Attendance up at Strictly Sail Chicago
CHICAGO – In its tenth year at Navy Pier, the 2005 Strictly Sail Chicago show welcomed nearly 20,000 attendees Feb. 3-6, a 3 percent increase compared to the 2004 event, the National Marine Manufacturers Association reported in a recent release.
“In its short ten-year history, Strictly Sail Chicago has built on its reputation as the only all-sail show in the Midwest and the largest indoor all- sail show in the country, becoming the annual gathering place for sailors from all over the U.S.,” says show manager Kevin Murphy. “Approximately 60 percent of attendees who purchased their tickets for the show online came from outside of Illinois, so our exhibitors are reaching a much wider audience of consumer than they were ten years ago.”
John Peterson, director of sales and marketing at Hunter Marine, says results from the show were phenomenal.
“We have never done numbers like this before,” Peterson said. “Sales during the show were normal, but since then, with the leads that were generated, sales have been great.”
Beneteau also had a good show, reporting strong sales for the event.
“This was an excellent show, our best in terms of sales,” said Beneteau regional sales manager Michael Thoney. “We wrote more deals during the show and a higher percentage of them closed.”
Preparations are under way for the next Strictly Sail Chicago, which returns to Navy Pier February 2-5, 2006.
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