The 34th annual St. Petersburg Power & Sailboat Show® provided its visitors with four sun-filled days of fun for boaters of all ages, offering a wide range of products and activities encompassing the total boating lifestyle. Overall, attendance was up 18 percent over 2010 with a 25 percent increase in new yachts on display and a seven percent increase in exhibitor attendance.
2011 St. Petersburg Power & Sailboat Show
“We are very pleased with this year’s show on many levels,” said Dane Graziano, senior vice president and COO of Show Management, the company that produces the show. “We had perfect boat show weather, attendance was up and feedback from our exhibitors was excellent.”
From Thursday, Dec. 1 through Sunday, Dec. 4, the show buzzed with upbeat buyers and exhibitors. “Brokerage and new boat activity was great for us,” said Scott Roberton, senior sales executive with MarineMax. “Buyers are now ready to move forward on that new boat purchase or upgrade.”
This year’s show consisted of 25 percent sailboats and 75 percent powerboats and had 25 percent more on-land yacht displays than the 2010 show. More than 200 exhibitors displayed products and services.
“We are very pleased with this show,” said Detlef Martinez, assistant manager for West Marine Clearwater. “We were able to introduce many new clients to our Clearwater service center.”
“This show is a must-attend event for everybody in the regional sailing industry,” said Stanton Murray, president of Murray Yacht Sales, which was debuting the new Beneteau Oceanis 45. “This is the only show on the Gulf of Mexico that has a critical mass of sailboats, allowing direct comparisons of the best-selling models in America. It’s the only real way to compare marine products side-by-side all at once.”
Whether in the water or on land, exhibitors were pleased with the overall turn-out. “The show provided us the opportunity to visit with many customers who recently returned to the market after placing their purchase decisions on hold the last few years,” said Darren Plymale with Galati Yacht Sales. “Their return to the market really made the show a success for us.”
Alan Murphy, Jr., vice president of Pioneer Linens Yacht Division agreed, adding, “The show was a success and it was clear that there was an increase in traffic from past years. We came away from the show with several potential pieces of new business.”
In addition to the large selection of exhibits at this year’s show, there were more than 60 well attended, fun-filled educational special events including marine seminars and youth fishing clinics presented by the non-profit Hook The Future.
Special events included the Latitudes & Attitudes Free Readership Appreciation Party on Saturday night featuring the Eric Stone Band, free refreshments and raffle drawings, with part of the proceeds going to the Charles W. Morgan refit at the Mystic Seaport Museum.
