Arguably the largest leisure marine boat show in the world. The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) is often the next major show on the superyacht calendar after Monaco.
Although not dedicated to the superyacht sector like Monaco, FLIBS has a comprehensive range of large yachts on show and is supported by all the major yards, brokerage and charter firms.
Unlike the Monaco Yacht Show, FLIBS went ahead in 2020, but with most of Europe still in some form of lockdown, the European attendance was noticably smaller. This year however, although travel within Europe is starting to become slightly easier, US administration is not lifting the entry ban from Europe and the UK until early November, after FLIBS has finished.
So once again, it looks as if FLIBS will go ahead, but with fewer representatives from Europe in attendance. There is a large enough domestic market for the show to still be a success, but it’s a shame, after such a successful Monaco Show, that so many of the international visitors will not be able to attend.
What to expect from the show
FLIBS is one of the most impressive shows when you consider the range of product that is on display. There is everything from Sport Fishers and Centre Consoles to European Cruisers and of course, Superyachts. The site at Bahia Mar has the ‘on land’ exhibitors surrounded on three sides by the floating exhibits in the calm of the intracoastal waters.
If you know what you want to see, FLIBS can be viewed in a single day, but if you have any intension of trying to walk the entire show, you’re going to need multiple days to take the whole show in properly.
Tickets range from $37 – $57 with upgrade options available to improve your visit. A lot more reasonable than the €500 for it’s Monegasque sister show.
