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Thank you to all exhibitors for your patience while waiting for us to send the post show newsletter, with the final attendance.

As you know, we transitioned our team to the Vancouver Boat Show throughout closing weekend and during move-out of the Toronto Show. 

We are thrilled to have just finished move-out in Vancouver tonight; and can now return to post-show Toronto follow-up! Thank you very much to all exhibitors for your understanding!

Our good intentions while here in Vancouver were to send a closing weekend Toronto attendance update, final attendance, plus the post show survey.

Due to the demands on our time in Vancouver, we have not had time yet to work on the survey. We will do that next week when we are back in the office in Ontario!

The final weekend of the show resulted in one day of attendance decrease, and one day of increase:

On the closing Saturday, attendance was 11,053, compared to 11,777 at the 2023 Show, which is a 6% decrease.

On the final day of the show, Sunday, the attendance was 6,355, compared to 4,103 at the 2023 Show, which is a 55% increase.

Final total attendance for the 2024 Show was 60,125, over the 10 days. This reflects 8% less attendees at the 2024 Show, compared to 2023 (which had 65,510 attendees)

There were 3,701 exhibitor and marine trade badges at the 2024 Show (each counted one time), compared to 4055 at the 2023 Show.

Advance E-ticket sales were 20,431 for the 2024 Show. Of those advance sales, 1,630 were not redeemed, where the ticket purchasers were not able to attend. For your information, we do not count unredeemed tickets in our total attendance. This statistic is just for your informational purposes.

Post Show Survey for Exhibitors – will be sent out NEXT WEEK!

We thoroughly review all comments and ideas, and we place a great deal of value on every individual and company’s input. We also hold meetings with the Boat Show Committee to discuss collective survey results to help guide our decisions and direction.

In addition to our annual feedback about the Show, this year we will also be including survey questions about the # of Show Days for the Future.

Over the past 35 years of the Show’s 66-year history, we have surveyed on the # of Show Days 6 times, to get feedback on what would be best for the Industry and the Toronto Boat Show. 

The # of Show Days and Hours has changed several times in TIBS’s history. During those 35 years, the Show was 10 days, then 9 days for several years, then back to 10 days. During those same survey years, each time we also included a 5-day Show format as an option.  

During this process we will be providing information to help you make an informed decision when you receive your survey.

PLEASE NOTE: A decision has not been made, at all. We are not even remotely close to a decision, regarding the # of Show Days. We have not even sent out the Survey yet. 

We have received some inquiries that rumours are saying the Show has already made a decision. This rumour could not be further from the truth. We have heard some say the Show has already made the decision to be 10 days or 5 days. This is completely false. 

We have also received many calls and emails from Exhibitors expressing their opinion, for 5, 9 or 10 days. There are strong opinions for each # of Show Days. We will want to know everyone’s opinion, and will seek feedback beginning next week as soon as we have time to work on the survey process, and hold post show meetings with our Show Committee.

This will be a difficult decision for the Show and many Exhibitors. We will take our time and review thoroughly, so that the Toronto Show continues to provide the sales, leads and results exhibitors have come to expect from the show.

Please note that the Toronto International Boat Show is a significant event in the City of Toronto and has long-term dates at the Enercare Centre, Exhibition Place. 

While we enjoy long-term confirmed dates in the venue, we occasionally review the # of Show Days, Show Hours, Preview Day/No Preview Day – amongst other topics.

Here are the future dates for the Toronto Show if it remains a 10 day event. Within the date pattern below, we will also provide date options for a 5 day and a 9 day show.

·   January 17 – 26, 2025

·   January 16 – 25, 2026

·   January 15 – 24, 2027

·   January 21 – 30, 2028

·   January 19 – 28, 2029

·   January 18 – 27, 2030

Please keep an eye out next week for the Post Show Survey! 

We look forward to reconnecting with you next week, when we are back in the office.

Congratulations to our 2024 "Buy A Boat & Win" winner Darrell May of Toronto, Ontario. Darrell has won $10,000 towards the purchase of his new boat, 20’ Bennington purchased at Tuckers Marine. 

We will present his cheque in the spring when Darrell takes possession of his new boat. 

Offering a $10,000 prize for one lucky boat-buyer, our BUY-A-BOAT & WIN contest, creates incentive for consumers to finalize boat purchases before the end of the show. 

Each day of the show, we also made a random dealer draw from the "Buy A Boat & Win" ballots submitted by dealers.

Number of Boats Sold: A secondary objective of this program is to generate sales statistics - frequently released by the media. The accuracy of the numbers we provide is reliant on exhibitor participation in the program. 

This year, the Buy A Boat & Win program reported 514 boats sold by dealers who participated in the program by submitting ballots. 

Note: 514 boats only represents boat sales reported by those who participated in the program - which is why it is important that dealers participate in the program so boat sales figures given to the media are as accurate as possible. 

Congratulations to our $100 Dealer

Draw Winners 

Saturday: Craig Murray - Gordon Bay Marine

Sunday: Todd Laing - Harper Power Sports

Monday: Justin Stone - Town & Country Marine

Tuesday: Kim Moffat - Fogh Marine

Wednesday: John Winter - Legend Boats

Thursday: Les Davy CO2 Inflatables

Friday: Jeremy Baird Legend Boats

Saturday: Karen Davies - Aqua Marine

Sunday: Mark Meeks - Crate’s Lake Country Boats· 

Thank you to RBC,

the 2024 sponsor of the

BUY/SELL-A-BOAT & WIN program.