Miami International Boat Show moving to Marine Stadium in 2016, Updates

[Serious News]

He also looked forward to the 2016 Progressive Miami International Boat Show in February, which will be held for the first time at the Miami Marine Stadium Park & Basin.

“It’s five months away, and there is no question that the Miami International Boat Show will be ready in February,” Dammich said during his 20-minute presentation. “The Miami Marine Stadium Park & Basin will be our permanent home.”

The village of Key Biscayne is still fighting plans — filing lawsuits against the city of Miami as well as boat show organizers — to hold the show at the new location, but its momentum has died down.

Dammrich ran through several statistics that illustrate the show’s importance to the industry. It generates $600 million in economic activity; about $30.4 billion in excise and sales tax is generated within Florida; about 100,000 visitors will come to the show from around the globe; and the show will connect 500 international buyers from more than 26 countries.

The show has attracted 1,200 total exhibitors. There will be more than 1,200 boats, plus marine accessories. And 500 slips will hold boats of all sizes.

NMMA president Thom Dammrich

http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/2015/0...ales-momentum/

[Serious News]

New Docks at the 2016 Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show Bear the Name of Bellingham Marine

Bellingham Marine, world renowned dock designer and marina builder, was awarded a contract by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), to provide over 116,000 square feet of timber docks for the 2016 Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show at its new venue, Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin, in Miami, Florida, scheduled from February 11-15, 2016.

NMMA awarded the multimillion dollar contract to Bellingham Marine after interviewing a handful of leading dock suppliers. According to Larry Berryman, Assistant Show Manager and Director of Sales for NMMA’s Miami International Boat Show, “Bellingham Marine provided the most flexibility, best innovation in the design of the dock system, and supported our desire to ensure environmentally safe structures at the boat show’s new location. Our new Bellingham docks add to the extraordinary experience the 2016 Miami International Boat Show will deliver to attendees and exhibitors at Miami Marine Stadium Park & Basin.”

The Miami Boat Show docks have been custom designed to facilitate easy install, removal and storage, and to support the needs of the boat show. Lifting eye’s, universal connection pins, flip covers on utility trenches, four way float connections, and moveable pile guides for maximum flexibility in anchorage placement are just a few of the one-of-a-kind features incorporated in the new docks.

The docks are also constructed from environmentally friendly materials and designed for use in sensitive marine environments. The docks’ Army Corp-approved, fully encapsulated flotation and EPA-approved treatment of timber ensure that no unsafe materials or chemicals enter the water.

The entire dock system is comprised of four major components that can be connected in a variety of configurations to create unique layouts year to year, including gathering areas for crowds and food vendors and moorage space for over 600 boats.

The docks will be delivered to the NMMA in December and will be installed at the show’s new site, Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin, just prior to the opening of the boat show.

“Working with clients to provide a customized solution that provides them with the greatest value is what we do best; we’re thrilled to work with the NMMA and the Miami Boat Show team on this significant move of the boat show to Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin,” said Everett Babbitt, Bellingham Marine’s President.

The Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show is known as one of the world’s premier destinations to see the best in boating with an impressive cross section of vendors and suppliers from all aspects of the boating industry and an annual economic impact of $597 million.

As the world's leading marina design-build construction company, Bellingham Marine specializes in floating dock, floating platform and floating wave attenuation systems for marinas worldwide. The company also produces dry storage systems for the upland storage of boats.

News Presented By Cathy McLean

http://www.bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=150109

[Serious News]

Court fight resumes over new Miami show site
Posted on October 16th, 2015
Written by Reagan Haynes

The village of Key Biscayne is back in court in its attempt to stop the 2016 Miami International Boat Show from taking place at the Miami Marine Stadium grounds — an effort organizers say is futile since nothing will deter them from continuing plans for the boat show at the park on Presidents Day weekend.

“They filed additional complaints against the city,” National Marine Manufacturers Association spokeswoman Ellen Hopkins told Trade Only Today. “We can’t comment on the litigation but it will not deter preparations for the boat show.”

The political volleying between the town and the village has lasted for months, with the Progressive Miami International Boat Show caught in the middle. The village has hired a large Miami public relations agency to launch a media blitz smearing the show and inflating its environmental impact.

The Miami Herald reported that late Wednesday Key Biscayne’s private attorney, John Shubin, filed an amended 10-count complaint in circuit court.

