56TH ANNUAL VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW HAD EXCEPTIONAL SALES AND QUALITY ATTENDANCE

Jan 30, 2018

Strong retail environment suggests a robust 2018 for the B.C. boating industry

The 56th annual Vancouver International Boat Show came to an end onSunday, January 21, forecasting yet another strong year for the boating industry in the province. Western Canada’s largest boat show’s attendance numbers at both the indoor show at BC Place and the Floating Show at Granville Island are reported at 28,739 at the 2018 show, compared to 30,435 from the previous year.

“Despite the extreme weather warnings for heavy rain and high winds over the weekend, which caused considerable challenges for guests to attend, all indications over the five days suggest that a strong year lies ahead for the recreational marine industry in B.C.,” said Eric Nicholl, Show Manager of the Vancouver International Boat Show. “The addition of The Pavilion to our indoor venue at BC Place, and expanded marina display at Granville Island, made this year’s show the biggest on record. With the trends we are seeing, it appears that the fast-approachingboating season will be a strong one.”

Advance tickets, and online E-ticket sales, were the highest recorded in show history, up 12% from 2017, however the redemption rate reflected that over 1,100 E-tickets were not redeemed onsite due to weather-related challenges. Metro Vancouver experienced extreme weather alerts issued by Environment Canada onseveral show days, including severe rain and high winds; BC Ferries was also forced to cancel several sailings due to dangerous conditions, and numerous areas surrounding the City of Vancouver suffered power outages throughout the weekend.
Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, the attendance remained steady with serious buyers and strong sales reported by the majority of exhibitors.

“The 2018 show was one of our best ever. Our new products were very well received; in particular, visitors to the show enjoyed our luxurious L650 Fly, new 46 ft Sea Ray Sundancer, redesigned Boston Whaler 170 and 150 Montauks and the new product line additions of Chris Craft and Sunseeker,” said Bob Pappajohn, President of M&P Mercury Sales Ltd.
“Despite the weather at Granville Island, the qualified buyers are still here, and similar to last year, sales continue to be strong at both BC Place and the Floating Show,” said Don Young, President of Freedom Marine.

“It’s been another great Vancouver International Boat Show, with lots of committed buyers right from day one,” said Barry Sherwood, owner of Sherwood Marine Centre in Victoria. “On Vancouver Island, we see lots of people looking to get into the boating lifestyle, and the show is a great opportunity for them to see a full range of what is available and learn more about boating.”

“The first four days of the Boat Show were exceptional, with lots of local buyers looking for the latest products,” said Salim Ladha, Senior Vice President and Partner at Steveston Marine & Hardware. “The B.C. market is looking very strong for marine products going into 2018.”

“This year’s show has been one of the most positive shows I have attended;; the show has exceeded our expectations once again,” said Brendan Keys, General Manager, GA Checkpoint. “It’s been exciting to see so many new buyers starting off in 16ft and 18ft runabouts this year. It’s a great start to 2018 for our industry.”

“We have seen record-breaking sales at the 2018 Vancouver International Boat Show. The public have been eager to look at what’s new, and we have had several thousand people go through the Regal 42 Grand Coup alone”, said Tony Essler, General Manager, Rayburns Marine / Martin Motor Sports Kelowna. “The show is a key building block for the year, allowing us to meet new customers and setting us up for success for the rest of 2018.”

“The show has been great and sales have been up over last year right from the very start of the show. The early crowd was full of ready buyers,” said Steve Cyr from Yamaha Motor Canada.
With over 125 combined speakers and presentations, visitors found that there was truly something for everyone at this year’s Vancouver International Boat Show.

Dates for the 57th Vancouver International Boat Show are scheduled for January 16 to January 20, 2019 at BC Place and Granville Island.

Western Canada’s largest consumer boating event, the Vancouver International Boat Show is owned by Boating BC and produced by Canadian Boat Shows.