Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show® Offers Much More than Boats

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (October 11, 2010) – Long thought of as an event for boat lovers shopping for the latest yachts, boats, electronics and marine accessories, the 2010 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show® has throttled up this year to offer attendees a dynamic, all-around marine experience with many new onsite marine seminars and activities to choose from. Most sessions will be hosted at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center. All sessions are free after purchasing a ticket to the show.

• The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) School of Sportfishing will host eight “mini-sessions” at the Convention Center throughout the show with some of the area’s best captains and professional anglers, presented by Mercury Marine. While checking out the latest gadgets or considering a new skiff, anglers will be able to pick up hot tips and tricks from eight of the most experienced fishermen on the water.

Anglers participating in the IGFA School of Sportfishing mini-sessions include Captain Karl Anderson, Captain Josh Brown, Jamie Bunn of Bluewater Movements, Inc., Captain Tony DiGiulian, co-founder of the IGFA School of Sportfishing, Captain Mike Holliday, Captain Rick Murphy, host of Sportsman’s Adventures, Captain Ray Rosher and Captain Bouncer Smith.

• The new Blue Wild Dive and Travel Show is an innovative dive show within the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. The Blue Wild aims to help people enjoy the ocean safely, whether learning to dive or continuing their diving and boating education. The show will feature renowned experts speaking on safe boating, scuba diving, freediving, spearfishing, lobstering, first aid, environmental issues and emergency boat repairs. Boaters will have a chance to meet and chat with many of the speakers on Friday and Saturday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the “Happy Diver Happy Hour” located in The Blue Wild Dive and Travel Show Seminar room and lobby.

The Blue Wild Dive and Travel Show has an impressive lineup of presenters for this year’s Show, including: Boat Maintenance, Repairs, and Advice with Gary Lawson from Boat Center Miami; Boating & Diving in the Bahamas with Captain Jon Cooper from Diversion; Survival Dynamics with Tom Mount from IANTD;

FWC Dog Demo with Hank Juntunen and Gauge from FWC; Freediving (Not an Extreme Sport) with Kirk Krack and Mandy-Rae from PFI; Spearfishing Tips For All Levels with Sheri Daye; Lobstering like a Pro with Dave Earp; Rescues at Sea with Coast Guard Lt. Kent Reinhold and rescue diver Bob Hovey, AST3; Children’s Marine Book Readings with Cathy Cisco, author; First Aid at Sea with Greg Logue; Dangerous Marine Animals with Rob Myers, author; Learn to Scuba Dive with Mike Kurczewski from PADI, and Surviving Attacks and Protecting Sharks with Captain Kent Bonde and Captain Mike Beach. All sessions will take place in Room 124 of the Broward County Convention Center.

• On Saturday, Oct. 30, and Sunday, Oct. 31, Don Dingman, host and founder of Hook the Future, will host the 13th Annual Kids Fishing Clinics at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. for kids ages five to 16. Located at the Broward County Convention Center, each session runs approximately 45 minutes. Hook the Future was created by Dingman to show parents how important it is to spend quality time with their children and to empower children to do things for themselves. Each week throughout the year, Dingman takes a fresh crew of kids on a new adventure to destinations such as Jacksonville, Fla., Homer, Alaska, and Guatemala.

• Additionally, the Bahia Mar Beach Resort & Yachting Center is hosting the 2010 YachtInfo seminars on Friday, Oct. 29, presented by the International Superyacht Society (ISS), the Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF), and the US Superyacht Association (USSA). The full-day’s schedule is dedicated to the advancement of professionalism and encompasses entry-level crew and yachting professionals in all aspects of the marine industry. The classes are being held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a luncheon at noon, followed by a Captain’s Briefing from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 pm and a cocktail reception from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. The luncheon and cocktail reception are sponsored by Viking Crew Management and Royal Huisman respectively.

The 51st annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show takes place Oct. 28 through Nov. 1, 2010, and will cover more than 3 million square feet of space, both on land and in the water.

IGFA SCHOOL OF SPORTFISHING MINISESSIONS SCHEDULE

Thursday, Oct. 28, 2010
11:00 A.M. – Capt. Tony DiGiulian – Fundamentals of Sportfishing
1:00 P.M. – Capt Jamie Bunn – Kingfish/Sailfish Tactics
3:00 P.M. – Capt. Josh Brown – Dolphin/Wahoo Tactics
5:00 PM – Capt. Ray Rosher – Sailfish/Dolphin Tactics

Friday, Oct. 29, 2010
11:00 A.M. – Capt. Bouncer Smith – Swordfish Strategies
1:00 P.M. – Capt. Mike Holliday – Inshore Snook/Trout/Tarpon Tactics
3:00 P.M. – Capt. Karl Anderson – Marlin/Tuna Strategies
5:00 PM – Capt. Ray Rosher – Sailfish/Dolphin Tactics

Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010
11:00 A.M. – Capt. Tony DiGiulian – Fundamentals of Sportfishing
1:00 PM – Capt. Mike Holliday – Inshore Snook/Trout/Tarpon Tactics
3:00 P.M. – Capt Rick Murphy – Mastering the Flats
5:00 P.M. – Capt Karl Anderson– Marlin/Tuna Strategies

Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010
11:00 A.M. – Capt. Bouncer Smith– Swordfish Strategies
1:00 P.M. – Capt. Jamie Bunn – Kingfish/Sailfish Tactics
3:00 P.M. – Capt. Rick Murphy – Mastering the Flats
5:00 P.M. – Capt. Josh Brown – Dolphin/Wahoo Tactics

