Stuart Boat Show at 50: Why you should check out this year's show

STUART — Gleaming bright center consoles. Pontoon boats with stereo systems, upper decks and slides. Technical poling skiffs that float in 9 inches of water. Cruisers to take friends between waterfront watering holes. Sparkling sportfishing boats just waiting to raise a few sailfish in the bait spread.

It's a Treasure Coast tradition like no other. The Stuart Boat Show, Jan. 12-14, celebrates its 50th year of bringing the latest, shiniest and best for the local boater — no matter what they desire. As the show continues to grow and change, challenges face one of the region's longest-running events. It makes me wonder where the show will be 50 years from now?

Reasons you should go to the Stuart Boat Show?

One stop shopping. Boat shows showcase a variety of products in side-by-side comparison. A consumer who knows what model of boat he or she wants and would like to know how it compares between several manufacturers can save by checking out prices, financing and insurance between dealers and manufacturers at the Stuart Boat Show.

Newest models. See the latest in boats, gear, accessories and electronics. Manufacturers usually roll out their newest offerings in time for the Stuart Boat Show each year, about a month before the Miami Boat Show in mid-February. That gives the Stuart customer a preview at a smaller venue.

Support the marine industry. The Stuart Boat Show is the most public, high-profile event featuring the Treasure Coast's marine industry. It's owned by the Marine Industry Association of the Treasure Coast and produced by Mike Allen and family with AllSports Productions. In recent years, marine businesses in the Palm Beaches, on the Space Coast and even in the Bahamas have realized how important the Treasure Coast is to their businesses. Expect an increased presence with over 200 exhibitors at this year's show.

Laid-back social atmosphere. Stop by one of the bars or food stands throughout the show area to enjoy an adult beverage while dreaming about your friends and family aboard a new boat. There are worse ways to spend a weekend.

"Florida is the boating capital of the world with more than $31.3 billion of direct and indirect annual economic impact in the state, 1 million registered vessels and supporting 100,000 jobs," Ben Murray, public affairs director for the National Marine Manufacturers Association, told the Economic Breakfast for the MIATC Tuesday.

Three changes the Stuart Boat Show must embrace going forward

Location, location, location. I've written this before, but perhaps the Stuart Boat Show has worn out its welcome in its current location. Where else can it go? That's going to take some creative thinking and cooperation by entities not presently connected to the show. Could it move off Dixie Highway and flip the in-water portion of the show to the other side of the peninsula adjacent to Straticon's Atlantic Point development? Could it shift to the floating docks behind Stuart City Hall? The days of the boat show on a causeway or at a fairgrounds are behind us. There must be an in-water component. The event continues to grow and would be better served if it didn't stymie automobile traffic for a week every year.

Parking. This has been a problem for many years. There simply aren't enough parking spaces in downtown Stuart for all the merchants there, the farmer's market and free concerts on Sundays, art shows, the boat show, you name it. A developer could build a four-story downtown Stuart parking garage, but not without significant pushback from the community. Parking at Witham Field for the Stuart Boat Show, even with a free shuttle through town, is not a linear thought for most show-goers, especially out-of-towners.

Participation problems. There are two participation problems: Some marine businesses on the Treasure Coast have decided not to participate, which is a shame. It weakens the perception of how strong and vibrant the marine industry is to the Treasure Coast. Another reason is brand competition between dealers. If multiple dealers of Brand XYZ are scheduled to be in the show, one may pull out because a second dealer is told by the manufacturer they can rep Brand XYZ. I understand how Brand XYZ benefits, but sometimes it keeps a local dealer out of the show while allowing an out-of-town dealer into the show. This seems like something that can be worked out so that more dealers will find it worthwhile to participate.

"The Stuart Boat Show will be where it is for the conceivable future. Permitting, parking and vendor participation are always challenges for us, but many of these are misconceptions that aren't as bad when visitors actually come," said MIATC executive director Justin Beard.

At my first Stuart Boat Show, I climbed aboard boats on a cold January night at Martin County Fairgrounds. I probably marked up white decks with my black-bottomed shoes as a young kid.

At 50, I can't wait to what the Stuart Boat Show has in store for the boating community in 2024. Salesman don't worry, I'll take off my shoes before I climb aboard. See you at the show.

For complete information including ticket pricing, show maps and parking information go to TheStuartBoatShow.com.

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Ed Killer is a columnist who covers the outdoors, fishing and boating for TCPalm. This is his opinion. Email him at ed.killer@tcpalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Stuart Boat Show at 50: Reasons to go and what changes are ahead