Show Management and Sail America Join Forces For All-New St. Petersburg Boat Show & Strictly Sail™

Show Management and Sail America announced on June 25 the merger of Strictly Sail St. Pete and the St. Petersburg Boat Show to create an all-new “super show” called the St. Petersburg Boat Show & Strictly Sail™. With a projected attendance of 25,000, the new show will be held from December 4 – 7, 2008 at the Mahaffey Theater Yacht Basin in St. Petersburg, FL.

Under the terms of the new merger, Show Management, one of most experienced show producers in the U.S., will oversee all aspects of exhibitor sales, marketing and event management, while Sail America will endorse and promote the show to create a strong and viable sailing presence, including producing turnkey sailing seminars and special sailing events.

“We believe this move will increase attendance and the number of exhibitors, and we anticipate that sailing will add additional appeal and excitement to the show as well as attract new sailing buyers to the venue,” said Sail America Executive Director Jonathan Banks. “The merger carries the full support and unanimous vote of the Sail America Board of Directors, the Strictly Sail St. Pete show committee, and the major boat manufacturers.”

The new expanded show will feature a dedicated in-water sailing area that will accommodate up to 50 sailboats, an on-land sailboat display, three air-conditioned seminar tents, and a large air-conditioned accessories tent that will have a dedicated sailing section for up to one hundred 10 ft. x 10 ft. sailing-related booths.

Sail America and Show Management are developing a comprehensive marketing plan to promote the new show to all sailors in the region, including radio and press advertising, national and regional sailing advertising, direct mail, yacht club marketing, internet promotions, and an extensive PR program. Show Management has contracted with Kenton Smith Advertising & Public Relations (Sail America’s agency of record) to provide marketing support.

Banks noted, “Providing our members with targeted sales opportunities focused toward the sailing customer continues to be a critical part of Sail America’s mission. And this will not change. What will change is that Sail America will be less involved in boat show management and instead will look for areas where it makes sense to partner with or support other show producers to create a greater sailing presence at boating events across the nation.”

A sales folder and space contracts will be sent to all prior Strictly Sail St. Pete exhibitors in the next few days. For further questions on space rates, space allocation, and the show in general, please call Chuck Bolt at Show Management at 800-940-7642 Ext. 215 or at cbolt@showmanagement.com. For more information on the show click here.

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