECE
1/30/2007 11:03:48 AM by Sandy Lindsey
Read on to get a glimpse into the making of the hottest boat show on Earth from the perspective of those who are at the center of it all.
For five days every February, Miami becomes the center of the boating universe with the arrival of the Miami International Boat Show. Set for February 15-19, 2007, the 66th Annual show takes over the city long before the first of the anticipated 145,000+ attendees strolls through the main entrance. But what does it take to gather the latest powerboats, engines, sailboats, electronics and marine accessories from more than 2,200 exhibitors in 2.5 million square feet of exhibition space? Plenty.
More than 1,500 workers are required to move exhibitors in and out of the Miami Beach Convention Center. The venue is covered in one million square feet of carpeting for the show. That is the equivalent of 20 football fields. The area is then covered with the latest in powerboat technology fitted together like a jigsaw puzzle to make the most of the valuable space. Along with the wall-to-wall sportboats, fishing boats, cruisers, personal watercraft, inflatables and high-performance boats are packed-together booths featuring accessories, engines and electronics.
It takes 14 days just for electricians to complete the show’s temporary power plant; a permanent installation with the same electrical requirements would require six months to build. But how much time does it take to transform the Miami Beach Convention Center into the world’s greatest boat show? That would be five long, sweaty days of utilizing forklifts, power tools and cranes to take the boats on outside display from the trucks or trailers they arrived on into customized boat cradles, which are then hidden by festive skirting.
The in-water portions of the three-location show take place at Sea Isle Marina for powerboats and at Miamarina at Bayside for the Strictly Sail site, which features deepwater slips to 250 feet. In 1997, the facility’s 130 slips were completely rebuilt and now feature sea trails and offshore sailboat races during show hours. The adjoining Bayside complex includes 100 stores, shops and restaurants. Sea Isle berths a notable fleet of in-water sportfishing boats, cruisers, high-performance boats and yachts, some of which are available for short demo trips.
Over the years, Miami has become the show to launch new products at. “The Miami show is truly the world’s greatest because it offers something for everyone,” says Cathy Johnston, vice president of Southern Shows for the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), which produces the show. “Exhibitors use the Miami show to introduce new products for the upcoming season, while consumers find a one-stop source for all of their boating needs as well as a venue for getting the best deals on every product imaginable.”
Kevin Murphy, show manager for the Strictly Sail Miami portion of the event, adds, “The Miami show sets the barometer for new boat sales in the U.S.,” he says. “Moreover, it marks the busiest weekend in South Florida and brings tremendous economic benefits to the state, including $817.8 million in gross sales and wages.” Overall, retail sales of boats and related products and services amount to an estimated $33 billion annually in the U.S.
So what exactly does this influx of maritime enthusiasm mean to Miami Beach? “The Miami International Boat Show is always huge, so we’re expecting a lot of people and a lot of business. At last year’s show, there was $817.8 million in sales,” says Nannette Rodriguez, media relations officer for the City of Miami Beach. “It’s the biggest boat show in the country. We’re working with the organizers to set up effective traffic mitigation. There will also be several park and ride programs in place, and we’re encouraging that anyone coming out to the show park in a lot and take a shuttle over to the Convention Center.” New to this year’s show, and guaranteed to improve convenience, is the 900-spot park-and-ride facility at the American Airlines Arena.
However, the action doesn’t just happen at the three show locations. Private boating-related parties are hosted at the famous clubs, pools, and hotels of South Beach, not to mention aboard the yachts of the concurrent Yacht & Brokerage Show.
Though technically a separate show, the nearby 19th Annual Yacht and Brokerage Show is serviced by a continuous free shuttle that connects it to the Miami International Boat Show. The highly anticipated Yacht and Brokerage Show lures the top yachts from around the world to line up for inspection along the Indian Creek Waterway at Collins Avenue/A1A in Miami Beach. Some cross the ocean on their own keel, while others hitch a ride on a transport such as the Dockwise Yacht Transport, a fleet of semi-submersible yacht carriers that can transport vessels up to 479 feet. Plans to display the show are made up to a year in advance. Trucks, barges, packing crates, and workmen with power tools take over the street and waterway to construct a small but vibrant floating city of temporary floating docks, tents, and custom structures on what is otherwise quiet waters. “We have the equipment to build large-scale marinas virtually overnight,” says Skip Zimbalist, CEO of Active Interest Media who owns Yachting Promotions, Inc., producers of the show.
The end result after several days of long hours and hard work is over 500 new and pre-owned masterpieces of naval architecture and luxury design covering an anticipated 1.2 million square feet of waterway, for a total of three-quarters of a billion dollars in unparalleled opulence. This show, which is free to the public, is not just for the mega-rich. Prices range from an attainable $250,000 to over $20 million, with boat sizes running the gamut from over 160 feet in past years to family cruisers in the 30-foot range with a wide variety of options in between.
After all the crowds have gone and the excitement is over, the forklifts, cranes and crews come back to break it all down. It takes almost a full week to return the Miami International Boat Show sites to their normal workings, with planning for next year’s show already in the works.