FLIBS reports stronger than expected sales

FORT LAUDERDALE – There is “no question” that organizers made the right decision in going ahead with a rescheduled Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show this year, according to Kaye Pearson.

And now that the show is over, exhibitors “overwhelmingly agree,” added the president of Yachting Promotions Inc., which produces the show, in an interview this morning.

“The show wasn’t perfect, the community wasn’t perfect, but it was important to do this for the industry and the community,” he commented.

FLIBS generated sales activity that was stronger than most exhibitors expected and helped jumpstart Fort Lauderdale’s economy following the storm, from taxi cabs to hotels and restaurants, according to Pearson.

Attendance didn’t break any records this year, but serious buyers showed up and spent money, which is “the most significant thing,” he said.

The number of people at the show was down visibly on Thursday and Friday, Pearson admitted, but Saturday was a “pretty strong day” and Sunday drew the highest numbers, with some exhibitors suggesting it was as many as the show had ever had.

After Hurricane Wilma ripped through South Florida, FLIBS was rescheduled for Nov. 3-6, a week after and a day shorter than its original dates.

Some in the industry criticized show promoters for attempting to reschedule the show so soon following the devastation, but Pearson argued that canceling the show would have had a negative financial impact on the local economy and the marine industry.

Missing from the show was a certain percentage of buyers from Europe, the Northeast and the West Coast, he said. With Katrina fresh in their minds, many of those furthest away decided not to make the trip. But the show drew a strong following from communities located within about 500 miles of the event.

In the end, the success of FLIBS means “the entire industry wins,” and “it sends a message to the world that you can recover from something like this and quickly,” he concluded.

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