Palm Beach International Boat Show is expanding to a fifth day in West Palm Beach

Yahoo

19-02-2025

WEST PALM BEACH — The Palm Beach International Boat Show received an official OK from city leaders Tuesday to expand to a five-day event for the first time.
The massive boating event along downtown West Palm Beach's waterfront is adding an extra day for the March event amid what organizers called increasing demand and interest.
'It's the first time that we're going to be expanding to five days in our 40-plus-year history,' said Alyssa Freeman, executive director of the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County, which runs the event. 'It's definitely going to be great for all of our exhibitors.'
City commissioners on Tuesday approved amending the association's agreement with the city to allow it to extend the event from four to five days. It runs this year from Wednesday, March 19 to Sunday, March 23.
The agreement also extends by a day the length of time that some roads are closed. Northbound Flagler Drive will remain closed downtown for eight days after the event to allow workers to remove temporary docks, according to a city memo.
In exchange, the event's organizers this year will pay the city a license fee of $117,755, up from about $103,000, according to the agreement.
Freeman said the five-day schedule brings the boat show into alignment with annual boat shows in Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
West Palm Beach's event, which draws between 50,000 and 55,000 visitors each year, is smaller in attendance but trumps them in money spent. Last year, she said, the show generated $725 million in sales.
'We do more sales than Fort Lauderdale and Miami,' she said. 'This is where the serious buyers are.'
A large portion of show-goers travel from out of state to attend, and the extra day comes at a time when Palm Beach is seen as receiving heightened attention in certain elite social circles as a result of President Donald Trump's reelection.
'The allure of the fact that president is living here again, I think that attracts people from all over the country and the world,' Freeman said. 'It just has that effect.'
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The extra day also gives attendees and exhibitors more flexibility in the case that heavy rainfall affects one or more days. And she said it will be an extra boon for downtown businesses.
'The extra day for the hotels and the restaurants in the area is huge,' she said.
Andrew Marra is a reporter at The Palm Beach Post. Reach him at [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach International Boat Show runs March 19-23 in West Palm Beach