“The complaint sites a slew of reasons in seeking to stop the city from building a $23 million park and event space on which to host the boat show next to the Miami Marine Stadium, including the allegation that the city’s charter required that Miami seek voters’ approval to ink a deal for the waterfront property with the National Marine Manufacturers Association,” wrote Herald reporter David Smiley.

Last week, a deal that would’ve settled all three lawsuits brought by the village — including one against the NMMA, the group that organizes the show — fell apart at the last minute.

Despite the failed deal, which seemed to put the future of the show’s location beyond 2017 into question, show organizers at the NMMA and city officials assured the industry that the show’s venue is not in question.

The settlement agreement, which had followed a few months of relative quiet amid the long and drawn-out dispute, had been drafted between the two parties in an effort to resolve the lawsuit Key Biscayne filed against Miami over plans to hold the boat show and potentially other large events at the stadium, which has languished since Hurricane Andrew slammed into it in 1992. The village has filed a lawsuit against the NMMA, in addition to the two lawsuits it filed against the city.

Despite the legal challenges, Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado told Trade Only last summer that he could not envision a scenario in which the show will not take place. He says site work at the stadium park and basin is on schedule and on budget.

“This latest pleading by the village of Key Biscayne will not derail our work to make the Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin the home of the Miami International Boat Show in 2016 and beyond,” NMMA vice president Cathy Rick-Joule said in an email.

“The 2016 event will move forward as planned, and we are excited to celebrate its 75-year legacy Feb. 11-15, making Miami residents and boat show attendees and exhibitors proud with one of the best Miami boat shows yet.

“As a treasured Miami tradition, the boat show is paramount to the local community and the entire recreational boating industry. We look forward to upholding our reputation as a good neighbor and continuing to deliver $597 million in annual economic impact for the state of Florida while directly supporting 6,500 Miami-Dade County jobs at our new home at Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin.”

http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/2015/1...ami-show-site/

[Ratickle]

Can't somebody sue Key Biscayne for something?

[Serious News]

FLIBS 2015: NMMA remains committed to new Miami site
Written by Jim Flannery

FORT LAUDERDALE — The 2016 Miami International Boat Show will go on at Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin from Feb. 11-15 as planned.

That was the message at a meeting Thursday evening at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show to talk about the Miami show’s move from the Miami Beach Convention Center to the marine stadium on Virginia Key.

A two-year renovation of the convention center has forced the show to move.

“Nothing that anyone can see will stop this show from happening [at the stadium],” said Thom Dammrich, president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association, which owns the Miami show.

The village of Key Biscayne is trying to block the use of the stadium for the show by suing Miami, which owns the stadium and the park it’s in, and the NMMA.

“I can’t see any judge in the state of Florida ruling that one city (Key Biscayne) has the right to tell another city (Miami) how it can or can’t use its own property,” Miami city manager Daniel Alfonso said.

Alfonso said Miami and the NMMA have addressed Key Biscayne’s concerns about traffic by planning to use shuttles and water taxis to transport exhibitors and visitors to the show and prepositioning fire trucks and ambulances and making helicopters available to address concerns about traffic on the MacArthur Causeway possibly interrupting emergency services.

Miami is investing $20 million in the marine stadium property for the show and other events. The stadium has not been used for 23 years.

Dammrich said exhibit space for the 2016 show is not sold out, “but it is selling out.” Ninety percent of large exhibitors are aboard for 2016 and no major boatbuilders or engine makers have dropped out, NMMA sales director Larry Berryman said

The stadium is the new home of the Miami show, Dammrich said, adding, “We will be here for the foreseeable future.”

http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/2015/1...ew-miami-site/

[Serious News]

Superyacht Miami show to debut in February

f you didn't get enough of the world's big yachts at the just-ended Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, get ready for a superyacht show coming to Miami soon.

Boat show organizer Show Management of Fort Lauderdale is adding a specialty event to its portfolio: Superyacht Miami, set to debut in February during the Miami area's boat show weekend.

Superyachts – typically defined at about 100-feet or longer — will be displayed at the new Island Gardens Deep Harbour marina on Watson Island on Biscayne Bay. It's the first U.S. marina built specifically for the world's largest pleasure craft.

Deep Harbour is set to open in December at a cost of $47 million, including the dredging needed to deepen access to its facilities. With 5,000 linear feet of docks, the luxury facility expects to host dozens of boats averaging 160 feet. It can hold yachts up to 550-feet long, said developer Mehmet Bayraktar, chairman and CEO of Flagstone Property Group.

