The 2021 Seattle Boat Show is not happening in person, but a new digital experience — Seattle Boat Show Connected — provides an intriguing alternative.
In many ways, the writing was on the wall. Fifty-thousand person events just aren’t happening right now. And yet, there remains a confluence of demand for a way to jumpstart the 2021 boating season — from boaters and industry exhibitors alike — and the Seattle Boat Show has traditionally done just that.
The Seattle Boat Show can’t take place in-person in 2021, but this announcement is as much a reveal as it is a cancellation. Thoughtful exploration of a worthy Plan B began months ago, and (full disclosure… I’m on the Board of Trustees for the Northwest Marine Trade Association that puts on the Seattle Boat Show) I believe the capable Boat Show team is putting together a virtual event that breaks new ground in the service it will provide to attendees and exhibitors, the digital experience and environment it will create, and in the amount and quality of the educational seminar content that’s on the docket. As so much is in these times, it’s a compromise, but there’s a lot to be excited about too.
Here’s the official press release from the folks that bring you the Seattle Boat Show:
SEATTLE—November 3, 2020—Ongoing COVID restrictions are preventing the Seattle Boat Show from being held in person in January 2021, but are not preventing the show organizers from producing a powerful boating event in January. The show will go on — but in a digital format. The digital show will take place Thursday, Jan. 28 through Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. Tickets go on sale Dec. 15, 2020.
The Seattle Boat Show is famous for its wide selection of boats, marine accessories and services, and extensive seminar line up. The digital show will be no different, including the ability to ‘walk’ the iconic red carpet using 3-D technology and take advantage of discounts and show specials that would have been offered at the in-person show.
Unlike many virtual boat shows that are simply a static listing of boats, the Seattle show will have a number of digital features that will allow attendees to connect with exhibitors in a variety of ways, including an appointment-setting tool that allows them to schedule in-person, Zoom, FaceTime, or phone meetings and boat and product tours as well as live text chat. The three-dimensional show floor will feature the classic red carpet and allow boaters to simulate cruising the aisles. The digital show will happen in tandem with satellite in-person special events hosted by dealers and exhibitors around the region.
“Interest and demand for boats and accessories are at an all-time high right now, and many industry experts are predicting an even bigger year in 2021. If people wait until next spring to go boat shopping it may be too late,” said George Harris, president, Northwest Marine Trade Association. “That‘s why we’re so pleased to be able to produce a rich digital experience that will allow boaters to easily shop, tour, and compare boats and accessories all in one place and make a plan for 2021.”
The Seattle Show has always been known for the breadth and depth of its seminars and this will hold true for the digital show. There will be more than 100 hours of original boating, fishing, boating lifestyle, and Boat Show University seminars as well as a live video stream during show hours that will feature interviews with special guests, seminar presenters, exhibitors, and sponsors.
“Boaters come back to the show year after year after year to sharpen their skills, see their favorite presenters, hear and learn from new ones, daydream in the dark days of January and make plans for a summer of boating fun,” said Harris. “They will still be able to do that at the digital show from the comfort of their home or boat. One of the other exciting benefits of the digital format is that seminar presenters from across the country and Mexico who might not otherwise come to Seattle to present will be part of the lineup. People from around the country and the world can also tune in to learn about cruising or fishing in our beautiful Pacific Northwest waters.”
The seminar schedule will all be available starting December 15, allowing attendees to begin planning what seminars they’d like to attend. The exhibitor list, boats and products, appointment scheduling and calendar of events will be available January 1. The 100-plus hours of boating, fishing and Boat Show University seminars and live streaming will start at 4 pm on Jan 28 and run through 8 pm and then again Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 10 am – 8 pm. Many seminars will also be archived and available on demand.
