Looking Back on the Miami International Boat Show

The memory of those beautiful, mid-February days in Miami don’t fade very fast. They remind us of that time of year when members of the Sea Tow Foundation load up crates of life jackets and boating safety material, and then ship them out for the Miami International Boat Show. But that won’t be happening this year.

For the last 33 years, boating enthusiasts from around the globe, have excitedly attended the largest boat show in the United States. However, in an effort to keep everyone safe during the pandemic, show organizers decided to cancel the event this year. While we’re sad that we won’t be teaming up with our Miami friends and volunteers, we realize it’s the best decision.

One thing is for certain though, we have lots of memories from previous years and we’d like to take a moment to reflect back.

The Sea Tow Foundation has attended the show for the last 12 years and we have hosted a Life Jacket Loaner Stand there for the past four.

The docks at the Miami Boat Show are crowded and families often wanted to take test rides on the many boats for sale, but children’s life jackets were not always available, and some would forget to bring their own. Thankfully, the Sea Tow Foundation brought their nationwide Life Jacket Loaner Station program to the show attendees so that life jackets could be provided in all sizes including infant, child, youth and adult..

The faces of children, their parents and individuals from all walks of life also standout as a happy memory. Thousands of people have visited our life jacket loaner stands to borrow life jackets and many more received our information on boating safety. Our goals were being accomplished every day at the show by the sheer number of individuals we were able to influence with a positive message.

The Foundation’s participation in the show has evolved over the years as well.

Last year, we launched our first ever “Life Jacket Selfie Giveaway Contest.” Through a partnership with the boat show organizer, the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) as well as partnerships with Onyx, FELL Marine, FishGillz, Navionics, Source4 and Formula Boats. As a part of this contest, the Sea Tow Foundation gave away five prize packages, valued at $3,600 each, to the show attendees and boaters watching from home. To be entered to win, participants had to take a selfie while wearing a life jacket at the show, post the photo to social media with the hashtag #LifeJackets4theWin, and tag the Sea Tow Foundation. As a result, social media was filled with posts from individuals eager to enter the contest, while our message of wearing life jackets reached thousands.

The Sea Tow Foundation plans to continue the tradition of ensuring boating can be safe AND fun next February at the Miami International Boat Show. In the meantime, don’t forget to wear your life jacket on the water. You can borrow one for free from the Sea Tow Foundation’s nationwide network of life jacket loaner stations or you can purchase one just for you – either way, the best life jacket is the one that you will wear.

Have you attended the Miami Boat Show in the past and visited our Foundation’s booth? Share with us your experience in the comments below.