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Departure with a bang for the 59th edition of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, also known by its acronym FLIBS, as it is advertised on the street lamps of the city. Welcome Party for the media with the presence of Phil Purcell, President & CEO of the South Florida Association of Marine Industries, Dean Trantalis, mayor of the city of Fort Lauderdale, Andrew Doole, vice president and general manager of Informa U.S. Boat Shows and Jimmy Tate, CEO and President of Tate Capital. Among drink and appetizer the dance-pop music of the corroborating and talented Robert DeLong, directly from Los Angeles.
Recognized as the world’s largest boat show on the water, the FLIBS, from October 31 to November 4, is located in 6 spots and the Convention Center, with an area that covers over 3 million square feet (about 280,000 squared meters) of exhibition space arranged on 6 miles (about 10 km) of floating pontoons located in seven locations on the sea and connected by a complex network of transportation services consisting of shuttles and taxis. The show lasts five days and attracts about 110,000 people from all over the world (54% of which don’t live in Florida), 1,200 exhibitors representing 52 countries in the world with more than 1000 private jets landed in the FBO’S premises (acronym of Fixed Base Operator, which refers to the local terminal of private jets) with over 1,500 boats on display including yachts, super yachts and medium and small boats, for an estimated total sales of $ 508 million during the show. As Phil Purcell points out: “FLIBS is the result of a mix of elements with important numbers: it is the background to a marine industry that generates 11.5 billion (billions) of dollars, providing 110,000 jobs related to the nautical and naval sector in Broward County and 136,000 regional jobs employed in manufacturing, brokerage, sales and service. To give an economic perspective of what the FLIBS generates is enough to say that its impact is bigger than that of the Super Bowl, with economic benefits for the state of Florida calculated at 857 million dollars “.
The Yachting Capital of the World, this year inaugurates a new entrance, a new area dedicated to the media and in which there are luxury superyachts that exceed 200m, the Superyacht Oasis, sponsored by Yacht International . In addition to all this, there’s yachts, cruisers, runabouts, bowriders, motoryachts, tenders and small fishing boats, but also designers and representatives of the range, various accessories, nautical art, marine-inspired jewelry and official merchandising of Guy Harvey, a sea artist, designer and official supplier of clothing for the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in which he has been participating for over 30 years. The FLIBS is structured in such a way as to give theoretical notions, held by recognized staff consisting of seminars and diversified meetings: from the possibility and the commitment to reduce pollution of the seas, to classes specially designed for children.
This year there will also be a show to highlight the world of high cuisine devoted to the nautical sector, with a competition for chefs offering a glimpse of the fantastic artistic and culinary skills of some of the best yacht chefs in the world.
Like every year, in addition to regular daily access, the FLIBS offers the opportunity to live a unique experience with the Windward VIP Club, located in the Hall of Fame Marina, next to the Superyacht area. Presented in collaboration with Delta Private Jets, which is also the private aircraft carrier for the Boat Show, and Ulysses Nardin, the main supplier of luxury marine watches for over 173 years, Windward VIP Club is present with an extensive display of watches and a certified technician available for repairs and technical information. In addition to this open bar, gourmet food and tasting room for cigars and wines are available, for those who decide to enjoy the show without sacrificing comfort and exclusive benefits.
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