LauderBlog
Oct 30: A Really Big Show
Posted On: October 30, 2008 12:46 PM
Posted By: LauderBLOGGER
Related Subjects: Greater Fort Lauderdale
Long ago, there was a popular TV program hosted by a guy who talked often about his “really big show.” Those of you old enough to remember him already know who I mean. Those of you too young to have watched this weekly variety hour won’t care about his name. But the point is that there’s always chat from entertainment types about the stupendous, amazing wonderfulness of their shows – no matter how mediocre the content is sometimes. This weekend, though, you can catch a different kind of show that needs no hype. One simple fact says it all more clearly than any exaggeration. The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show is the biggest in the world. Period. It really is one of those things where everybody who’s anybody will be here. Meaning everybody who has made a splash in the boating world and anybody who hopes to stir up some waves in that industry. And the rest of us who enjoy taking it in for the fun of it. This is a big deal, this show.
On Wednesday afternoon, I got another small taste of the pre-boat show atmosphere. I met an old girlfriend for lunch at Bimini Boatyard on SE 17th Street and we had a lovely time. The weather was perfect. Something like 70 degrees, total sunshine, no wind. Perfect. The place was packed with boat show folks. Mostly well-dressed businesspeople who were taking a break from their preparations. Charlotte and I sat among them on a large patio, with beautiful white yachts docked right beside us. At that moment, I’m sure all of us there would have agreed that Fort Lauderdale seems the ideal setting for a show featuring $3 billion worth of boats and marine accessories.
Yep, that’s billion with a b. Told you it was a really big show. This is the 49th edition of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show so it’s hardly a newcomer to the yachting scene either. I’ve come across people from all over the world during this event, boating enthusiasts who have long understood there’s no better place to check out the newest and greatest. And biggest. The boat show especially is renowned for its superyachts, private vessels that look more like battleships. You’ll find these at the Bahia Mar Yachting Center, which is sort of the hub this weekend. But there are five other sites, spread from the Las Olas Marina all the way down to the Broward County Convention Center. The easy way to get there is by free shuttle bus or riverboat. Specific parking locations can be found in the local newspapers or online by searching “49th Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.” It’s a memorable event and a lot of fun to hang out with the yachting elite for a few hours. You may not be Ed Sullivan but you’ll recognize a really big show when you see one.
On Wednesday afternoon, I got another small taste of the pre-boat show atmosphere. I met an old girlfriend for lunch at Bimini Boatyard on SE 17th Street and we had a lovely time. The weather was perfect. Something like 70 degrees, total sunshine, no wind. Perfect. The place was packed with boat show folks. Mostly well-dressed businesspeople who were taking a break from their preparations. Charlotte and I sat among them on a large patio, with beautiful white yachts docked right beside us. At that moment, I’m sure all of us there would have agreed that Fort Lauderdale seems the ideal setting for a show featuring $3 billion worth of boats and marine accessories.
Yep, that’s billion with a b. Told you it was a really big show. This is the 49th edition of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show so it’s hardly a newcomer to the yachting scene either. I’ve come across people from all over the world during this event, boating enthusiasts who have long understood there’s no better place to check out the newest and greatest. And biggest. The boat show especially is renowned for its superyachts, private vessels that look more like battleships. You’ll find these at the Bahia Mar Yachting Center, which is sort of the hub this weekend. But there are five other sites, spread from the Las Olas Marina all the way down to the Broward County Convention Center. The easy way to get there is by free shuttle bus or riverboat. Specific parking locations can be found in the local newspapers or online by searching “49th Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.” It’s a memorable event and a lot of fun to hang out with the yachting elite for a few hours. You may not be Ed Sullivan but you’ll recognize a really big show when you see one.
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