FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Hundreds of thousands of boating enthusiasts and marine industry professionals worldwide come together October 28 through November 1, 2010 in Fort Lauderdale for the 51st annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show®, the largest in-water boat show in the world. The show features more than $3 billion worth of boats, yachts, super yachts, electronics, engines and thousands of boating accessories from every major marine manufacturer and boat builder across the globe.
Business at the Boat Show
With exhibitor contracts exceeding 2009 and vendors prepared to entice customers, boat show organizers expect a stronger show this year. Yacht manufacturers and brokers hope to get a boost from a sales tax cap that went into effect on July 1, limiting the six percent Florida state sales tax on a boat purchase to $18,000. Marine companies that have survived the economic downturn are well managed and financed and have cleaned up their model lines to focus on boats that sell.
The Largest Boat at the Largest Boat Show In The World
Making its international debut at this year’s Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show is the superyacht Cakewalk, built by Derecktor Shipyards. At 281 feet (85.6 meters) and 2,950 tons, Cakewalk is the largest yacht built in the United States since the 1930s. Styled by internationally acclaimed yacht designer Tim Heywood, Cakewalk blends the timeless elegance of classic American motor yachts with contemporary yacht design and engineering.
Boats Under 40 Feet, Personal Watercraft, Canoes, and Kayaks
While super yachts typically grab the spotlight, most of the show consists of smaller, more affordable options. The Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, one of five show sites, is the place to see the latest models of boats under 40 feet from a long list of builders, along with engines, boating accessories, watersports equipment and everything nautical.
Beyond the Boats: Fishing Clinics, Diving Seminars and More
The show has throttled up this year with an all-around marine experience. All seminars and demonstrations are free with a ticket to the show. The wide variety of programs includes the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) School of Sportfishing, Blue Wild Dive and Travel Show, and Hook the Future’s Annual Kids Fishing Clinics. For a full schedule of events, please visit ShowManagement.com.
New Transportation & Parking: Navigating the Yachting Capital of the World
This year’s show covers 3 million square feet of space in five venues: Bahia Mar Beach Resort and Yachting Center, the Hall of Fame Marina, the Las Olas Municipal Marina, the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina, and the Broward County Convention Center. The show’s transportation network of bus shuttles, water taxis, and riverboats assures easy navigation of the city and its expansive waterways system. New, additional parking this year includes:
- An overflow lot for Broward County Convention Center of more than 400 spots at the Sails Marina on the southeast corner of the 17th Street Causeway bridge at Harbourview Drive, with two buses running regularly from the overflow lot to the Convention Center throughout the Show. Parking at the Convention Center costs $14. Parking at the overflow lot costs $10.
- The Galleria Mall, located at 2414 E. Sunrise Blvd., offering valet parking service from its main entrance in front of the Capital Grille for $6 per day. From the valet drop-off, attendees walk across the street to the Water Taxi stop at the Gallery One Doubletree Hotel. A $10 all-day pass grants unlimited one-day usage of the show’s water taxis.
- Las Olas Riverfront parking garage located at One River Plaza with $5-a-day parking on Saturday, Oct. 30 and Sunday, Oct. 31. A $1-per-hour rate with a $12-a-day maximum applies on Thursday, Oct. 28, Friday, Oct. 29, and Monday, Nov. 1. Free riverboats with the capacity to hold several hundred people run continuously from the Las Olas Riverfront docks to the Bahia Mar Yachting Center.
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The War Memorial Auditorium parking location offers an easy park and ride on the Boat Show Shuttle to Bahia Mar or to the Broward County Convention Center. The cost is $6.
Boat Show Goes Green
Show Management, the company that produces and manages the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, has pledged to offset 100 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions from its electricity and fuel usage at this year’s show. Additionally, the SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center is on track to becoming certified by the U.S. Green Building Council in Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED).
Schedule and Ticket Info
To purchase tickets to the 2010 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, please visit ShowManagement.com.
Show Hours
• Thursday, Oct. 28 (Prime Time Preview) 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 29 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 30 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 31 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 1 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Admission
• Prime Time Preview (Thursday, Oct. 28) $30 online, $32.00 at show site
• General Admission (Adults) $16.00 online, $18.00 at show site
• Children (Ages 6-15) $3.00 online, $5.00 at show site
• Children (Under age 6) FREE
• Two-Day Ticket $32.00 online, $34.00 at show site
Onsite Box Office Locations
• Bahia Mar Yachting Center
• Las Olas Marina
• Broward County Convention Center
Additional Box Office Location
• Las Olas Riverfront
About The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show®
The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show® is owned and sponsored by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida and managed and produced by Show Management. The 2010 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show® is presented by Intellian Technologies and co-sponsored by Yachts International, XM WX Weather Worx, Atlass Insurance Group, Budweiser, Seakeeper, The South Florida Sun Sentinel, The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, Hook the Future, Aqualuma, Native Energy, the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), Imtra Marine, Alexseal and Chartis. For more information, call (954) 764-7642 or (800) 940-7642, or visit ShowManagement.com.