Seattle Boat Show Blog

Showgoers loosen grip on wallets

by Deborah Bach on 03/02/10 at 8:49 am

Seattle Boat Show organizers and exhibitors reported a strong start to the region’s premier annual boating event, with higher attendance and showgoers who were not just looking, but actually buying.

Attendance was up 23 percent over last year for the first four days of the show at Lake Union, while the indoor portion of the show at Qwest Field Event Center drew 24.5 percent more attendees than last year, including a preview VIP night held both years.

The weekend was busy at both sites, and both experienced something highly unusual: a line of people waiting to get in on Monday morning. The mood at the show is a sharp contrast from last year’s, marked by lower spending and low morale as the nation struggled through a prolonged recession. During the first three days of this year’s show, small retailers to big boat dealers noticed a more upbeat, energetic atmosphere. 

“There’s definitely a different energy than there was last year,” said John Thorburn, director of communications and marketing for the Northwest Marine Trade Association. “People are excited about getting out on the water and finding their next boat or their next set of electronics.”

Solid attendance and sales were reported during the first weekend of the Seattle Boat Show.

That excitement is reportedly translating into sales. Though dealers were characteristically reticent to talk numbers or specifics, several said they’ve sold boats during the first few days of the show, which ends on Saturday. Those included Tim Klontz at Boat Country, who would only say the company has sold several boats, including some cash sales.

“It’s been quite a bit busier than it was last year,” he said. “The buyers have been quite enthusiastic about owning boats sooner and getting out on the water quicker.”

The buyers have included Canadians, who are turning up in higher numbers than anticipated, following the cancelation of this year’s Vancouver Boat Show. Bonnie Bergquist, who manages the Lake Union part of the show, said weekend attendees included large numbers of people from north of the border.

“There’s no way to quantify it, but almost every person I talked with or checked ID was Canadian,” she said. “There were so many Canadians over the weekend.”

Show organizers are also encouraged by the number of five-day show passes sold this year. Bergquist said sales of the $24 passes— which include admission, parking for a day, a magazine subscription, a cup of chowder and an appetizer—have been so high that she may need to have more printed.

“We’ve had so many people purchasing the multi-day tickets, which means they’re not just here to browse. They’re here to buy,” she said.

Among the show’s various promotions were several $500 cash prizes. One $500 winner ended up buying a $35,000 boat, Thorburn said—suggesting a renewed confidence among consumers as the economy recovers. 

“There’s a lot more excitement this year,” Thorburn said. “Boaters have really come out for the show.”

Though organizers and dealers are buoyed by what is shaping up to be a much more promising show than last year’s, with four more days to go, no one was quite ready to wave the victory flag yet.

“I don’t want to be the guy wearing the rose-colored glasses,” Thorburn said. “But I’m having a hard time hearing anything negative about the show.”