Newport boat show vendors increasing presence

FULL SALE: Now in its 44th year, the Newport International Boat Show will bring some of the largest players in the boating industry to Aquidneck Island this month. Pictured above is a scene from the 2013 show. / COURTESY NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW
FULL SALE: Now in its 44th year, the Newport International Boat Show will bring some of the largest players in the boating industry to Aquidneck Island this month. Pictured above is a scene from the 2013 show. / COURTESY NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW

As the Newport International Boat Show enters its 44th year, the hope among organizers is attendance and sales will signal a rising tide capable of lifting the economic fortunes of the Ocean State boating industry.
The event, which will take place from Sept. 11-14, “goes along with the entire marine industry in Rhode Island,” show director Nancy Piffard said. She said that while the show mainly attracts New Englanders, people from all over the country do attend. Along the Newport waterfront, the show runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 11-13 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 14.
Piffard said the boating industry took a hit as the economy went south but that prospects for the industry are brighter than in recent years. “What I can tell you is that it is growing,” she said. Vendors are bringing more merchandise to the show this year, Piffard continued.
The goal is “always to bring buyers and sellers together,” the director said, adding it is “important for them to meet the right people.” According to Piffard, this year’s exhibition will feature products that have never been showcased in the U.S. before.
International boat manufacturer Beneteau America, based in Annapolis, Md., is increasing its presence at the show by more than 50 percent, with 16 powerboats and sailboats.
“Beneteau’s goal is not only to sell boats but also to show the dynamic of their brand, and recruit new dealers targeting the Midwest,” Beneteau America marketing director Maryline O’Shea said in an email.
The show draws those ready to purchase a boat and others who already own one but want to see what’s new, Piffard said.
Boat-making company Jeanneau America’s marketing manager, Valerie Toomey, called the show “very important.” She said Jeanneau, part of the Beneteau Group that also owns Beneteau America, plans to bring a number of boats to the show, including new powerboat, yacht and sailboat models. Toomey said the U.S. is the company’s “strongest market,” explaining that Jeanneau will offer more boats at this year’s event than in previous years.
The show also will offer an array of educational activities.
“It is important we offer it in order to grow the industry,” Piffard said.
A series of classes called “At The Helm” will cover an array of topics. Courses, the product of collaboration with maritime training facility Confident Captain/Ocean Pros, include tutorials on, among others, docking boats, handling emergency situations and navigation.
Those leading the classes will include U.S. Coast Guard-licensed instructors and U.S. Powerboating and American Sailing Association-certified teachers.
Other courses will also be offered through a program called “Discover Sailing.” The classes include a full-day match-racing clinic, which takes place on each show day and runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This is Piffard’s 14th year as director of the show, hosted by the Newport Exhibition Group. Though her background in marketing led her to take on the role, she said boating is “certainly something I liked all my life.”
Piffard said when she began overseeing the event, the economy overall was much stronger. The industry seems to have turned a corner though and is improving after the recession.
“Things are turning around and people seem to be feeling secure,” she said, citing feedback she receives from industry manufacturers and dealers. •

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