St. Augustine Boat Show canceled, slow economy cited

St. Augustine Boat Show canceled, slow economy cited



By MARCIA LANE
marcia.lane@staugustine.com
Publication Date: 04/16/08

A planned boat show on St. Augustine's bayfront has been canceled, the apparent victim of a slowing national economy, officials announced Tuesday.

Show Management, producer of the event, was using the word postpone rather than cancel, but no new dates have been given for the event.

The event was slated for May 2-4.

"The all-new St. Augustine Boat Show has been postponed until further notice due to current economic conditions," Show Management of Fort Lauderdale said Tuesday in a press release.

Paul Williamson, St. Augustine public affairs director, said the company had not indicated when it might reschedule. Williamson said the event was basically a trade show depending on space being sold to companies and that apparently not enough companies had signed up.

"There's a certain point where they have to have enough spaces sold to put on the show, and I guess they hadn't reached that," Williamson said.

He said it was better to pull the plug now rather than have an unsuccessful show. Williamson says the decision leaves Show Management with an option to hold the event in the future.

Marine Industry Association of North Florida, which is based in St. Augustine, was sponsor for the show.

"It has been a goal of ours to produce a show in St. Augustine, and we will continue to evaluate dates to have a show in the future," Dane Graziano, vice president of Show Management, said. Graziano said the company was "very disappointed" not to be putting on the show.

Show Management puts on a number of large boating trade shows including the Suncoast Boat Show in Sarasota this weekend. The company was to begin bringing up large floating docks next week that would have been temporarily anchored between the Bridge of Lions and the Castillo de San Marcos.

This was to be their first show in St. Augustine. "It would either have been the first of many such shows or the last one," Williamson said, noting company officials had done market research before deciding to try the event here.

The show would not only have been on the bayfront but also at Francis Field where an enormous tent was to provide space for exhibitors. Cost to the city has been minimal, Williamson said.

There have been several major meetings to go over logistics that included Show Management, the City and Marine Industry Association.

"(The City) doesn't really produce any events. We sort of offer the staging area and offer services," Williamson said.

As part of requirements for the show, two fire hydrants had been installed for the first time on Avenida Menendez. Through an interlocal agreement, the St. Augustine Port, Waterway and Beach District had agreed to pay up to $20,000 to install the hydrants.

Williamson said the boat show was a catalyst for putting in the hydrants, but said they would be of use for other events and to increase fire protection in the area.

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