The 75th edition of the Miami International Boat Show took place during last few days.
Various nautical market sectors and maritime innovations were represented on show, from natural gas engines to cutting-edge navigation systems. Concerning boating industry, 1200 new more boats were on display, 400 of which on the water.
Buyers, boating enthusiasts and families attended the exhibition, where new powerboats and yachts from high-end to ultra-luxury were docked. Expectations about the attendance (more than 100,000 people), were much exceeded since the very beginning of the show.
This year’s edition took place in a new location, the Miami Marine Stadium Park & Basin on Virginia Key, temporarily leaving its home at the Miami Beach Convention Center, which is being renovated. Its relocation to Virginia Key was severely contested by the city of Key Biscayne and environmentalists.
Limited parking on the island was solved with an extensive park and ride system rolled out for the first time.
“85 percent of our attendees are using the park and ride,” said Thom Dammrich, president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association. “Park and ride has been a huge success, but we didn’t have enough water taxis. We can fix that next year.”
According to the public of the show, long waits for water taxis were felt as problematic, but the overall location, views and layout of the show were much appreciated.
Marine Equipment & Technology
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