Toronto wraps successful 2023 boat show
The 65th edition of the Toronto International Boat Show recently wrapped and celebrated the return of a successful show. The show marked its return to an in-person consumer show, January 20 – 29 at the Enercare Centre to debut more than 150 product innovations, thousands of recreational boats and watersports accessories and more electric boats than ever before.
Attendance in 2023 exceeded expectations despite several ‘snow days’ and weather advisories. 65,510 consumers came through the gates over the show’s 10 days, with opening weekend attendance among the highest in years with more than 25,750 visitors on the first Friday to Sunday — exceeding 2020’s opening weekend attendance by nearly 20%.
“From the opening Friday to the closing Sunday, we were happy to see strong and better than expected attendance,” Legend Boats’ Jessie Davis said. “Even with a large team, we felt the need to call in additional help for the second weekend. The crowd was happy to be back to this in-person event. We had a very positive Toronto Boat Show experience, and it helped kick start our season into high gear in a big way!”
North America’s largest indoor boat show was abuzz with top boat dealers and marine manufacturers from across Canada and internationally as they debuted new models, fleets, accessories, and the latest trends – with electric boats making big waves among consumer and media interest. Debuting at the 2023 Toronto Boat Show was the world’s first mass produced all-electric personal watercraft, along with electric boats, electric-powered jet boards and jet surfs, and plenty of solar powered accessories. It’s clear that the electric vehicle (EV) movement has crossed over to other forms of transportation, and the boating industry is riding the wave.
Significant for the show, especially after a two-year hiatus, was the return of the world’s largest indoor lake for boaters. Canada’s top athletes converged on the first weekend to compete in the Indoor Wakeboard Canadian Championship, culminating with Riley Dillon (Men) and Kelsey Chiappa (Women) taking home top honors.
Popular show attractions including the Great Canadian Fish Tank, Antique and Classic Boat Society, and seminar stages (which hosted more than 300 hourly seminars) were relocated across the show floor for greater visibility and accessibility for showgoers; while the newly introduced Boaters Resource Center became the new hub to connect with various recreational organizations including Parks Canada, Canadian Power and Sail Squadron, Transport Canada, Boating Ontario, and more.
Historically, the Toronto Boat Show annually attracts more than 70,000 attendees. In 2020, attendance was 69,500; however, show organizers estimate that there were 1,700 more exhibitor badges distributed that year than in 2023.
Dates for the 66th annual Toronto International Boat Show are scheduled for January 19-28, 2024 at the Enercare Centre, Exhibition Place.
Source: https://boatingindustry.com/news/2023/02/07/toronto-wraps-successful-2023-boat-show/
