Sales and attendance strong at Miami show
MIAMI – Paid attendance was up and strong sales were reported by many boat dealers as the Miami International Boat Show wrapped up yesterday, according to a story on the www.sun-sentinel.com Web site today.
The Miami boat show attracted more paid visitors on the first three days than last year, according to spokeswoman Jodi Paradise. “We won’t have a final count of paid visitors and guests until [today], but every day has been packed,” Paradise said in the Sun-Sentinel story.
Lauderdale Marina Inc., which sells Boston Whaler boats costing from $7,000 to more than $200,000, did well with its higher-end boats, said Scott Clark, vice president and general manger.
The Yacht & Brokerage Show, which displayed some 550 new and used yachts along the Indian Creek Waterway in Miami Beach, also attracted heavy crowds and big spenders, according to the story.
MarineMax Inc., which had 25 boats on display at the Yacht & Brokerage Show, booked sales for three 64-foot Hatteras yachts, at about $2.5 million each, and two 68-foot Hatteras models costing between $3.5 million and $4 million, said Peter Woods, vice president of brokerage sales.
“This was better than what we’ve seen at these shows in the last couple of years,” Woods said. “The economy has settled down and we’re seeing a lot of international visitors.”
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Allied Richard Bertram Marine Group said sales for the company were up about 75 percent from 2004, which ranked as a good year. “Monday is usually our best day for sales and we’re still selling,” said Nick Bischoff, executive vice president of sales and marketing for the firm, while sells nine lines of yachts.
The group sold 20 Tiara yachts at about $550,000 each, a 116-foot Azimut yacht for $10 million and two other smaller, multimillion-dollar Azimuts, including one on the day before the show opened, Bischoff said. “We still have a lot of people sitting on the fence,” he said. “The follow-up will be terrific in the coming weeks.”
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