Weather impacts New York and Louisville boat shows
The 2022 Progressive® Insurance New York Boat Show®, presented by Discover Boating®, and Progressive® Insurance Louisville Boat, RV & Sportshow®, presented by Discover Boating®, both wrapped up on Sunday, January 30.
The New York show faced an atypical year as the record East Coast snowstorm forced closure on Saturday (traditionally the show’s busiest day). Coupled with current market-specific challenges, attendance was down as expected at 10,979.
The Louisville show attracted 36,620 attendees, on par with previous years’ attendance despite winter weather conditions heading into the weekend.
And while both shows faced headwinds, early sales reports show consumer demand for new boats and outdoor recreation remain strong, and the NMMA looks forward to building upon the New York and Louisville shows in 2023.
To expand how the industry is connecting with consumers beyond the show floor, NMMA introduced the first phase of the new Digital Show Guide, with a soft launch in New York featuring the ‘Boat Search’ tool on NYBoatShow.com.
The tool allowed visitors to search and compare boats by type, size, propulsion, manufacturer, and price. The soft launch generated more than 9,000 sessions over a seven-day period, with the average session around four minutes.
Marketing efforts around the Digital Show Guide during Saturday’s snowstorm spurred more than 2,000 sessions. The next phase of the Digital Show Guide will include added functionality – from show maps and exhibitor search tools, to show programming and schedules – and will be rolled out in the following test markets for 2022:
- New England
- Miami
- Atlantic City
- Northwest
Up next: the Discover Boating® Miami International Boat Show® and Progressive® Insurance New England Boat Show, presented by Discover Boating®, taking place February 16-20, 2022.
