For the 43rd installment of the Central Florida Boat Show, which wrapped up Sunday at the Orange County Convention Center, organizers at the Central Florida Marine Trade Association shortened the show’s schedule from three and a half exhibition days to two, due to the convention center's limited availability. Despite that change, show manager Bonnie Todtenhagen claimed she received positive feedback from the 70 exhibitors, 20 fewer than the show drew last year.
“They thought that the attendees seemed to be more qualified buyers than last year and had more leads to follow up on,” said Todtenhagen, who attributes the increase in serious buyers to the economy's improvement during the past year, resulting in more attendees being able to purchase a boat.
Approximately 6,000 people stopped by the show from Friday to Sunday evening. Overall attendance was down by nearly 1,800 from 2009, when the exhibit hall opened at noon Thursday. Todtenhangen contracted Maryland-based Adstrategies Inc. to coordinate promotional ads for the show on the city's local ABC, NBC, and CBS affiliates, and sponsor Bridge House Networks TV stations for the week prior to the show to attract attendees.
The show utilized 187,000 square feet of exhibit space at the convention center, 50 percent less than at its pre-recession peak in 2008. Exhibitors, some leasing as much as 15,000 square feet of space, showcased about 300 boats from more than 100 manufacturers, including SeaRay and MasterCraft. In addition, dozens of other exhibitors offered hundreds of boating related products, accessories, and services.
Organizers said it would depend what happens with the economy as to whether they will increase the size of the show in the future.