In its first year, Superyacht Miami likely will start small, with perhaps a couple dozen superyachts and a bunch of tents for builders.

Eventually, the show should reach full capacity with about 50 superyachts, developers said.

Many of the superyachts now are too big to fit in Miami Beach's shallower Indian Creek Waterway, where Show Management also produces the annual Yacht & Brokerage Show in February.

The new event comes as many of the world's wealthiest seek bigger floating mansions.

The world's premiere superyacht show at Monaco featured an unprecedented 121 superyachts this year. The largest: Solandge, a 279-footer built by Germany's Lurrsen shipyard that charters for more than $1 million per week, not counting food, gas, dockage and other basics.

Worldwide, shipyards last year delivered 156 superyachts over 30 meters (97.5 feet) each. Most were built in Europe. About 140 to 150 are to be delivered this year, according to researcher SuperyachtIQ of the Netherlands.

Deep Harbour marina is part of the $1 billion Island Gardens development on Watson Island near downtown Miami. The luxury project also features towers offering 500 hotel rooms and 100 residences, plus 14 restaurants and retail space, among other amenities. Completion is expected in 2018.

Still, like the Fort Lauderdale boat show, don't expect to simply arrive and hop on the superyachts in Miami. Tours typically require appointments in advance and are limited to qualified buyers.

dhemlock@sunsentinel.com, 305-810-5009, @dhemlock on Twitter

SuperYachts by the Numbers

Here's a look at yachts at least 30 meters (97.5 feet) long as of this summer.

Global fleet: 4,413

Number delivered in 2014: 156

Value of deliveries in 2014: More than $4 billion

Average size of motoryacht delivered in 2014: 141 feet

Average value of motoryacht delivered in 2014: More than $26 million

Top countries building in 2014: Italy, Netherlands, United Kingdom

Superyachts now in the building process: 440

Number for delivery in 2015: 140-150

Source: SuperYachtIQ, SuperYacht Company of the Netherlands.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business...110-story.html

[Serious News]

Miami-Dade delays decision on Boat Show permit
By Douglas Hanks

Miami-Dade commissioners delayed a showdown vote Tuesday on the Miami International Boat Show moving to Virginia Key, holding back a waterfront permit that an organizer said is crucial to being able to hold the large event in February.

After an extended back and forth between show supporters and leaders of Key Biscayne, which is fighting the new location, county commissioners unanimously voted to defer a permit vote until Dec. 15. That further condenses what the Boat Show says is already a tight timetable as it tries to secure a new home after spending decades at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

“This is a very awkward situation,” said Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz. “Anyway you look at it, there’s an issue.”

The show, slated to start Feb. 11, is seeking a permit for an 830-slip dock system off Marine Stadium in Virginia Key, though organizers say they only plan to build around 500 slips. The permit would also allow the show to shuttle tens of thousands of visitors by water taxi and bus into an island connected to the mainland by one bridge. Organizers want the county to approve a permit allowing it 90 days to build and deconstruct the docks each year, and run water taxis in and out of the harbor. The permit would last three years, and the county’s environmental arm recommended that the 13-member commission approve it.

Boat show organizers are looking for new space thanks to the upcoming renovation of the convention center, which is landlocked but sits in the heart of Miami-Dade’s hotel industry on the northern edge of South Beach. With 1,200 exhibitors and an estimated 100,000 visitors, the show says Virginia Key’s waterfront location offers a chance to reinforce the show’s role as a tourism generator and economic bulwark for the marine industry.

“For 20 years, I’ve worked on the show, setting up and dismantling the show,” said Alan Lichtman, a leader of the union representing Boat Show event crews. “Thousands of residents depend on the Boat Show every year.”

Key Biscayne, the island next to Virginia Key, cites traffic and other issues in objecting to the plan, while environmentalists are criticizing the extensive boat runs and dock work needed to move one of the country’s largest marine shows to the site. The show is held during Presidents’ Day Weekend, at the same time as the Coconut Grove Arts Festival.

Both are among the largest tourism events on Miami-Dade’s calendar, and the Virginia Key location sits within five miles of the festival, compared to the 12-mile drive between the beach and the Grove.

“Everyone knows a traffic nightmare will exist for at least the duration of the show,” said Key Biscayne resident Allene Nicholson. “You’re effectively cutting off the right of the public, and of your tourists, to [access] the beaches.”

While parking would be available at the show and in nearby satellite locations, organizers plan the vast majority of visitors to arrive by shuttle bus or water taxi.

