2026 FLIBS...

I'm sure the show promoters or agencies they employ will claim otherwise but the combination of economic uncertainty, regional conflicts, political instability, rising rates and crummy weather put a real damper on attendance.

There were numerous empty display spaces at this year’s show. When you consider a 10' x 10' booth inside a tent is $5,000 and often occupied by small marine vendors who spend a good part of their annual ad budget to be at FLIBS, it is clearly not sustainable.

Although I've been saying the new boat show is online for years, nothing will replace the physical spectacle of it all. Going forward, if marine manufactures are looking for product exposure, they need to go where their customers are doing their homework... online!

During the 5 days of FLIBS, we averaged 195,000 visitors each day.

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Nearly 45,000 people online at YF earlier today...

Ron is right. If I had to venture a guesstimate, it was maybe 3000 day. Sunday may have been under two hundred. The cost of admission to FLIBS has driven away casual consumers but the upside is less tire kickers and more sincere shoppers.

None of this bodes well for boat builders or marine manufacturers. Each year they are paying more and each year they are getting less exposure. FLIBS remains a spectacle for the senses but in the end, this is about business and at some point, vendors have to begin taking a closer look at ROI.