Two events merge to form “super show”

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Show Management and Sail America will merge Strictly Sail St. Pete and the St. Petersburg Boat Show to create an all-new “super show” called the St. Petersburg Boat Show & Strictly Sail, organizers reported in a release this week.

The new show will be held Dec. 4 – 7, 2008 at the Mahaffey Theater Yacht Basin in St. Petersburg, Fla. It will feature a dedicated in-water sailing area that will accommodate up to 50 sailboats, an on-land sailboat display, three air-conditioned seminar tents and a large air-conditioned accessories tent that will have a dedicated sailing section for up to one hundred 10 ft x 10 ft sailing-related booths.

A projected crowd of 25,000 is expected to attend, organizers said.

Under the terms of the new merger, Show Management will oversee all aspects of exhibitor sales, marketing and event management, while Sail America will endorse and promote the show to create a strong and viable sailing presence, including producing turnkey sailing seminars and special sailing events.

“Sail America and Show Management have been discussing the merging of our respective shows since early last year,” officials wrote in the release. “After an extensive evaluation, which included getting feedback from many Strictly Sail St. Pete exhibitors, both parties concluded the move was a winning proposition for all involved. The new show will help to increase show attendance and the number of exhibitors. Sailing will add additional appeal and excitement to the show as well as attract new sailing buyers to the venue.”

Show Management said it would send out the show brochure and space contracts shortly.

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