By Courtney Chalmers, Vice President of Marketing, Boats Group, an MRAA Strategic Partner
Boat shows have long served as a cornerstone of the boating industry, providing manufacturers and dealers with the opportunity to showcase their products and engage directly with prospective buyers. Iconic events like the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) and the Miami International Boat Show attract impressive crowds and generate excitement around the latest innovations in boating. However, as consumer habits increasingly shift toward online research and shopping, it’s worth reexamining the role of boat shows in your marketing strategy.
While boat shows offer valuable in-person experiences, they are limited by time, geography and audience size. In contrast, online marketplaces function as a 24/7/365 boat show, delivering more exposure, more precise targeting and a significantly lower cost per boat displayed. By integrating your boat show efforts with a strong online marketing strategy, you can maximize your return on investment (ROI) and ensure sustained visibility for your brand.
The Impact of Boat Shows
Boat shows attract large audiences and create unique opportunities for hands-on experiences. FLIBS, for instance, brings in approximately 100,000 attendees over five days, and the Miami International Boat Show sees similar numbers. These events are invaluable for facilitating in-person connections and allowing buyers to step aboard vessels.
However, this visibility is fleeting and comes at a high cost. On average, it costs $10,000 or more to exhibit a single boat at a major in-water boat show – an investment that provides only five days of exposure. Moreover, most visitors who see your boats at the show likely started their shopping journey online, highlighting the importance of a robust digital presence to complement your event efforts.
Online Exposure: A 24/7/365 Boat Show
Online platforms like Boat Trader and YachtWorld provide year-round exposure that extends far beyond the physical confines of a boat show. According to a Boats Group study:
- During the five days of FLIBS, Boats Group platforms saw a 30% increase in traffic in Florida, reaching 375,000 boat shoppers – nearly four times the number of attendees at the event.
- Similarly, during the five days of the Miami International Boat Show, Boats Group platforms attracted more than 270,000 visitors in Florida, a 170% increase over the show’s attendance.
These numbers illustrate the scale of the online audience, which not only overlaps with boat show attendees but also includes a significant segment that never sets foot at the event.
Additionally, the engagement metrics are compelling. Boats listed online in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area averaged 94 views per listing during and immediately after a boat show – a 23% increase compared to non-boat-show periods. This sustained visibility ensures your inventory continues to generate interest well beyond the event itself.
Evaluating Your Marketing Investments
Every marketing channel serves a different purpose, but evaluating effectiveness requires consistency. Which channels deliver the best ROI? For boat shows, the direct impact – such as sales made at the event – can be tracked, but the broader benefits, like long-term brand exposure and engagement, are harder to measure.
In comparison, online platforms offer transparent, data-driven insights. For the cost of exhibiting a single boat at a show, you could list 50-100 boats online, ensuring year-round exposure to millions of potential buyers. The cost per lead for online marketing is significantly lower, making it a highly effective complement – or alternative – to boat shows.
How to Leverage Online Marketing with Boat Shows
If you see boat shows as essential to your business, amplifying their impact with a robust online strategy is key. Here’s how:
- Before the Show
- Build Awareness: Launch targeted digital campaigns to promote your participation, highlight featured inventory and access data to understand how your brand is positioned.
- Drive Traffic: Use online advertising to attract buyers who are already searching for boats in your category or location, but not necessarily your brand.
- During the Show
- Maximize Reach: While your team interacts with attendees, online campaigns can reach a larger audience browsing boats in real-time.
- Share Live Updates: Post videos, photos and event highlights on your website and social media channels to engage those who couldn’t attend.
- After the Show
- Follow Up: Use retargeting campaigns to reconnect with buyers who visited your listings during the event, keeping your brand top of mind.
- Analyze Performance: Review data from online platforms to measure the success of your combined strategy, understand the impact on your brand and identify areas for improvement.
Enhancing ROI with Online Marketplaces
Online platforms do more than just complement boat shows – they amplify your reach and deliver long-term value. Features like targeted campaigns, detailed analytics and conquesting capabilities (targeting buyers considering competing brands) ensure your marketing dollars are spent effectively.
For example, during and after boat shows, online platforms see significant spikes in activity, driven by heightened buyer interest. By aligning your strategy with this increased traffic, you can capture more leads and drive greater engagement.
Final Thoughts
Boat shows still hold value as a unique opportunity to connect with buyers in person and showcase your boats in a hands-on setting. However, their limitations in cost, duration and audience size make them most effective when paired with a strong online presence.
Think of online marketplaces as an ongoing boat show – always open, always connecting and always delivering results. By leveraging both strategies, you can maximize your marketing investment and ensure your brand remains visible to buyers wherever they are in their journey.
The next time you prepare for a boat show, don’t just focus on the days you’ll spend at the event. Plan for how you’ll use online marketing to amplify your efforts and achieve lasting results long after the show has ended.
About the Author
Courtney Chalmers is the Vice President of Marketing at Boats Group, overseeing brand strategy, lifecycle and product marketing, and OEM partnerships for its online marketplaces. With over 20 years in digital and marine industry marketing, Courtney is recognized for her expertise in customer lifecycle strategies and digital transformation. Her strategic insights have helped Boats Group become a leading digital partner in recreational boating. Outside of work, Courtney is an avid equestrian, and enjoys boating, tennis and taking in the Miami sunshine.
For additional boat show best practices and resources, visit the MRAA Spotlight page.
