Fort Lauderdale Boat Show Is Here

Eyes are on Hurricane Sandy as she brushes by the only boat show in the US this weekend...

This is the weekend that boat show enthusiasts (is that a thing?) have been waiting for all year long. It's finally here. Fort Lauderdale. FLIBS starts now.

Read on after the photo for this week's boat show round-up to see which other boat show in the world is brave enough to go up against the 800-pound gorilla in South Florida this weekend; or jump right to the FirstBoat.com boat show calendar...

Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS)

The 53rd Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show starts today, even as tropical storm warnings due to Hurricane Sandy threaten the event. The show, which the event's website claims is "the world’s largest showcase of the newest marine products and latest innovations in the boating industry," will go on despite the storm. There are already more than 1,000 boats on display in the water and on land and more than 1,200 companies exhibiting related products and services. All in all, there are over $3 billion worth of boats and marine products featured at the show this weekend.

Hours
The 2012 show runs from Thursday, October 25th, through MONDAY, October 29th, with the 25th being a VIP day (which means you pay a little more to see the show on the first day).

Prime Time Preview:
Thurs. Oct 25, 10am - 7pm
 
General Admission:
Fri. Oct 26, 10am - 7 pm
Sat. Oct 27, 10am - 7 pm
Sun. Oct 28, 10am - 7 pm
Mon. Oct 29, 10am - 5 pm

Multiple Locations
The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show has five distinct show venues:
Intercoastal Waterway North (on A1A from Seabreeze Blvd. north to Las Olas Blvd.)
•    Bahia Mar Yachting Center:  801 Seabreeze Boulevard, 33316
•    Hall of Fame Marina: 1 Hall of Fame Drive, 33316
•    Las Olas Marina: 240 E. Las Olas Circle, 33316

Intercoastal Waterway South (on 17th Street Causeway from Eisenhower Blvd.)
•    Greater Ft Lauderdale/Broward County Conv. Center:  1950 Eisenhower Blvd., 33316
•    Ft Lauderdale Grande Hotel & Yacht Club:  1881 SE 17th Street, 33316

Bring Cash
The ticket booth, as well as many of the vendors, do not always accept credit cards at events like this.

Ticket prices are $36 on Thursday, and $20 each of the rest of the days of the show.  If you buy a 2-day pass, you can save a couple of bucks at $38.

Children, ages 6-15 - $5.00, Children under 6 - Free

More Info
For the latest information about the show and a link to the official show website, visit our boat show calendar.

Other Shows This Weekend???
Yes, there is another show going on this weekend.
There are some boat show organizers brave enough to compete with the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, but not in the United States. For all the Europeans that wish they could come to Florida but couldn't make it this year, why not head to Hamburg, Germany, for HANSEBOOT - the 53rd annual Hamburg International Boat Show is one of the leading boat shows in Northern Europe.

Hanseboot runs from Saturday, October 27 until the following Sunday, November 4, 2012.

Did We Miss One? Got Pics? Please Share!
If we didn't mention a boat show this weekend, please comment on the Daily Boater Facebook page or here as a comment on DailyBoater.com. Thank you, and see you at the next show! 


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