FLIBS Poll...

Polling

Carl -

As I follow your polling statistics, it sticks me that we are missing the essence of the possible responses.

Though it is interesting as to whether or not people will attend, the real issue is whether or not you were going in the first place and whether or not you are going to attend post-Wilma.

I think many do not appreciate the international nature of the event. If you are driving in from Davie to look at nautical footwear versus sending your entire staff and product line from Austalia to display, there exists a huge disparity.

People that were not coming originally may be enticed to attend now that the crowds will be diminshed and you can actually see the boats and not wait in line an hour for a porta-potty.

See you there!

Stan

FLIB Show go or no go

Hi Carl, I am attending the FLIB Show since I shall be in the States at that time anyway. Hope, though, that all services will already be in operation so as to give us the comfort we deserve in such an important occation. Of cource show organizers should and must see to that.

In case the show ends up a failure, they will definitely feel the brunt of the industry's loss and visitors' confidence.

I do feel the plight of the people in Florida. My heart goes out to them, and can only hope that they, with the help of the Almighty, will immediately be able to get back to normalcy.

Incidentally, will we be meeting personally? Would yacht forums have a booth? If not, where should one get to you the fastest?

Hope you've got everything repaired and back to normal as far as your home is concerned.

See you.

Best regards,
Andy

You make a very good point Shadow. If I was able to go, then i would be more attracted to going because of that reason, however, the main fear is - where do i stay, how do i get there, where do i park, how do i manouver over 6 lane intersections with no traffic signals when i am used to driving on the other side of the road! Litle trivial things like that would put a lot of people off!

However, if i was over there i would probably be tubburn enough to go anyway. After all, the organisers have gone to a lot of effort, and cost, to get it up and running so soon.

just an opinion

What is important it is to maintain the spirit. If its not possible to do physically, then make a virtual exhibition here on yachtforums

Go or not go

Showmanagement is doing his best to recovery from Wilma and will produce a decent show as always.
The main discussion is; are we doing the show for clients of for the industry?
I do not believe that clients will show up for the show. lack of accommodation such as major hotels in the area are with out service today and unable to take a reservation until next week.

Really, I don't think that we all are in a situation to produce a show for the brokers and salesmen of the USA as no European brokers will be attending.

Show management should step down, recognize that the timing is not best and that the South Floridians are not in the mood.

Many boats have been damaged and will be a pitty to show them like that.

To still have Maimi show, produce a good one there.

Regards

Boat Show Folly

Amazing that there is a boat show scheduled with no power, no traffic lights, questionable hotel rooms, sand on the roads. How can anyone expect this show to go off without creating major ill feelings in the general community. I would not like to be responsible for the long term implications of this decision.

As a Fort Lauderdale based company with 7 boats in the show, all of which sustained some sort of damage in the storm, can the organisers please tell me how to procure the following:

1.A yard to haul my boats to repair the gelcoat damage.
2.A laundry to be able to clean my staff's uniforms as no one has power at home to be able to do laundry.
3.A babysitting service for my staff's children who have no schools to go to
4.Gas for our vehicles as we ran out 2 days ago
5.Fresh food might be nice too but then maybe I am asking for just too much.

This is one of the crassest moves by Show Management I have ever come across. I realise that Customer Service was never their strong point but this one takes the biscuit.

You can bet there will be a lawsuit following this debacle and I for one will be joining it.

ARROGANCE is definitely AFLOAT!

I, too, am embarrassed to be in a marine business after this decision! Yes, it's terribly unfortunate for ALL, especially FLIBS management, to have lost - so much in management's case, BUT NOW THEY WANT TO LOSE IT ALL...i.e. their REPUTATION - and have now brought upon themselves a very bad NEW REPUTATION....as completely SELFISH, GREEDY, and utterly lacking in both common sense AND human compassion for all of South Florida's plight!!!!

Shame on them!!!!!!!!

I am angry too

I am posting anonymously as I am a small company and cannot afford any repercussions from what I might say here.

I am a small startup company. This was my first time exhibiting at the show. I begged my personal friends to take vacation time to fly down at my expense so they could help man my booth. One my fiends was coming from the UK. They are unable to rearrange their schedules on such short notice, let alone their flight.

