MIAMI from Page 1
and public will be down this year.
Adding to the sprawling marketplace,
independent producer Show Management
Inc. stages its big Yacht & Brokerage
Show simultaneously along Miami Beach’s
Collins Avenue (see accompanying story).
The National Marine Manufacturers Association is doing what it can to help exhibitors sell more products at the show
and clear excess inventory.
The association is temporarily relaxing
its model-year policy for its winter boat
shows, allowing exhibitors to display a 50
percent mix of new models and unused
boats from the 2008 model year. This is
up significantly from the traditional 20
percent limit on previous-year models
(see story on Page 32).
“In tough times, you’ve got to reduce inventory,”
says Ben Wold, NMMA executive vice president in
charge of boat shows.
As the industry struggles through the rough waters of the recession,
companies are looking to the Miami show as a bellwether to ’09.
hibit space by about 28 percent.
“A lot of companies … were forced to reduce the size of their space,” says David
Walsh, director of marketing for the Michi-gan-based boatbuilder. “When the right
space became available and allowed us to
grow and show our larger products, we felt
this was the time to take advantage of it.”
Tiara plans to unveil its new 4800, the
company’s largest convertible.
“It fits very well in that market,” says
Walsh. “We’re very hopeful we’re going
to do well in that market.
“We’re going into the show to be as successful as possible,” he continues. “We are
committed to the show. We will be more
conservative in our spending, but from a
participation and R&D standpoint, we’re in
it for the long haul.”
Courting quality
The NMMA also is helping exhibitors identify the more
serious buyers coming to the show. The association sent
free tickets to “hot leads” from Discover Boating — those
who indicate they are in the market for a new boat and
want to buy within the next three months.
“We will give them a special wristband and tell
dealers to look for these people,” Wold says.
Finally, the NMMA is trying to help exhibitors cut
costs by working with contractors to reduce rates for
services such as installing carpet or hanging signs.
“We’re trying to help them save money wherever
we can,” says Wold.
Budget-conscious NMMA also is scaling back on various industry events to keep its own costs in check.
With fewer resources to work with this year, the
NMMA says it is trying to curtail its normal industry
activities at the show while still providing a quality
event and delivering important information to media
and the industry at large.
For example, instead of a full-scale media breakfast on opening day, the NMMA will host a simple
press briefing at which president Thom Dammrich will deliver his traditional State of the Industry address.
The Miami Innovation Awards will be presented
Feb. 13, but there will be no Grow Boating meeting
this year, because the NMMA decided to forego an advertising campaign this year and redirect the assessments back to manufacturers.
‘Working it hard’
Exhibitors say they hold no unrealistic expectations
for the Miami show, given the state of the economy
and the fact that many are closely watching their
budgets. But everyone seems determined to put their
best efforts forward — from new product offerings to
special retail promotions.
“Obviously it’s a tough year, but we’re going to
work it hard,” says MarineMax’s Sandrich.
“We have scaled back somewhat on boat shows,”
he says. “We’re trying to be smarter. The effort is the
same or more, but with less expense.”
Tiara Yachts, on the other hand, will increase its ex-
Sea Ray holds line
Sea Ray Boats has increased its space at the Miami
Beach Convention Center and moved its in-water display from Collins Avenue to the Sea Isle Marina. Overall,
the exhibit space comes out about the same, says Rob
Noyes, Sea Ray vice president of marketing.
“We cut some expenses, but not our presence,” he says.
Sea Ray will have 16 new boats with joystick docking at the show, including the new 54-foot Sundancer, as well as the new 27-foot, 25-foot and 23-
foot Sundancer models. The company will also feature its new 22-foot Pachanga to celebrate its 50th anniversary year.
“We’re excited to showcase those new models,”
says Noyes. “I don’t have any unrealistic expectations, but we will sell boats.
“With fuel prices down, there is a good chance
there will be more boating this year,” he continues.
“Lifestyles are getting trimmed back, but they’re not
getting cut back drastically.”
Brokerage show will be bigger than last year
The 21st annual Yacht & Brokerage Show has expanded some 15 to 20 percent to accommodate new exhibitors
and larger displays. “There is more interest from exhibitors because last year was a really good show,” says Emily
Taffel-Schaper, senior account executive for Haber & Quinn Public Relations.
Taffel-Schaper says organizers are expecting a good turnout.
The in-water-only presentation will take up more than 1.2 million
square feet of space across a mile-long strip of the Indian Creek Waterway. The promoters say they’ll have 500 new and used vessels,
valued at more than three-quarters of a billion dollars.
The array of boats includes superyachts, sportfishing craft,
express cruisers, family cruisers and oceangoing trawlers from 30 to 160 feet, with price tags running between
$250,000 and $30 million.
“Superyachts are still holding strong,” she says. “They’re still selling.”
The sentiment up to now has been that the large yacht market is
holding its own, but that premise could be challenged as the recession deepens worldwide.
The show, a multimillion-dollar presentation of yachts and superyachts, runs Feb. 12-16 along Collins Avenue in Miami Beach, simultaneous with the Miami International Boat Show.
The docks will be lined with new models from Azimut, Bertram, Christensen, Fairline, Ferretti, Hargrave, Hatteras,
Marquis, Ocean Alexander, Riviera, Rodriguez, San Marino, Sessa, Sunseeker, Viking, Westport and others.
RICH ARMSTRONG (BOTTOM)
Taffel-Schaper says many exhibitors will be offering “huge deals” and “great perks,” such as free trips for buyers
to see the facilities in which their yachts will be built.
A party atmosphere will prevail on Collins Avenue, with live music, entertainment and food on the floating cocktail barges.
Free shuttles will be offered to and from the Miami Beach Convention Center and Sea Isle Marina — the two Miami
International Boat Show locations.
The brokerage show is owned by the Florida Yacht Brokers Association and produced by Show Management Inc.
— Melanie Winters
Loans will be there
One looming question: Will there be financing available for those who do want to buy a boat? Don
Parkhurst, senior vice president of SunTrust Bank,
says there will be, even with the departure of several
retail lenders in the last year or two.
“The pool has shrunk, but there will be lenders at
the show and there will be adequate financing for
consumers,” says Parkhurst, past president of the National Marine Bankers Association.
He cautions, however, that fewer consumers will
qualify than in past years. Some prospective buyers
who would have been given loans in previous
years may find it more difficult, because the remaining lenders have adopted more stringent standards, he says.
As for the show itself, Parkhurst expects turnout
will be down — particularly among the big international contingent that has become a Miami staple.
“People have extremely modest expectations for
the show,” he says. “I think they will sell some boats
there, but I think there will be a lot less people than
in past years. The Miami show has been buoyed by international buyers — South Americans and Europeans, in particular. They’re one year behind us in
the recession; they were more optimistic in February
2008. This year is going to be different, because
they’re really feeling the recession now.”
The absence of those international buyers, however, could make the show a better harbinger of what
2009 holds in terms of domestic sales.
Fuel prices may help
Dale Barnes of Yamaha Marine Group acknowledges
that times are tough, but he says there are
See Miami, Page 32
