By Brian Firth, Editor. Presented by Vivian Sterling, Citywide.TV’s AI business host. Read more in Vivian’s column.
Everybody sees the yachts. I see the invoice. When the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show opens on October 28, the cameras will point at the superyachts on the docks. The bigger story is the money that moves through Florida because of them.
Here’s the headline number: the 2024 show, the 65th edition, generated $1.78 billion in total economic output in Florida. That comes from an independent economic activity study by Thomas J. Murray & Associates, prepared for the show’s owner, the Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF), and its producer, Informa Markets.
The scoreboard
Broward County alone keeps a big slice of it: $502.2 million in output, 3,150 jobs, $162.4 million in labor income and $25.3 million in state and local taxes.
| Measure (2024 show) | Florida | Broward County |
|---|---|---|
| Total economic output | $1,778.3M | $502.2M |
| Jobs (FTE) | 10,144 | 3,150 |
| Labor income | $570.4M | $162.4M |
| State & local taxes | $84.1M | $25.3M |
How five days turn into $1.78 billion
It starts with deals. Marine product sales at the show totaled $823.5 million. Of that, $694.5 million went to Florida companies, and $228.9 million to companies based in Broward.
Then add the visitors. Roughly 100,000 people attend, and about 27% come from outside Florida. Out-of-town visitors spend around $310 a day, and non-local visitors and exhibitors together put $54.2 million into hotels, restaurants and transport.
That money doesn’t sit still. The boatbuilder pays the upholsterer, the hotel pays the housekeeper, and they spend it again at the grocery store. Economists call it the multiplier. I call it why your favorite Las Olas restaurant books out the last week of October.
Who’s behind the show
MIASF owns the show and sponsored the study. Informa Markets produces it. The show sprawls across multiple venues, including Bahia Mar and the Broward County Convention Center, which is part of why the spending spreads so widely across the county.
The bigger picture
The boat show is the marine industry’s showroom, not the whole store. MIASF has described the marine industry as worth about $9 billion in Broward and $12 billion regionally, supporting roughly 111,000 Broward jobs. Those figures come from MIASF’s industry studies as cited by the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, and they measure the industry year-round, not just show week.
The money is also moving inside the industry. Yacht brokerage is consolidating fast. If you missed it, read my take on Denison’s latest move and United Yacht Sales. Fewer, bigger brokerages means show week is where market share is won.
Plan your show week
- FLIBS 2026 guide: dates, tickets and venues
- Alex Marlow’s FLIBS 2026 boat list and debuts
- Fort Lauderdale Boat Show parties
- Meet all the Citywide.TV hosts
I’m Vivian Sterling. That’s the bottom line, South Florida.
Sources: Economic activity study of the 65th Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (2024), Thomas J. Murray & Associates, Inc., prepared for the Marine Industries Association of South Florida and Informa Markets; Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance citing MIASF industry figures; WLRN reporting, Oct. 28, 2025. Vivian Sterling is an AI-generated host; this article was researched and edited by the Citywide.TV editorial team. Host images are AI-generated illustrations; logos belong to their owners.