BLUE WILD DIVE AND TRAVEL SHOW SEMINAR SCHEDULE

Thursday, Oct. 28, 2010
2:30 to 3:15 pm – Survival Dynamics, Tom Mount
3:30 to 4:15 pm – Dangerous Marine Animals, Rob Myers
4:30 to 5:15 pm – Pegasus Thrusters, Dean Vitale

Friday, Oct. 29, 2010
11:30 to 12:15 am – RealSea Wetsuits and Wong Spearguns
12:30 to 1:15 pm – Commercial Diver Services, Geno Gargiulo
1:30 to 2:15 pm – Lionfish Invasion – What Can We Do?, Alecia Adamson
2:30 to 3:15 pm – The Art of Freediving, Kirk Krack
3:30 to 4:15 pm – Real Life Stories from FWC, Lt. Bingham and Rob Murphy
4:30 to 5:15 pm – First Aid at Sea, Capt Greg Logue
5:30 to 7:00 pm – Happy Diver Happy Hour

Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010
10:30 to 11:15 am – Freedive Blackout Awareness, Julie Richardson
11:30 to 12:15 pm – The Art of Freediving, Kirk Krack
12:30 to 1:15 pm – Readings for Kids, Cathy Sisco
1:30 to 2:15 pm – Tracking and Game Detection Dog Demo, Juntunen and Gauge
2:30 to 3:15 pm – Surviving Attacks and Protecting Sharks, Bonde and Beach
3:30 to 4:15 pm – Search and Rescue Stories and Advice, Reinhold and Hovey
4:30 to 5:15 pm – What Every Capt/Boat Owner Should Know, Lawson and Cooper
5:30 to 7:00 pm – Happy Diver Happy Hour

Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010
10:30 to 11:15 am – PADI’s Go Pro/Careers in Diving, Mike Kurczewski
11:30 to 12:15 pm – Lionfish Invasion – What Can We Do?, Alecia Adamson
12:30 to 1:15 pm – Spearfishing and Lobstering Like a Pro, Daye and Earp
1:30 to 2:15 pm – Dangerous Marine Animals, Rob Myers
2:30 to 3:15 pm – Search and Rescue Stories and Advice, Reinhold and Hovey
3:30 to 4:15 pm – First Aid at Sea, Capt Greg Logue
4:30 to 5:15 pm – What Every Capt/Boat Owner Should Know, Lawson and Cooper
5:30 to 7:00 pm – Survival Dynamics, Tom Mount

The World’s Largest Boat Show
The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show is renowned as the world’s largest event of its kind, featuring more than three billion dollars worth of boats, yachts, super yachts, electronics, engines, and thousands of boating accessories from every major marine manufacturer and boat builder worldwide.

The City of Fort Lauderdale lives up to its nickname as “Yachting Capital of the World” as host to the more than 3 million square feet of space, both on land and in water, that the Boat Show will encompass. The show’s transportation network of bus shuttles, water taxis, and riverboats ensures attendees can easily navigate the city and its expansive waterways system.

The show spans five sites this year with exhibits ranging from yacht builders and designers to exotic cars and brokerage yachts. A wide variety of boats and sea vessels will be on display including runabouts, sportfishers, high performance boats, center consoles, cabin cruisers, express cruisers, sailing yachts, motor yachts, bowriders, catamarans, ski boats, jet boats, trawlers, inflatables, canoes, and extraordinary superyachts.

The Boat Show also will feature electronics, engines and thousands of marine products such as fishing equipment, dive gear, financing and insurance options, yachting accessories, nautical clothing, jewelry and more.

Other activities at the Boat Show include marine seminars and youth fishing clinics presented by Hook The Future, a non-profit organization. Attendees also can enjoy refreshments and live musical entertainment at the show’s floating cocktail barges and International Food Garden.

The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show® takes place this year at the Bahia Mar Yachting Center, the Hall of Fame Marina, the Las Olas Municipal Marina, the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina, and the Broward County Convention Center.

To purchase tickets to the 2010 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show®, please visit ShowManagement.com. Vendors interested in exhibiting at the Boat Show can call (954) 764-7642 or (800) 940-7642, or visit ShowManagement.com, for more information.

To make travel arrangements, please contact the Boat Show’s official travel partner, Identity Travel, at (866) 877-3083, or visit IdentityTravel.com.

Show Hours
• Thursday, Oct. 28 (Prime Time Preview) 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 29 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 30 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 31 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 1 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Admission
• Prime Time Preview (Thursday, Oct. 28) $30 online, $32.00 at show site
• General Admission (Adults) $16.00 online, $18.00 at show site
• Children (Ages 6-15) $3.00 online, $5.00 at show site
• Children (Under age 6) FREE
• Two-Day Ticket $32.00 online, $34.00 at show site

Onsite Box Office Locations
• Bahia Mar Yachting Center
• Las Olas Marina
• Broward County Convention Center

Additional Box Office Location
• Las Olas Riverfront

About The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show®

The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show® is owned and sponsored by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida and managed and produced by Show Management. The 2010 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show® is presented by Intellian Technologies and co-sponsored by Yachts International, XM WX Weather Worx, Atlass Insurance Group, Budweiser, Seakeeper, The South Florida Sun Sentinel, The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, Hook the Future, Aqualuma, Native Energy, the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), Imtra Marine, Alexseal and Chartis. For more information, call (954) 764-7642 or (800) 940-7642, or visit ShowManagement.com.