Opponents cast the Boat Show’s Virginia Key ambitions as a way to transform the historic Marine Stadium property into a commercial enterprise, while the nonprofit show’s organizers say the Miami-owned location offers one of the few viable alternatives for an event now in its 74th year.

Everyone knows a traffic nightmare will exist for at least the duration of the show.

Miami backs the show’s relocation, and is in litigation with Key Biscayne over a $23 million project that will create event space on the land. One issue is a rider on the deed from when Miami-Dade transferred the land to Miami in the 1960s. It requires activity to be limited to supporting the stadium, a once thriving waterfront venue that’s now closed to the public and is a favorite graffiti target.

Cathy Rick-Joule, the show’s director, said after the vote that without a county environmental permit allowing for the temporary docks “it is very unlikely we would move forward” with the 2016 show. She said she doubted it would come to that. “The county is not willing to lose a piece of business” this large, she said.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/loca...#storylink=cpy

[Serious News]

Miami Boat Show might not happen due to delayed environmental vote

A crucial vote on environmental issues tied to the 2016 Miami International Boat show has been delayed raising the possibility the event might not happen. The Miami-Dade County Commission was set to rule on a proposal that would have allowed boat show owners a permit to construct temporary docks, slips, and support facilities in and around the basin adjacent to the historic Miami Marine Stadium. In addition the boat show promoters were asking to allow water taxis to operate service to the venue during the scheduled boat show set to begin February 11th.

Portions of the massive boat show have been scheduled to move to the Marine Stadium site because the Miami Beach Convention center which is the usual boat show site is undergoing renovation. The move has been criticized by the residents of the Village of Key Biscayne who oppose the increase in traffic and parking issues along the Rickenbacker Causeway which links the City of Miami and the Key. The Village attorney has filed suit to challenge the boat show’s ability to operate the show saying that any deal the City of Miami has cut with the show has to be approved by voters.

Also opposing the permit are environmentalists who see the “pop up” dock and slip facilities as a threat to seagrass and the general well being of the basin. County staff had recommended that the commission approve the request. Commissioners decided to table the vote till December 15th which puts a serious squeeze on the boat show owners to develop the site. Cathy Rick-Joule, the shows’s director hinted that the show might not go on if the docks are not approved.

The Miami International Boat Show is a huge money maker for the South Florida economy. Over 100-thousand people attend the popular annual event that includes a massive industry trade show. Tourism promoters say the event is economically far better than a Super Bowl. Super Bowl fans are in and out of town on a weekend. Boat show attendees and vendors stay for a week, fill the hotels and restaurants. The boat show generates $312 million dollars in sales for Florida companies, the state takes in $30-million in tax revenues and visitors shell out $63-million on meals, rooms, and transportation.

http://www.examiner.com/article/miam...ronmental-vote

[Ratickle]

This is getting very concerning.

[Serious News]

Boat show locale

The National Marine Manufacturers Association has threatened that if they do not get their D.E.R.M. permit approved by Miami-Dade there will be no boat show in Feb. 2016.

Alternative locations are certainly available. There’s Marlins Stadium and the still vacant old Bertram Yacht warehouses on the Miami River. The site on Virginia Key is problematic. The Marine Basin is environmentally sensitive and abuts the Bill Sadowsky Critical Wildlife area — Miami-Dade’s pristine sanctuary to many endangered species. The basin is part of the Biscayne Bay aquatic preserve.

The boat show’s insistence on water taxis threaten our endangered manatees during their prime warm water aggregation period in these waters. Public use of property deeded by Miami-Dade will be sequestered for private purposes for up to 90 days. A barrier island is being paved over to create a farce called a “flex park” to accommodate the boat show.

Slow growing mangroves have already been “accidentally” destroyed. The boat show asks too much of Miami-Dade. We are not against the show. This is just the wrong location.

Steven Leidner, Miami

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/l...#storylink=cpy

[Serious News]

NMMA asks exhibitors for help in Miami show dispute

Posted on November 23rd, 2015
Written by Reagan Haynes

Organizers of the Miami International Boat Show, which has faced an uphill battle in its quest to move from the Miami Beach Convention Center to the land and water around Miami Marine Stadium, sent out an “action alert” asking exhibitors to let lawmakers in the area know the show is “crucial” to the industry.

“We need your help to produce the show you want,” National Marine Manufacturers Association president Thom Dammrich wrote in an email to exhibitors. “I’m writing to ask for your support for the Miami International Boat Show, an institution that is integral to the recreational boating industry.”

