Five Reasons for the Historic Continued Growth of the Miami Yacht Show
When the city of Miami added the Miami Yacht Show (formerly the Yachts Miami Beach Boat Show) to the Presidents’ Day weekend boat show lineup, it clearly signaled to the rest of the boating world that Miami fully intended to be a global yachting power.
32 years later, there’s no question about Miami’s status as an elite yachting city, and it will be on full display at the 32nd annual Miami Yacht Show (MYS) February 13-17, 2020, taking place at its new downtown Miami location at One Herald Plaza, on Biscayne Bay from Sea Isle Marina to the MacArthur Causeway. This puts it closer to SuperYacht Miami – the exclusive invitation-only experience that is dedicated to the largest and most luxurious yachts attending the Miami Yacht Show – located at Island Gardens Deep Harbour on Watson Island.
History
Miami’s boating scene really started to grow post-World-War-2. Persisting through the inevitable economic shifts over the decades, Miami’s boating lifestyle continued to flourish.
Now, MYS and the Miami International Boat Show combine for one of the biggest and greatest boat show weekends in the world and are a hub of American and international boat buying. Combined, the shows bring more than 100,000 annual attendees and nearly 2,000 of the hottest, most sought-after boats, yachts, and superyachts to Miami.
MYS will feature more than 500 new and pre-owned vessels valued at over $1 billion.
In 2020, HMY will once again offer a premier in-water display at MYS, representing new Princess Yachts, Viking Yachts, and OKEAN Yachts for sale, along with two dozen turnkey sportfish and motor yachts.
It’s safe to say the Miami Yacht Show is here to stay. Here are five reasons the show will continue to be an influential global yachting spectacle.
Location
Nestled squarely in South Florida, Miami is situated in one of the prime boating locations in the world.
While the previous location on South Beach’s Collins Ave. served its purpose well for decades, the new location further transformed Miami’s boating bonanza into a world-class, on-water show.
The new set up – downtown Miami between the Venetian and MacArthur causeways, across Biscayne Bay from MIBS (Miami Yacht Show) and Island Gardens Deep Harbour on Watson Island (SuperYacht Miami) — is not only more strategic and beautiful, it allows for more on-water trials of center consoles, sportfishing yachts, motor yachts, and new water toys.
Speaking of strategic, HMY’s Miami office is purposefully located right in the heart of South Beach at the Miami Beach Marina, offering our customers more visibility for their yachts than any other marina in the Miami or South Florida area.
International Trends Influence
From giant cigarette boats to new power catamarans to cutting-edge sportfishing and motor yachts to the most opulent superyachts, the Miami boat shows are often the testing grounds and launching pads for new models and technologies.
Innovation is celebrated and recognized in Miami. As builders adapt with the times, the shifting economic winds, and customer’s changing needs, they use Miami as a customer confidence gauge and trendsetter. In fact, many dealers, brokers, and builders think of the Miami shows as their sales activity indicator for the year.
A recent study of the Miami shows attendees indicated that around 36,000 people traveled from out of state, including many traveling from other countries. This not only brings local economic impact, but also a new pool of potential buyers and lifelong relationships.
Sportfishing & Motor Yachts
As Miami continued to attract high-net-worth-individuals over the years, either as full-time residents or visitors, the number of sportfishing yachts and motor yachts increased along with it.
And as the demand for more luxury vessels increased, the Miami Yacht Show was born. 32 years later, customers come from around the globe to walk amongst hundreds of the most beautiful, proficient, technologically advanced sportfishing and motor yachts in the world from legendary and pioneering brands such as Princess Yachts, Viking Yachts, and OKEAN Yachts.
If a customer wants the latest and greatest vessel, this is where he’ll be.
Large, Luxurious Outboards
Outboards are huge in Miami, and hence, at the Miami show. Large center consoles with triple, quad, and five engine setups are the norm. With the Bahamas only a couple hours away, center console owners regularly make the trip across the Atlantic to land some prime marlin, mahi, or tuna.
Builders are taking notice of this resurgence, with the likes of Viking Yacht Company launching Valhalla Boatworks, a new line of advanced large center consoles.
Superyachts
As Miami continues its quest to be a global power in the yachting industry, the city has focused recent efforts on making itself known as the Monaco of the U.S. And it’s working. The iconic sunshine state city is quickly establishing itself as the superyacht capital of the world.
This is evident in boat show and city additions – namely, Island Gardens Deep Harbour on Watson Island – aimed at being friendly to and attracting superyacht owners and their substantial disposable income.
Come visit the HMY team at the 2020 Miami Yacht Show to view a robust lineup of new and pre-owned yachts available for immediate purchase. Or call the HMY Miami office today and talk to us about how we can help you buy, sell, or charter a yacht. HMY Miami: 305-856-8486
