By PRESENTATION OF THE 64th GENOA INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW AT THE FORT LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW
October 27, 2023 Fort Lauderdale (Florida) – From October 25 to 29, the great Italian boating industry will be in Fort Lauderdale for the FLIBS (Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show), the United States trade show dedicated to yachting.
FLIBS (Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show) is recognized at one of the biggest boat shows in the world; in 2022, it hosted more than 1,000 exhibitors from 52 countries with 1,300 boats exhibited and numbered a total of approximately 100,000 visitors over the 5 days of the show.
The expectations for 2023 are to exceed a turnover of nearly 2 billion USD.
This context was an ideal occasion to present the record results of the 63rd Genoa International Boat Show and to launch the upcoming 64th edition, which will take place from September 19 to 24, 2024.
An exceptional venue was chosen to make this presentation at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show – the Bahia Mar Fort Lauderdale Beach.
In 2022, Italy once again surpassed the 2021 post-pandemic export record in the U.S. with 69 billion USD, and the boating sector contributed to this result.
In fact, if in 2021 Italy ranked second among boat importers in the U.S. with 441.4 million USD, it reconfirmed this position in 2022 but with a + 30% (575 million USD), compared to the period of 2021; it is the new sales record in the U.S., with a trend that continues to increase this year as well, already recording a +40% in July 2023. And if the last quarter is always the most important for U.S. purchases from Italy, we will also see the results increasing as in the last 10 years.
If the total expenditure for yachting reached a maximum of $56.7 billion in 2021 (NMMA data including marine investments) and is based above all on recreational and fishing boats, the total amount imported equals 4.1 billion (referring to all the types of boating included), with an increase of 32.6% compared to 2021. These numbers confirm the importance of continuing to invest in this market as the growth margins of imports of Italian products are still high in Florida first market with $494 million followed by New York/New Jersey ($38 million) and Michigan ($11 million).
For the 2023 show, the ICE Agency Office in Miami also organized a collective participation – in close collaboration with Confindustria Nautica – 24 spaces in an area measuring approximately 216 sqm total, in an area dedicated to the ICE Agency and Confindustria Nautica and 21 participating companies.
“The 63rd Genoa International Boat Show ended with numbers that attest to how exceptional it was: 118,269 visitators with a 13.9% increase compared with 2022; 1,043 brands exhibited; more than 1,000 boats with 143 more moorings in the water thanks to the opening of new channels,” stated Saverio Cecchi, President of Confindustria Nautica. “An event that turns out to be the mirror of an industry that continues to navigate quickly and that in 2022 recorded a global sales of 7.33 billion euros, with a 20% growth over the previous year. We are the first in the world as manufacturers of boats over 24 meters, first in inflatables over 10 meters, first in accessories. In addition, we are first in the world as boat exporters with a global share of 18.3%. The U.S. rienforces its primary position as main importer of yachts manufactured in Italy, with an increase of 57%.”
“For 2 years we’ve been working to reestablish the importance and reputation of the Genoa Boat Show: from NYC to Newport, in the iconic world boating locations to then move on to commercial locations like Ft. Lauderdale. Branding in the U.S. is a keyword synonymous with success and the facts bear this out, because with the 4th event on October 27, we are at two years of record numbers of visitors to the Genoa Boat Show…And the best is yet to come in 2024 with the completion of the works on the New Show space overseen by Renzo Piano”– declared Carlo Angelo Bocchi, Director of the ICE Office in Miami.
Italian Companies Participating in the 2023 FLIBS:
Greensailor S.R.L – Coelmo S.P.A – Navaltecnosud S.R.L – Boat Lift S.R.L – Navigo SCARL – Tecnicomar S.P.A – Ascom S.P.A – Seares S.R.L – Schenker Italia S.R.L – North Sardinia Sail S.R.L – Phiequipe Consulting S.R.L – Permare S.R.L – Thermowell – Prodital Italia S.R.L – Osmosea S.R.L – Given for Yachting S.R.L – SPX Rib Italia S.R.L – Undomus S.R.L – Agenzia in Liguria – Lilybaeum Yacht S.R.L – Veco S.P.A.
