The 2012 Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show & Strictly Sail attracted more than 100,000 visitors from around the world. The annual five-day event, one of the world’s largest consumer and trade recreational boating destinations, saw 100,917 attendees walk through its three locations – Miami Beach Convention Center, Sea Isle Marina & Yachting Center, and Miamarina at Bayside – down 3 percent from 2011 (102,374). 

Similar to what the industry has been seeing at boat shows across the country in 2012, NMMA is already hearing reports from several exhibitors – both boat and accessory – of strong, quality traffic and record sales since the economic downturn. Exhibitor reports from the 2012 show include:

Dometic Marine dealers reported a solid year for traffic and sales, Ken Taranto, vice president of aftermarket sales for Dometic Marine, said in a statement.

“The Miami Boat Show was very solid this year with good traffic and many interested buyers,” Taranto said. “Dometic, as usual, had excellent dealer participation at the booth and feedback from the dealers was universally positive. Ice was a popular category, with buyers expressing interest in both Dometic’s personal ice maker and the newly introduced Eskimo EI540 Ice Flaker.”

He added that several Dometic dealers who had booths at the show reported taking orders at their booths and generated a significant number of leads for follow-up after the show.

Statement Marine took home the award for Best Boat Display at the Miami International Boat Show, but the company said in a statement that the sales it generated and dealers it signed are what made 2012 the company’s best show ever.

Mike Flanigan, VP of sales and marketing for Statement, said in a release today that while he’s still waiting on final results, the company is extremely pleased with this year’s results.

“As of Sunday night, the launch of the new 368 SUV Crossover has yielded a total of six orders. We’ve also sold a 34 SUV and a 42-foot Ultimate and have several other deals currently in play. We’ve signed three new dealers and are in talks with a few others,” Flanigan said in a statement.

"This year's Miami International Boat Show was the best in the last few years,” said Chris Peterson, president of Hell’s Bay Boatworks in Titusville, Fla. builder of high tech flats skiffs.  “The attendance was steady and strong, the buyer's were upbeat, we at Hell's Bay were very optimistic that the show has kicked off a great season for boat sales and the momentum from the show should continue for months ahead."

Equally upbeat was Tim Gallagher, general manager of high performance custom builder Deep Impact Boats in Miami who said, “We were very pleased with the show results which yielded on-site sales as well as a long list of leads requiring follow-up.  The new Deep Impact 399 was quite a spectacle in the convention center display, and a real mind blower during sea trials from Mercury Marine’s Sea Isle in-the-water display. Four boats were on display in the convention center, including the new 399 Open, 360 Open, and prototype of the soon to come 330 TE."

caption: This crowd photo taken at the Sea Isle Marina and Yachting Centre, is one of three separate show locations in Miami. This shows the excellent weather that the show visitors enjoyed.