The Miami International Boat Show

After a five-year absence, the Miami International Boat Show will return to the Miami Beach Convention Center in 2022. Next year’s show will also mark the combination of the three premier winter boat shows here with a newly announced partnership between their owner/operators.

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) which owns and operates the Miami International Boat Show, Informa Markets – co-owner and producer of the Miami Yacht Show – and Superyacht Miami have entered into a partnership for the first joint production of the shows under the banner of the Miami International Boat Show. It will launch during President’s Day weekend 2022 running Wednesday, February 16 through Sunday, February 20.

“The partnership is the result of long-standing conversations between [NMMA and Informa] on how best to serve the industry and cultivate a best-in-class boat show experience,” the announcement states.

“Bringing the events together will offer numerous benefits for exhibitors, visitors, and the greater Miami community, specifically Miami Beach and Downtown Miami. The on-land portion of the event will take place at the newly reimagined Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC), while the featured in-water activities will be offered at Sea Isle Marina, One Herald Plaza and Island Gardens Deep Harbour on Watson Island,” according to the announcement.

New activities will include a live concert series, an expanded educational offering, a digital component, and the return of Miami Dealer Days February 14-15. “Miami Dealer Days allows exhibitors to gather at the Miami Beach Convention Center prior to the show, providing a unique opportunity for marine manufacturers to connect and discover partnership and growth opportunities,” the announcement says.

For the past five years, the Boat Show has been held at the Miami Marine Stadium and Park. During most of that time, the Convention Center was under construction though it did work around large events such as Art Basel.

“Notably, this partnership translates into an unmatched opportunity for the region’s hospitality and service industry that is eager to bounce back from the devastating ramifications of COVID-19,” the announcement states. 

The International Boat Show attracts visitors from approximately 35 countries to South Florida annually while “Informa is considered the largest single annual customer to the market, hosting several large-scale exhibitions in the region each year,” according to the announcement. “Historically, the Miami International Boat Show and Miami Yacht Show have attracted hundreds of thousands of attendees to South Florida and generated an estimated combined annual economic impact of $1.34 billion.”

While not able to predict economic impact numbers for Miami Beach from the new show, spokesperson Kelly Penton wrote in an email, “With the on-land portion now taking place in Miami Beach — at the convention center — we expect that the City’s hotels and businesses will see a significant portion of that impact.”

There will be a comprehensive traffic management plan developed in collaboration with the City of Miami and Miami Beach. In addition to parking at the Convention Center, there will be “a variety of transportation options including water taxes, ride share hubs, and public transit modes,” the announcement states. 

“To further extend their commitment in the Miami and Miami Beach communities, Informa Markets and the NMMA will open a new office at 1501 Biscayne Boulevard. In addition to the joint show in Miami, this office will service the other events Informa Markets produces in South Florida, and provide opportunity for further growth in the South Florida market,” according to the announcement.