Beyond the Hulls, the 64th Fort Lauderdale Boat Show Invites a Sea of Exhibits for Every Marine Enthusiast!

October 25^th – 29th, 2023

With over 100,000 tickets pre-sold and over 1,000 vessels on display, Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) was one of South Florida’s biggest events. This year’s 64th annual show took place over 5 beautiful days and sprawled across 7 grand venues, including the Broward County Convention Center, Bahia Mar Yachting Center, Hall of Fame Marina, Las Olas Marina, 17th Street Yacht Basin, Pier 66 Marina, and the Superyacht Village at Pier 66 South. While some big deals take time to close, early returns suggest FLIBS likely provided a near $2 billion regional economic impact.

Offering a mix of both domestic and international suppliers, including all the biggest players, FLIBS range was vast, from accessible personal watercrafts and paddleboards to superyachts. Beyond the individual crafts, there were more nauti-parts, accessories, art, design, clothing, and other nautical toys than you can imagine. In addition to plentiful food and beverage options at select venues, solid yacht rock and other live music helped keep the party alive. With so much on display, and informative seminars taking place throughout the event, it’s impossible to enjoy everything FLIBS has to offer in 1 day.

FLIBS drew in a diverse crowd including families, visitors, dignitaries, sophisticated investors, and big money ballers. With about half of the attendees and many of the vendors descending upon South Florida from out of town, FLIBS reach extended well beyond the marine industry and designated venues. Boosting traffic at luxury hotels, restaurants, and other Fort Lauderdale businesses, many FLIBS vendors and participants collaborated with these venues to host extravagant parties and activations.

FLIBS included numerous boat debuts of all sizes, each featuring a mix of the newest features and high-end touches, with some boasting powerful motors, and others touting energy efficient and climate-friendly design. While there were many worthy competitors, the Best of Show award went to Grande 36 M by Azimut. As if a competition of yachts isn’t lavish enough, this year, a handful of ultra luxury cars were also dotted throughout the marina venues and featured in the elegant Fort Lauderdale Concours event.

If you are considering a visit to a future FLIBS, here are some tips:

1. Plan ahead to make entry smooth – it takes time to park and travel between the venues.
2. Consider the Water Taxi as a convenient and relaxing option to travel between venues.
3. The show is massive, so stretch your sea legs and wear comfortable shoes.
4. If you can score a golf cart or private shuttle, don’t pass it up.
5. Talk to your broker, suppliers, and industry friends to get in on the private parties, events, and activations.
6. If you’re interested, be decisive, the boat you’re eyeing could be “Sold” in a flash.
7. With the breadth of services available at FLIBS, it’s possible to purchase, finance, outfit, accessorize, staff, contract to maintain, and house the boat of your dreams.
8. If you’re visiting FLIBS from out of town, you may want to extend your vacation permanently because Fort Lauderdale is home to 165 miles of navigable waterways to explore.

Though some landlubbers may disagree, much of South Florida is best enjoyed from the water. If you’re looking to invest in that lifestyle, there is no better event to see the available range of boats and marine industry related goods than what FLIBS has to offer. In light of the number of “SOLD” signs across FLIBS, the “Venice of America” economy is thriving. FLIBS will be returning Wednesday, October 30th through Sunday, November 3rd, 2024. For more information visit: FLIBS.com

For more information about the 2023 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show visit www.flibs.com.