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Karen Belack has worked more than her share of long days at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in past years. As office manager of Hargrave Yachts in Fort Lauderdale, she coordinates all company activities during the annual showcase.
You might think this year would be very different for Karen. For all of us in greater Fort Lauderdale.
You'd be wrong.
Yeah, we had a little problem around here called Hurricane Wilma. The storm bullied her way through South Florida only ten days ago, battering power lines, traffic lights, trees.
But even Wilma couldn't stop the 46th edition of the boat show, which began today after just a week's delay. "I'm amazed," Karen says, smiling. "It looks like any other boat show. It's business as usual."
At 8:30 this morning, Karen was fielding cellphone calls, handling details, giving orders: "Make sure everybody gets the credentials. And remember to bring the shirts and hats," she told a colleague.
Karen closed her phone, pausing just long enough to smile again. "The whole thing really stopped me in my tracks. The beach parking lot across from Bahia Cabana looked normal. It was chock full. The hotel and the restaurant were in working order," she says.
"This is the biggest event of the year for our company. I had to stop and think where I was, and when...I'm in South Florida at a boat show right after a hurricane. It didn't seem like it. All the yacht crews, everyone I talked to was real upbeat."
Like Karen herself. Upbeat, ready for the usual long boat show days.
Her only real complaint about the rescheduled event? "I had to give up my tickets to the Lyle Lovett concert this weekend," Karen says. "I love Lyle!"
You might think this year would be very different for Karen. For all of us in greater Fort Lauderdale.
You'd be wrong.
Yeah, we had a little problem around here called Hurricane Wilma. The storm bullied her way through South Florida only ten days ago, battering power lines, traffic lights, trees.
But even Wilma couldn't stop the 46th edition of the boat show, which began today after just a week's delay. "I'm amazed," Karen says, smiling. "It looks like any other boat show. It's business as usual."
At 8:30 this morning, Karen was fielding cellphone calls, handling details, giving orders: "Make sure everybody gets the credentials. And remember to bring the shirts and hats," she told a colleague.
Karen closed her phone, pausing just long enough to smile again. "The whole thing really stopped me in my tracks. The beach parking lot across from Bahia Cabana looked normal. It was chock full. The hotel and the restaurant were in working order," she says.
"This is the biggest event of the year for our company. I had to stop and think where I was, and when...I'm in South Florida at a boat show right after a hurricane. It didn't seem like it. All the yacht crews, everyone I talked to was real upbeat."
Like Karen herself. Upbeat, ready for the usual long boat show days.
Her only real complaint about the rescheduled event? "I had to give up my tickets to the Lyle Lovett concert this weekend," Karen says. "I love Lyle!"
posted by LauderBLOGGER at 1:27 PM
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