I cannot even hotel rooms as they are booked up with displaced people and prior reservations. Needless to say, I simply can no longer afford to attend. And as it is, I doubt the turnout will be worth the effort of sleeping in a tent and going by myself, as I have a very small target niche market as it is.

Show Management are a bunch of idiots! They are rude! They are way too greedy. Instead of taking a loss and delaying the show a month or so, they are making us exhibitors pay!

It is also apparent that Show Management did not have any contingency plans in place.

The lady there with the New York accent answering the phone was a complete ***** the two times I got through. She also took issue when I nicely recommended that they put up a temporary website to release information, as there were so many conflicting reports, all of which said to go to their website for more information. Of course, their website was and still is down due to the power being out.

To this day, I have yet to receive any information from Show Management at all-no letters, no email, and no faxes. I certainly know that I put all that info on my paperwork about fifty times, literally. I do not even know where/when setup day is.

I apologize for the rant. Show Management’s attitude and disorganization simply disgust me. I am so angry, that in the future I may boycott this show altogether and simply go back to Miami.

www.flibs.net/

This temporary website has been on since yesterday and may help to get better information from the Show Management; http://www.flibs.net/

I'll Be There

You can bet I'll be there. This is the best event of the year. Show Management and Kaye Pearson are truly talented to put on event after such a disaster. A real community service is being done here for the city of Fort Lauderdale, and the marine industry.

I am attending for sure.

Despite all these Hurricanes I will definitely attend this marvelous event. This is where we all get great leads, and many of our incomes depend on this show, so unless you want to be lazy and stay home without making any money at all, do so. We don't need any whiners at the show next to my booth anyways.

Smack in the face

For Kaye or anyone else to attempt to put on this years show is a smack in the face for each and everyone of us in this industry and the local people as well. You know **** well that FPL is being pulled off of residential power restoration so that power will be available at the show sites! Preparing a boat for the show takes enough time and energy without a storm as Wilma moving in a beating the **** out of the boats and crew. "Oh Mr Client look at this nice 68 footer, never mind the blown out pilothouse windshield" Who ever the guy is from California saying that he could understand canceling the show if it were Katrina needs to get a clue! Wind gusts to 144mph!! To put this show on would be equal if not worse than back in the day when the show was in Port Everglades and was hit by a hurricane. Ahh I have vented!!!

Rest assured, you will probably have no one in the booth next to yours. And no customers in front of it either.

Actually by this weekend many people will have their power back, but no phones or cable, guess where they will go??????

The only reason that "the show must go on" is that of money. Show Management does not want to return one thin dime to anyone. Not that it matters that peolple are without so much that we should all be looking at LUXURY items. Maybe those without a home or a roof, no power, no fuel, no hot food should get free passes to the show!

Thanks Show Management for making our industry better.

I'm an exhibitor in the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. After re-reading the contract i see that they could have taken our money and ran...legaly. I'm glad they are trying to do something. You can see pictures of the show setup on www.flibs.net/flibs05_1.htm. It looks good.

Dis-Service

Going on with the show will place a Heavy Burden on the city of Fort Lauderdale's already-limited resources. It will NOT be a community service ... it will instead be a DIS-SERVICE.

I disagree, FLIBS brings in so much money and jobs to the City of Fort Lauderdale. This is exactly what the city needs right at this time.

Nothing gets accomplished when you stay home after a hurricane!

Plus Boat Show Management is not the owner of FLIBS (MIASF is) therefore they are contractually bound to produce the show. I hope my company has a great show, less competition as was mentioned by a user in this forum above.

Boat Show?

I just finished watching the Miami Hurricanes football game that was at home in the Orange Bowl...The upper decks were closed and it appeared that only a few thousand people attended.This should be a good indicator of what the priorties of the people of south Florida are right now.

With marine related business from Galvaston to Palm Beach destroyed this boat show will do little to rebuild our infrastructure and even hurt many smaller companys who spend the money to go and don't see a return on their investment.

Boat show attendance has been dismal on the west coast of Florida so far this season and with hurricanes,high fuel costs,red tide,and over zealous regulations continuing to take their toll we need more than"Kaye Pearson Economics" to get back on track...

Capt.Doug Metko