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Which Florida Boat Show is better?

Discussion in 'Boat Shows & Yacht Watching' started by 1000 islands, Nov 13, 2014.

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  1. 1000 islands, Nov 13, 2014
    #1
    1000 islands

    1000 islands Member

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    I am considering going to Florida next winter and part of it will be attending one of the boats shows.

    Which one is the better to see, Miami or Fort Lauderdale ?
  2. K1W1, Nov 13, 2014
    #2
    K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    That depends on what you want to see I guess
  3. captainwjm, Nov 13, 2014
    #3
    captainwjm

    captainwjm Senior member

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    I prefer Miami, because of the Yacht and Brokerage Show. And, I prefer Miami to Lauderdale in general. The Y&B is free and is separate from the Miami show proper.
  4. YachtForums, Nov 13, 2014
    #4
    YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

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    For superyachts - FLIBS, but PBBS gaining fast with brokerage
    For mortal yachts - FLIBS, MIBS with PBBS scaled back a bit.
    For cruisers and sportfish - FLIBS, MIBS with PBBS scaled back a bit.
    For center consoles - FLIBS or MIBS Convention Centers. PBBS is only outdoor.
    For go-fast - Miami, period.

    The best Florida boat show, IMO... Palm Beach. Easy to access. Easy to park. Easy to walk. Lots of restaurants. It's a hassle free boat show experience.
  5. Capt J, Nov 13, 2014
    #5
    Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    It depends on what you want to see. But Carl summed it up really well. But forgot one category. Boating accessories-FLIBS would be best. Both with the tents at Bahia Mar and the Convention Center you can find pretty much any fishing, scuba, boating gadget or gear you can think of.

    I prefer Ft. Lauderdale and like Miami the least. Palm Beach doesn't do a whole lot for me, because there are very little in accessories and center consoles due to it's very limited on land footprint. Also food and parking (to a lesser degree) is a lot harder to come by at Palm Beach. But Palm Beach is more compact and you can see everything in one locale.
  6. captholli, Nov 13, 2014
    #6
    captholli

    captholli Senior Member

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    Palm Beach show hands down. Getting bigger and better every year. According to the PBC parking authority there's over 6,500 parking spaces in the municipal and private garages within walking distance to the waterfront not counting the guys with the "park here for $ 5.00 signs" Food and drink are more than abundant between Clematis Flagler and CityPlace. Manufacturers of large yacht equipment have been increasing their presence every year and the brokerage houses have recognized the quality of
    prospective buyers vs tire kickers at this show. The out of water footprint continues to grow exponentially with the convention center coming on line. The Palm Beach show will be on even par with FLIBS within the next ten years or certainly Show Management is betting the farm on it. At least the major boat shows show new products and vessels for 4 or 5 days but why owners and Captains put up with the 8 or 9 day Charter shows in Antigua or SXM while entertaining a pack of freeloading charter brokers asking for the boats finest Champagnes and food offerings has got to be scaled back. That will be a entertaining thread to start. charter Shows and the gluttony that goes on there for twice the length of any other normal boat show.