Boating's contribution to economy emphasised at Miami - MarineBusinessWorld North America newsletter
by Peter Rendle 26 Feb 20:00 UTC
2025 Discover Boating® Miami International Boat Show © National Marine Manufacturers Association
The 2025 Discover Boating® Miami International Boat Show wrapped up its 84th edition after a five-day exhibition across six locations in Miami and Miami Beach.
The event, one of the largest boat shows in the world and a hub for the newest innovations and boats on the market, brought together consumers, industry leaders, and government officials to connect, explore, and shop the latest in recreational boating. The Miami Boat Show is an economic engine for the state of Florida and the U.S. recreational boating market, with nearly $1 billion in regional impact—notably about twice that of the previous weekend's big football event in New Orleans.
NMMA released its Monthly Data Insight Report, providing the latest in-depth analysis of recreational boating powerboat unit sales and key economic indicators. The data in the report is provided directly from NMMA member manufacturers to NMMA and from state governments in partnership with Info-Link as part of states' new boat registration data. The NMMA Business Intelligence team analyzes the data into monthly snapshots and as such, these reports reflect the timeliest comprehensive wholesale and retail analysis in the market through November 2024. The report includes economic data from the same time period to demonstrate what was happening in the market at the time the sales occurred. The report spans a rolling 12-month period.
America's Boating Club®, the nation's largest non-profit boating organization, and Ditch, the AI-powered navigation app, have announced a progressive partnership to further both organizations' commitment to fostering boating safety and boosting confidence in boaters of all ages and experience levels. America's Boating Club will be the exclusive non-profit partner for Ditch. This collaboration unites America's Boating Club's century-long legacy of boating education with Ditch's cutting-edge technology to foster a more confident and responsible boating community.
At the end of January, National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) participated in a discussion at the Association of Marina Industries (AMI) annual conference regarding boat shrink wrap regulations in Minnesota and new shrink wrap proposals nationwide. The session offered marina owners a valuable opportunity to engage with NMMA and explore strategies for complying with these new regulatory requirements.
Technology advances. Maptech®, an industry-leading provider of marine navigation chartbooks, digital navigation charts and many other marine navigation tools, has announced it has further expanded its offerings by unveiling its Harbor Drone Video Program. The new videos display coastal details that are not available from satellite or high-altitude aerial imagery for an easier and more approachable understanding of new harbors and facilities. Maptech currently has over 100 videos and are adding more all the time.
Sunstream® Boat Lifts, the leading manufacturer of premium boat lifts and the SwiftShield™ Automatic Boat Cover System, announced it has raised the bar in lifting technology with its revolutionary LiftBar™ universal lifting innovation. LiftBar is the first boat lift to incorporate a screw jack-based lifting mechanism that is all housed in one tube, to deliver high speed, a hidden structure, no sway, increased reliability and enhanced submergibility.
Mustang Survival, the global leader in maritime safety equipment, continues to set the standard for innovation with the launch of its ISO-approved Atlas 190 DLX Hammar Life Jacket. Following the overwhelmingly successful UK debut of the Atlas platform (with Pro Sensor inflator) in 2024, the multi-award-winning Atlas with Hammar inflator is now available online and in retailers across North America and the UK.
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Peter Rendle - peter.rendle@worldmarine.media