Virtual Boat Shows As An Alternative Way To Find Your Next Yacht

The pandemic is changing the way we experience big events, including boat shows.

The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show was the first major boat show held in the United States since March 2020. It was about 45% smaller than in previous years, yet still made a positive impact on the local economy and boat dealers. The docks remained filled during the five-day event with attendees who were enthusiastic about the marine and yachting industry.

Throughout the event, COVID-19 protocols were enforced by Informa Markets to monitor the safety of guests through contactless entry, temperature checks, sanitization stations, masks, and wider docks. Denison went a step further by providing an alternative way to experience the boat show.

Denison’s Virtual Boat Show added the option for guests to be a part of FLIBS through virtual showings, walkthrough videos, 360-degree virtual tours, and live chats with experts, brokers, captains, and personalities.

Keeping Up With Changing Consumer Needs

Most, if not all, businesses have had to adapt to changing consumer needs during the pandemic. Restaurants are expanding outdoor seating options, sporting events are held without fans, and musicians are embracing virtual performances. As we saw at FLIBS 2020, boat shows can be successfully experienced in person and virtually, creating more options to participate in the shows. Not only do virtual experiences provide a safer experience for guests, but they also offset costs.

Reagan Haynes wrote in his article, “Reinventing the Boat Show,” that most in the industry agree that boat shows remain an integral tool for making sales and generating leads, but that dealers are weighing the cost benefits of participating in shows.

Pivoting Online

COVID-19 is challenging the way people experience big events, whether it’s a boat show, award show, sporting event, or music festival. Marketing teams are finding creative ways to approach and improve user experience. Denison Yachting’s Director of Marketing, Josh Valoes weighs in on the future of virtual boat shows.

“More than ever, our clients are researching options online before buying with confidence. While a virtual show won’t fully replace the magic of attending a world-class boat show, our virtual technologies have significantly enhanced the shopping experience.

The future of boat shows is hybrid. A mix of immersive online technologies with the facilitation of in-person showings. Our goal is to instill buying confidence quickly. This is made possible by empowering our clients to explore our virtual docks with industry-leading tools.

Josh Valoes

When hosting virtual boat shows, exhibitors and dealers can include varied content such as short videos, walkthroughs, live chats, or photo galleries. The more interactive the virtual experience is, the more impactful it is for the user, potentially increasing leads.

Sailing Ahead

While FLIBS 2020 proceeded at a smaller capacity, the health and safety of staff, exhibitors, and visitors were of the utmost importance. In addition to enforcing COVID-19 protocols, providing a virtual boat show experience is a productive and alternative way to participate in these high volume events.

Denison successfully hosted a virtual boat show for FLIBS 2020 to make the boat buying process accessible to everyone. Clients were able to tune in from anywhere in the world to experience exclusive live stream interviews, virtual boat tours, and walkthroughs. Check out our FLIBS 2020 coverage from Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5. Contact Denison Yachting if to find your next dream yacht.