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THE FORT LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW (FLIBS FOR SHORT) IS BACK—AND IT’S BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER

BY HOWARD WALKER

The man behind the sixty-third edition of the world’s biggest in-water boat show is Andrew Doole (aka Mr. Boat Show), president of the U.S. Boat Shows Division of Fort Lauderdale–based Informa Markets. A 40-year veteran of boat show productions, Doole also steers shows in Palm Beach, Miami, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota. With COVID-19 travel restrictions eased and more overseas visitors returning, Doole tells FLI that FLIBS 2022, slated for October 26-30, might just be the best one yet. (flibs.com)

FLI: What are the biggest changes we’ll see with this year’s show?

Doole: The main difference, by far, is that international visitors will be back. For the past couple of years, they’ve had to stay home.

With travel restrictions pretty much lifted, we’ll see more Europeans especially returning to the show this year. So, you’ll have all the major boatbuilders from Holland, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom coming back, which means more boats to see, more company reps to talk to.

Are all the venues and locations back for 2022?

Yes, all seven. And they’ll be bigger and buzzier than ever. With the return of the European shipyards, the Superyacht Village will be full. As will Bahia Mar, Las Olas, the Hall of Fame, the Hilton, and Pier 66 marinas. And the Broward County Convention Center will really step up into overdrive, with more manufacturers and suppliers, more seminars, more events, and just more fun things to do and see. You’ll be able to spend a whole day there and not see it all.

For someone looking for a new boat, what does FLIBS offer?

All the boatbuilders are in one place, with their complete ranges. We’re expecting over 1,300 boats on display. That means you have the opportunity to really comparison-shop a large number of boats in one or two days— something that could take weeks or months if

Spanning nearly 90 acres across 3 million square feet of exhibit space, this year’s FLIBS will offer attendees an unprecedented array of on-the-water delights, says show organizer Andrew Doole.

you had to travel around to different dealers.

Also, with today’s supply challenges, a dealer might not even have a certain model in stock and end up showing you a brochure. At FLIBS, everything’s in one place; you can step aboard, take your time to look around, and talk to the people who built it. We have people flying in from Canada and Mexico to comparison-shop boats.

How big a deal is FLIBS for Fort Lauderdale and Florida in general?

It’s huge and getting bigger. A survey of last year’s show conducted by Thomas J. Murray & Associates revealed that it contributed no less than $1.79 billion to the Florida economy through purchases and expenditures. A part of that is from the 100,000-plus show visitors, of which around 49 percent are from outside the state.

For Fort Lauderdale itself, those visitors are spending on hotels and restaurants, on retail and local transportation. For the show it means work for a small army of people over the five days—from local caterers, florists, people working the stands, to service staff.

You’ve lived and worked in Fort Lauderdale for three decades. What makes the city such a great venue for a boat show?

It’s the yachting capital of the world, the Venice of America. We’re blessed with so much water, from the ocean right there, to the Intracoastal and the network of rivers and canals. I just love to take a water taxi, or sit at a waterfront restaurant, or go flats fishing on my skiff.

From a show point of view, we have an abundance of great hotels, great places to eat and drink, a world-class airport, and some of the best beaches, and amazing weather— especially in October.

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FLIBS MUST-DOS

« GO BY SEA: BOARD A WATER TAXI TO TRAVEL FROM DOWNTOWN FORT LAUDERDALE TO FLIBS. TAKE IN THE SIGHTS AS YOU CRUISE THE NEW RIVER, LINED WITH LAUDY’S JAWDROPPING WATERFRONT HOMES.

« GRAB A COLD ONE: BOOZY DRINKS AND LIVE MUSIC ABOUND AT FLIBS’ FAMOUS FLOATING COCKTAIL LOUNGES. SIT BACK, RELAX, RECHARGE, COOL DOWN, AND LISTEN TO THE JIMMY BUFFETT–WANNABE MUSICAL ACTS.