FLIBS FOLLIES
10/4/2007 4:58:05 PM by Sandy Lindsey
We track some of the most unforgettable moments in the history of the largest boat show on the planet so you have something besides new boat launches and marine gadgets to talk about as you peruse all 3 million square feet of land and water displays at this year’s show.
Photos by Forest Johnson
The furious winds of Hurricane Wilma blew across the semi-set up Fort Lauderdale Boat Show sites with much more strength than the predicted “Category 1 or maybe less,” tearing up the large tents that had already been erected, flinging around anything that wasn’t able to be moved to safe storage. In her vengeance, she littered the site with palm fronds, sand and other storm flotsam. To add insult to injury, she took down a record number of power poles, leaving 3.2 million without electricity in the South Florida area.
Such is the spirit of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, or more commonly, FLIBS, which over the years has become more than just an excellent display of boats. Many would argue that it has taken on a life of its own. In the case of Wilma, the show did indeed go on albeit at the later dates of Nov. 3-6. “My team and I took out our yellow legal pads and headed straight over to the site immediately after the storm,” says Kaye Pearson, former CEO of Show Management, who produces the show. “The place was devastated. We took stock of what had to be done and opted to move ahead no matter what the cost. It was the right thing to do for the industry and the local economy. And it was one positive thing to look forward to for a devastated area.”
The Show Management team worked a full 24/7 to clear debris and set up virtually a new show in about half the time or less than they would normally have had. Replacement tents where shipped in from Chicago. The City of Fort Lauderdale and Florida Power & Light went above and beyond to do their parts. And the show did indeed go on. The resulting attendance was down somewhat, but show spirits were high.
But not all boat show stories are as triumphant. Several years back, one of the megayachts arrived early. The captain and crew, happy to see their slip and have their long journey over, dutifully began to pull into the vessel’s assigned space. The crew may have wondered why suddenly several people were running down the dock toward them, but figured they were just coming to help tie up. Soon the wildly waving arms and incessant shouting from below caught the attention of a crewmember on the foredeck. It seems that by docking several hours ahead of their assigned time, the yacht had completely blocked off the route that boats in the 30- to 50-foot range were using to get into their slips. The megayacht subsequently pulled back out and the grumbling captain, heard occasionally over the VHF radio, idled in the Intracoastal for several hours until all the little boats had pulled in.
This year marks the 48th anniversary of the show, which takes place Oct. 26-29. A grand total of $1.6 billion in boats, superyachts, electronics, engines, gear and accessories will take up the 3 million square feet of land and in-water useable space. To create this short-term “city within a city,” total setup and breakdown costs average just over $10 million, according to Show Management. What does that money buy? Hundreds of vigorous workers and enough electric power, air-conditioning, water lines, communications and bathroom facilities to support a metropolis of 60,000, which is in effect what the show becomes.
In early October, several weeks before the show is set to open, a specialized barge arrives and workers begin setting pilings into the Intracoastal Waterway bottom. These supports will become the stalwart yet temporary backbone of the 20 miles of floating docks that are required in addition to permanent dock space at Bahia Mar Yachting Center, Hall of Fame Marina and the Las Olas Municipal Marina locations utilized by the show for the majority of the boats on display. In fact, dockage contracts at Bahia Mar specify that boat owners must vacate their berths for three weeks annually to allow for the show — an issue of much contention for year-round Bahia Mar residents.
Next come the massive tents that cover the majority of the huge Bahia Mar parking lot and their accompanying mammoth air conditioning chiller units. Soon the exhibitors and their merchandise begin to arrive. Trucks and forklifts create traffic jams as they move crates filled with everything from anchors to diesel engines into place, and the aisles are soon packed with empty crates and boxes that need to be stored until the show breaks down. This pace doesn’t let up until the Wednesday night closed parties aboard some of the yachts. Thursday morning sees some exhibitors still making last-minute adjustments to their booth displays and waiting on late packages to arrive for them at the show office.
Then it’s showtime. The announcement of the official opening of the show on Thursday’s Preview Day is designed to give attendees anticipatory goosebumps as they rush through the turnstiles to see the latest and greatest offerings of the boating industry, eat a wide variety of non-diet delicacies at the food court and enjoy the various entertainment and fashion shows scattered throughout. Previous preview days have seen Kevin Costner and his then-fiance whisked discretely to and from a yacht he was looking at, whereas other celebrities such as Miami Dolphin Jason Taylor are seen casually meandering through the show. Taylor’s yacht, Katina, was on display that year at the Hargrave booth.
Cleaning crews stand by with spray bottles and rags in hand to keep the boats, and especially the superyachts, looking their best despite the footsteps and hand smudges of the thousands of attendees the show averages each day. If only we could take them home with us to keep our boats looking so good after a day on the water!
After all this buildup and anticipation, the show lasts a mere four days. Then it’s time to reverse the process and breakdown what took so long to build. Booths empty out, exhibitors leave, the large tents are broken down and the giant air-conditioning chiller units are moved out. Boats head out in reverse order to the way they came in. Lastly, the construction barge is brought back out to remove the floating docks and the pilings that were so carefully set just weeks ago. Two weeks after the show ends, anyone driving or cruising by the various sites would be hard pressed to tell that a boat show with thousands of attendees had been there at all. Meanwhile, planning for the 2008 Fort Lauderdale Boat Show has already begun.
So as you peruse this year’s show, keep in mind all the details that go into making it grand — and all the potential stories that can result if you pay close enough attention. After all, it’s the experience that really matters in the end.
BEHIND THE SCENES Wave gets an exclusive look at what you to can expect at this year’s FLIBS show from the man who’s at the helm of it all, Skip Zimbalist.
Back in 1959, the first Fort Lauderdale Boat Show featured a mere 29 boats in the water and 18 boats on land. The most costly boat in the show was a whopping $3,100. The largest boat measured in at a conservative 26 feet. The single-site show — which varied venues over the following years between Pier 66, Port Everglades and the Dania Jai-Alai parking lot — was free.
Today, the story is much different as patrons arrive to the sights of show flags flapping in the ocean breeze on the narrow stretch of land that is the Radisson Bahia Mar Resort & Marina. Large balloons with vendor names and logos float over the megayacht marina that has been almost magically transformed into one of the six sites that comprise the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. The murmur of the crowd begins to amplify as excitement increases, a bit more enthusiastic with every passing year.
And now, the “Greatest Show on Water and Land” is upon us again. Marking the sophomore year for the show’s new producer, Show Management, Skip Zimbalist, III, and his partners in Active Interest Media are beginning to put their unique stamp on the show. So what can we expect new this year? “The show is more electronically oriented this year,” says Zimbalist, adding that online tickets will be available, curbing the traditionally long ticket lines at the door. Additionally, the redesigned FLIBS website will make the show “much more enjoyable,” says Zimbalist. “Boat buyers can do research on exhibitors online, print out maps of the show and make appointments with people they want to see.” Additional enhancements include a fresh new look on everything from the tickets to the overall theme of the show sites; separate tenders for brokers and superyacht buyers between Pier 66 and Bahia Mar so they can avoid the crowded roads; and a luxury pavilion containing haute jewelry, art, real estate opportunities and more. “We’re very enthusiastic about this year’s show,” concludes Zimbalist. “Early indications are great: The exhibitor space is sold out and we expect good crowds and that exhibitors, especially in the currently tough mid-size boat market, will pull out all the stops to sell boats.” And with that level of confident enthusiasm, the show can’t help but be successful.