2020 Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show: POLL

I don't know. I was just in St. Augustine this weekend. All hotels were packed with cars with mostly plates from the South (somewhat locals doing a beach vacation), Florida/GA/SC/some NC/. All of the touristy shopping areas totally packed.......so a lot of non boat vacationing.....odd to see the hotel that empty......

Isn't the bidding mostly virtual?

Well, FLIBS is still talking a big game and others are talking about how great it will be for the local economy. We will soon know.

We moved our two boats in yesterday. The show is definitely the smallest I have ever seen but despite the small show, things seemed to be business as normal on the docks and the other builders I did talk to were looking forward to the show. Should be interesting to see how everything shapes up this coming week.

Arizona is taking it far more seriously than Florida. Weather forecast for the boat show is mid to upper 80's during the day, mid to upper 70's at night. Who's going to enforce a (legally toothless) mask mandate in that heat of people they hope will spend millions? In fact it sounds like the perfect place to protest mask rules. How many people who were at the shoulder to shoulder mask less Florida rallies this week will be at the show and not want to wear them there?

I wonder if that was weekday or weekend attendance? Sparse is for sure. I wonder too, if these care actions are starting to have had their run. You know too many, too often, it is not so special any longer. Who knows?

Now that is saying something. I would have never guessed that a Saturday evening Barrett Jackson event being so sparse.

They still fill up for auctions, pre-pandemic. Now might be interesting after the pandemic when people have done it virtually for a while. I wonder how bidding and sales compare.

I noted that even during set up the regulations aren't being followed or enforced:

"An employee of one boat exhibitor, however, said Monday that he observed setup workers without masks at their job sites.

“The only people I could see wearing masks were security guards operating outside the entrance — and myself,” said the employee, who declined to be identified. “Is it going to change once the show starts?”"

So obviously it is with a wink and a nod. If they won't tell the workers to wear masks what's the chances they'll risk angering a million dollar buyer?

Probably not necessary workers to wear a mask while outdoors in the high humidity and heat as long as they are distancing from each other...easy to put one on when working close together. Not anything like a crowd of people that may be wandering around the show rubbing elbows. Enforcement will be difficult.

I am a fan of wearing masks, but I don't see the need or reason to wear on IF you're outdoors and 6' away or more from the nearest person. So it's possible if someone is setting up in their company slips and nobody else around to forgo wearing one. I think at the show during show times everyone should wear one and they should make the docks directional only (one way traffic).

I'm sorry, did I miss that exception in what the promoters put out assuring the attendees that it will be safe? I suspect enforcement will be non-existent and this will be a super-spreader event. Must say Florida has been getting (and will continue to get) exactly what they earn.

Amazing how many people are coming to Florida as tourist... and to live. Should we be closing the borders?
I expect most at the show will be careful and follow the rules.