Workers wiped and waxed the fiberglass bodies on boats of all sizes earlier this week in preparation for the annual Chattanooga Boat and Sport Show, as a never-ending stream of watercraft continued to pour in behind them.
Held in the Chattanooga Convention Center downtown, what was described as the longest running boating event in the Tennessee Valley area is on track to sell at least 100 boats this year, according to event promoter Keith Parker.
“We’ve got 11 dealers, with anything from aluminum fishing boats, personal watercraft, cruisers, inboards, wakeboard boats, pontoons, boat docks, boat lifts, and a variety of other vendors with the largest selection of fish and tackle ever, including custom rods,” said Mr. Parker, who works for Athens, Ala.-based BK Productions.
He said that though boat sales were in a downturn last year, 2010 has seen a resurgence in interest.
“We’ve already had two shows this year, and attendance was up 25 to 30 percent at each show,” Mr. Parker said.
Mr. Parker said deals and on-site financing will be available this weekend because manufacturers typically offer deep discounts at boat shows to kick the sales season off.
“We will have the largest selection ever of water toys and wakeboards, and visitors can meet professional wakeboarder J.D. Webb on Saturday,” Mr. Parker said.
Scott Manning also has big plans for the week’s festivities.
“We expect dramatic returns on our input, and based on the shows that have taken place already for 2010, there’s been a lot of success,” said Mr. Manning, sales manager for TRC Yacht Sales.
It takes 16 employees working 14- to 16-hour days to get TRC’s section ready for the show, not including the hundreds of workers at the 10 other dealers involved in the event, Mr. Manning said. He added that pre-planning for next year’s show starts again as soon as he takes down this year’s exhibit.
“You base your shows on last year’s failures and successes,” Mr. Manning said. “As dealers, we feel that we’ve already hit rock bottom, and that was 2009, so there’s nowhere but up from there.”
What’s new for boating in 2010:1. More educated buyers2. Boating now seen as family recreation sport3. Boats are getting bigger and more advanced4. New engine and electronic innovations5. Touchscreen innovations have made their way to the boating world.Source: Scott Manning, TRC Yacht SalesShow facts* Time: Today from noon until 9 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.* Admission: $7 for adults, children under 12 free.
Officials at the National Marine Manufacturers Association estimate boat sales to be down by 28 percent for 2009, revised from original projections of 35 percent, although data won’t be available until later this year.
The second half of 2009 saw slight increases in sales of new powerboats, a good sign for the industry, according to Kelly Kaylor, assistant communications director for NMMA. She said that although sales have continued to decline, boating as a recreational activity remains as popular as ever.
“In 2008, new powerboat sales decreased 24 percent from 2007 levels, and in 2009 we’re expecting a decrease of around 28 percent from 2008,” Ms. Kaylor said. “We will likely net out anywhere between 135,000 to 145,000 new powerboats sold in 2009.”
The weekend activities include daily seminars such as “boating 101 for women,” and visitors may take a safe boating class from TWRA on Saturday at 11 a.m., provided they sign up beforehand.