VANCOUVER SHOW SEES STEADY TRAFFIC, STRONG SALES
The 51st Vancouver International Boat Show drew steady visitor traffic throughout its five days, including BC’s first Family Day, Monday, February 11.
Strong boat and retail sales at the show bolstered confidence in the local recreational boating industry heading into the 2013 season. To take advantage of Family Day, organizers switched from the show’s usual Wednesday-Sunday slot to open the show on Thursday, which may have been the show’s single best day. Field and concourse exhibits at BC Place were busy from the opening and exhibitors began reporting strong sales almost immediately. One dealer made 20 major sales of boats or motors on Thursday alone.
Overall show attendance was 32,644 – just shy of the 2012 total of 32,981. “We are definitely up over last year,” said Aaron Fell of Breakwater Marine. “There were very, very good buyers and the quality of traffic was definitely there.”
The floating show at Granville Island Maritime Market enjoyed mostly dry weather and only a few misty spells. The docks were especially crowded on Saturday as skies cleared for a warm afternoon, and show-goers took advantage of land and water shuttles to take in both venues. Several dealers and brokers at Granville Island reported sales of both new and used boats right from the beginning of the show.
“This year has been the best show since 2007,” said Freedom Marine’s Don Young. “We’ve got eight sales totaling $3.5 million, four of which are pending and four of which are closing.”
Canadian Yachting West celebrated its first year of publishing at the show, and our staff was rewarded with encouraging feedback from readers and strong subscription sales.
