30-Year Agreement for FLIBS

The Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF) and Show Management have signed a 30-year agreement to produce the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. 

"Our marine industry has become a prominent job creator, and our region is a world-leading marine sales, refit and repair hub," said Phil Purcell, executive director of the MIASF, which owns the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. "This agreement assures the show's future leadership presence in our region and within the marine community."

Show Management specializes in boat show production and has been producing the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show since 1976, the year the show moved to the Bahia Mar Yachting Center.

"The success of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show has been made possible through the close partnership among the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, the City of Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, and Show Management," said Efrem "Skip" Zimbalist III, chairman of Active Interest Media and president of Show Management, which was purchased by Active Interest Media in 2006. "It simply would not be possible without the dedication of all parties involved."

He added, "All of us at Show Management are honored to have been selected to operate the show through 2046, and will continue dedicating all of our resources to ensure that FLIBS remains the largest and best boat show in the world."

The 57th annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show will take place Nov. 3 through 7, 2016.  A far cry from its humble start in 1959 as an exhibit by local boat dealers in Fort Lauderdale's War Memorial Auditorium, the world's largest in-water boat show now spans seven locations with more than 3 million square feet of space, including six marinas and the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, all connected by a network of water taxis, riverboats and shuttles.

The Marine Industries Association of South Florida is the largest not-for-profit trade organization in the southeast United States and is dedicated to promoting the sound growth of the marine industry and awareness of its positive impact on regional economic output and jobs. More than 136,000 jobs and an annual economic output of $11.5 billion in South Florida are attributed to the marine industry.