Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — Informa Exhibitions won’t have to worry about a venue for the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show for the foreseeable future after signing a 30-year lease extension in June with the Bahia Mar Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel & Yachting Center.
The agreement includes two 10-year options that would extend the deal to a total of 50 years. The Bahia Mar resort has been one of the host venues for the citywide show since 1976.
“With the lease extension in place, we are prepared to commit significant resources to improving the show’s infrastructure, technologies, and customer services in ways that will noticeably enhance exhibitor and attendee experiences,” said Informa Exhibitions CEO Charles McCurdy.
Informa took over the boat show earlier this year when it acquired Show Management, the company that ran the event on behalf of the Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF); MIASF remains owner of the show.
The Fort Lauderdale show was christened in 1959 and has grown to seven exhibit areas around the city, including the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, totaling more than 3 million gross square feet of exhibit space. The November show annually features around 820 exhibitors and an impressive fleet 1,200 yachts of varying sizes. It also draws around 100,000 attendees who use water taxis and shuttles to visit the Bahia Mar and other marinas. “We look forward to working closely with the owners of Bahia Mar, the MIASF, and all our stakeholders on the continued success of this extraordinary boat show for the next 30 years and beyond,” said McCurdy.
Informa said the lease extension cleared the way for the city to grant Bahia Mar permission to proceed with a redevelopment plan for the 39-acre property that will include permanent infrastructure for the boat show.
In addition to the Fort Lauderdale show, Informa produces four other Florida boat shows, plus Europe’s Monaco Yacht Show.
Reach Charles McCurdy at +44 (0)20 7017 5000 or charlie.mccurdy@informa.com
