Feb 4, 2016

Second Exhibit Hall Added for 2016 Event to be held October 4-6 in Tampa, FL

The International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference (IBEX) is excited to announce the return to Tampa, Florida for the 2016 event and the commitment by show organizers to keep the event in Tampa through 2018.  For the past several years, this leading industry event for the boatbuilding industry had been rotating locations between Louisville, KY and Tampa, FL.

Future dates for IBEX are:  October 4-6, 2016; September 19-21, 2017; and October 2-4, 2018 all scheduled at the Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, FL.  Each event will be held Tuesday – Thursday with pre-event conference sessions scheduled for the preceding Monday.    

“After the IBEX 2014 show in Tampa the marine industry made it very clear that this is where IBEX needs to be, and I am really pleased that we were finally able to make it happen,” said Anne Dunbar, Show Director of IBEX.  “For 2016, IBEX will expand to offer two exhibit halls and in water dock exhibits which will double in size.  We expect exhibit space to sell out very soon, we already have quite a few reservations for dock space, and we anticipate that area to fill up quickly, too.”

The Tampa Convention Center offers 200,000 square feet of exhibit space in two exhibit halls. The IBEX team has added the second exhibit hall to the 2016 event and space is already filling up. The first floor exhibit hall will open at 9:00 am, an hour earlier than the third floor exhibit hall, and will be home to the IBEX Café and several special feature areas. To request space for the 2016 event, contact Tina Sanderson at tina@ibexshow.com or Kate Holden at kate@ibexshow.com.

Over 5,000 boatbuilders, boatyard/marina operators, designers, surveyors, retailers, dealers, and many more industry professionals are expected to attend the 2016 event for the opportunity to see the newest products and services from over 550 manufacturers and suppliers. Attendees will also be able to participate in The IBEX Seminar Series which offers world-renowned technical education and attend special events including the IBEX Innovation Awards, Industry Breakfast, Opening Night Reception, Feature Areas featuring the Connected Boat, 3D Workshop, Future Materials Display, IBEX Fleet, and much more.  Specialty Pavilions will include the Composites Pavilion, Electronics Pavilion, and Compliance and Standards Pavilion.  For the most up-to-date information about IBEX, visit www.ibexshow.com.