The recently improved, reorganized, and definitely easier to navigate Miami boat show will open in just a few weeks, on Wednesday, February 16, and run over President’s Day weekend, ending on Sunday, February 20.
This year, for the first time, all the Miami shows will be run jointly by the National Marine Manufacturers Association and Informa Markets, the London-based exhibition company. In recent years they held separate, and essentially competing, shows, with the big NMMA show down on Virginia Key prompting traffic problems with fleets of buses and ferry boats coming down from Miami, where the Informa show was. There was no show last year because of the pandemic.
The shows now will be held at five locations:
1.The Miami Beach Convention Center. The NMMA’s Miami show started there in the late ‘60s, and ran through 2015, when the convention center was closed for massive renovations, causing the show to relocate to the Virginia Key venue. Now it will be open once again, with powerboats up to 49 feet and all the related engine, electronics, accessories and retail exhibits.
2.One Herald Plaza, on the south side of the Venetian Causeway over in Miami itself (and most recently home of the Informa show). Now it will have larger power boats, from 50 to 125 feet, also with the engine, electronics and accessories exhibits.
3.Sea Isle Marina, just next door to One Herald Plaza on the north side of the Venetian Causeway. There will be 150 boats in the water here, including some available for sea trials, plus exhibits by engine manufacturers.
4.Museum Park Marina, a few blocks away at 801 Biscayne Blvd. on the south side of the MacArthur Causeway. Here’s where you’ll find sailboats and sail-related exhibits
5.Yacht Haven Grande on Watson Island, for the SuperYacht Miami show of large yachts up to about 300 feet.
Except for SuperYacht Miami, you can buy one ticket for all the locations, making life much easier than in recent years. But no tickets will be sold at the show. You have to buy them in advance, at the show’s website: http://miamiboatshow.com
Tickets cost $60 for what the show calls Prime Time Preview on Wednesday or earlier access, through a dealer or broker, on other days. Thursday through Sunday, tickets cost $40 for adults and $15 for children from 6 to 15; children under 6 are free.
A ticket for the SuperYacht Miami show on Watson Island is $150 for the Wednesday Prime Time Preview, and then $125 for Thursday through Sunday.
If you want to avoid the crowds and have some place to relax, you can buy a ticket for the Windward VIP Experience, which includes Prime Time Preview and Superyacht Miami access, plus the use of the Windward VIP Club at the Miami Beach Convention Center and One Herald Plaza. At those clubs, you can enjoy a premium open bar while a concierge will help you arrange bookings on the yachts you want. You also will have water tender access to the SuperYacht Miami show on Watson Island.
The show hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Before the pandemic, the Miami shows drew more than 100,000 visitors from 35 countries, amounting to an economic impact of $1.34 billion, the equivalent of almost three Super Bowls.
“Interest and demand for boating are near all-time highs,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, president of the NMMA, “and we look forward to welcoming new and existing boaters from around the world.” Read more:
