BOAT SHOW
WEDNESDAY
DAILY
Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show 2023
Show hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Sat. and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sun. For more information, visit flibs.com.
NOTABLE EVENTS on Thursday, October 26 2:00–3:15 p.m. Navigating Bullying, Harassment and Drug & Alcohol Abuse in Yachting Join Capt. Kelly J. Gordon at the Broward County Convention Center as she hosts her Yachtie Minds Matter seminar focused on navigating these issues while working on board. 2:00–4:00 p.m. Super Yacht Chef Sushi Throw Down at the Oasis Lounge Chef Danny Davies and John Pinkerton host this throw down as six randomly selected superyacht chefs wow a panel of award-winning judges with their best sushi creations. Located at the Oasis Lounge’s Bahia Mar/ Swimming Hall of Fame location. 3:30 p.m. Navigating a Course into Uncharted Waters – AI Seminar by USSA A panel of industry experts debate the pros and cons of AI in the superyacht industry, along with discussing how it can be implemented and the challenges that come with it. On the second floor of the Bahia Mar hotel. 6:30–10:30 p.m. Captains & Crew Appreciation Party at The Wharf Fort Lauderdale Join Capt. Doug Meier for the second annual Captains & Crew Appreciation Party. Must be 21 or older with a valid ID.
Innovation on the Water From the topics that get addressed in its panels to the ways attendees get moved around the sites, the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show prides itself on an innovative, forward-thinking ethos. By Erik Petersen
The people at Water Taxi aren’t exactly intimidated by big numbers. After all, the ubiquitous yellow boats ferry about 1.1 million people around the Fort Lauderdale area’s waterways every year. But during the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, even big numbers get dwarfed. When the Water Taxi stops its normal routes to take up its temporary role as official FLIBS onwater transport, they get about 90,000 boardings in five days. That’s more than six times their average traffic. “We charter in five boats to help us, we shut down our whole Water Taxi system,” president and CEO Bill Walker said.
They also bring in an additional 18 to 20 people to help with various shoreside roles. “It’s one of the things that my company and my staff get really excited about - me too,” Walker said. “They really step up to the challenge, these vast movements of people.” At FLIBS, big numbers get thrown around fairly regularly. From a local perspective, one of the biggest numbers of the show is the more than $1.79 billion that organizers say it pumps into the state economy. From an industry standpoint, the big numbers are visible from any dock. But organizers hope attendees look CONTINUED ON PAGE 3