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Fort Myers show sees attendance boost

Posted on 16 November 2009
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111609TOTThe 37th annual Fort Meyers Boat Show saw attendance increase by more than 15 percent, according to show manager John Good.

The four-day show was held Nov. 12-15.

"There was a very upbeat feeling on both the exhibitor's side and with consumers," Good said in an e-mail to Trade Only Today. "After last year, there was a very flat feel, but not this year."

Good reported that The Boat House of Cape Coral, Fla., sold 25 boats at the show this year. Tom Nichols of Bonita Boat Center in Bonita Springs, Fla., a Boston Whaler dealer, reported selling 16 boats from 13 to 47 feet at the show.

"The quality of the buyer was up, the level of interest was up and the enthusiasm was up," said Nichols, who has attended the show since its inception. "People were willing to sit down and engage in a conversation and get a presentation of a vessel."

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8 Thursday, 19 November 2009 16:35

Great news from you guys over there!


I just returned from the monthly Marina Mile meeting in Ft. Lauderdale. One of the featured speakers was a rep. of  the Roscioli Yachting Center, one of the most respected yacht businesses in this area. Here was his take on the Ft. Lauderdale boat show they just attended from the perspective of  LARGE YACHT SALES;


He said he did not have one sale or one serious lead from the show, and he said  no-one else he spoke to in this catagory did either. He said that though the visitors to the show were of a higher quality then in the past ( less families with baby carriages) they were extreme bottom feeders looking for something they could steal.


This is no hype....this is real. Atleast for this particular category of boats in this particular area. It's not the quantity....its the margins that matter.


To Gary C.....I myself am not in the boat selling end of this industry anymore.


 

7 Wednesday, 18 November 2009 19:58
Congratulations to the Boat House & Bonita Boat Center! This was the first time Boatboy Marine Training exhibited at the show and we had good results on hands-on training. The venue is definately nice being downtown and on the water and the weather was just perfect! We do deliveries so I'll be in to see you guys because we all know an educated boater will stay in boating! See ya soon! Capt Russ
6 Tuesday, 17 November 2009 13:58
No time to argue, we are delivering boats. No lie -25 fresh deals at the show, 3 more at the store. What you need to realize is all ships will rise with this incoming tide. Gotta go...
5 Tuesday, 17 November 2009 13:50

Sounds like boatman11 didn't have the same results. If you need some cash you can help deliver one or two of my 12 deals. My minimun deposit was 10% and 11 of 12 are cash deals. You can come view the deals at The Boat House (formerly Boats Unlimited) 1516 S.E 46th Street Cape Coral, Florida.               , Gary Cullen

4 Tuesday, 17 November 2009 13:13

To: "Boatman 11"


From:  Tom Hansen, GM, The Boat House of Cape Coral


The 25 boats have a minimum of a 10% deposit, and all finance deals are approved.  You can add 1 more to the list as we sold another boat yesterday from the show.  Come watch us deliver the now 26 boats...my guess is we will end up delivering more the 30 boats as a result of the show.

3 Tuesday, 17 November 2009 04:06

The Boat House of Cape Coral SOLD 25 boats by the end of the 3 day show?


Did they have 25 customers pony up with cash for each of those 25 deals?


Or more likely did they get 25 $100 credit card deposits on those boats subject to sea trials and financing?


Keep it positive....but keep it real.

2 Tuesday, 17 November 2009 03:19

Curtis, did you read the article?


"Good reported that The Boat House of Cape Coral, Fla., sold 25 boats at the show this year. Tom Nichols of Bonita Boat Center in Bonita Springs, Fla., a Boston Whaler dealer, reported selling 16 boats from 13 to 47 feet at the show."

1 Monday, 16 November 2009 18:47

Attendance was up, thats great.


But did anybody buy and sign on the dotted line?


That is the true test.


Or was it just date night.

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