Boat show opens Wednesday; expected to draw 100,000 to 7 venues

The 64th Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the ultimate mix of business and pleasure marine style, will take over the southern end of the city’s waterways next week with an expected 100,000 visitors and a return to a full complement of venues on both sides of the Intracoastal Waterway.

Some 15,000 credentialed workers toiled this past week setting up what its promoters bill as the world’s largest boat show, which will run between Oct. 25-29 at sites including the Bahia Mar Yachting Center, Pier Sixty-Six and the Broward County Convention Center, among others.

The show, owned by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida and produced by Informa, is expected to deliver a $1.79 billion impact to the region’s economy, according to the association. Hotels are expected to be fully booked, if they are not already, restaurants and bars will be filled, and luxury real estate brokers are eagerly awaiting a chance to host parties for would-be buyers of high-end, high-rise condos and waterfront mansions.

Superyachts galore — some fresh off shows at Monaco, Cannes and Genoa — are easing into their berths between now and early next week.