Dammrich said in a statement emailed to Trade Only Today that organizers don’t want to worry exhibitors, but instead want to rally them.

“The action alert is not meant to cause alarm, but to create a sense of urgency since, as you know, misguided opposition to the boat show from the village of Key Biscayne has reached a boiling point — opposition that is based on mistruths,” Dammrich told Trade Only. “We have decided enough is enough and want to express just how many people depend on the Miami International Boat Show and how important it is that we move past politics and focus on the facts.”

Last week, the Miami-Dade Commission delayed approval of an environmental permit necessary for the in-water portion of the show to take place and won’t consider the measure before mid-December.

It is the most recent in a long line of entanglements that have arisen as a result of Key Biscayne leadership’s opposition to holding the show on neighboring Virginia Key, including a lawsuit against the NMMA as well as the city of Miami, which backs the show and its plan to move to Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin.

Yacht Miami Beach — formerly known as the Yacht & Brokerage Show in Miami Beach — has completely separate ownership and is not affected by the legal dispute between the NMMA and Key Biscayne. Although many attendees assumed the two shows were one and the same, they have always been separately owned and operated.

Yacht Miami Beach will be held along Collins Avenue, as always, as well as at an additional location at the Island Gardens Deep Harbour superyacht marina. It will be the only boat show that takes place in Miami Beach.

Meanwhile, the NMMA is firing back, saying the opposition to the Miami International Boat Show is not based on facts.

“The show is scheduled to celebrate its 75th anniversary in February at the Miami Marine Stadium and Basin,” Dammrich wrote in the action alert. “However, our ability to produce the best possible show for the industry and the consumer is being put at serious risk by politics that have nothing to do with the integrity of the show.”

“We can assure you, the boat show will happen in February and we are continuing to move ahead with plans,” Dammrich told Trade Only. “The action alert is designed to urge boat show supporters into sharing their voice so we can be louder about the need to prevent any politics from blurring what is most important.”

“The facts are that the boat show has an exemplary environmental track record, one of the most comprehensive event traffic plans the city has ever seen, and is not costing the state of Florida or Miami-Dade a dime,” Dammrich added. “Instead it creates nearly $600 million in annual economic activity, supports more than 6,500 jobs and generates more than $30 million in tax revenue while continuing a beloved 74-year tradition.”

The NMMA will deliver signed letters to key elected officials in Miami-Dade County, as well as congressional representatives, in an effort to show how important the show is to the region and the industry.

“Having the many supporters of the boat show add their voice helps ensure this message is loud and clear,” he said. “We look forward to seeing everyone at the show in February and are truly excited about what will be a phenomenal event!”

http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/2015/1...of-miami-show/

[Serious News]

Judge dismisses Key Biscayne lawsuit amid boat show battle
Village still has another lawsuit pending against Miami related to the show
December 03, 2015 02:15PM
By Francisco Alvarado

Key Biscayne’s efforts to stop the Miami International Boat Show from relocating to Virginia Key just suffered a setback, after Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Antonio Marin tossed out one of the village’s lawsuits aimed at derailing the event scheduled to take place in February.

In April, Key Biscayne sued the National Marine Manufacturers Association or NMMA, the entity that controls the boat show, alleging the group violated Florida’s public records law by refusing to produce documents related to its license agreement with the city of Miami regarding holding the boat show at the site of Miami Marine Stadium in Virginia Key.

In his dismissal order issued Wednesday, Marin said Key Biscayne failed to prove NMMA was required to comply with the village’s request.

Cathy Rick-Joule, Director of the Miami International Boat Show, praised Marin’s ruling in a statement provided to The Real Deal. “We are pleased that the Court agreed with the NMMA and dismissed the Village of Key Biscayne’s lawsuit,” Rick-Joule said. “The Court rejected each of the arguments advanced by the Village.”

Rick-Joule said the NMMA will continue its preparation work for the 2016 boat show at the Miami Marine Stadium site, where the city is investing approximately $23 million to create a large event space that will be converted into a park during the months the boat show is not there.

Key Biscayne Mayor Mayra Peña Lindsay said the ruling doesn’t completely kill the lawsuit and that the village will file an amended complaint in the near future. “This happens all the time in litigation and is not dispositive on the final outcome of the case,” Lindsay said. “We are continuing to pursue all legal matters vigorously and will file a new pleading against NMMA.”

In his dismissal order, Marin said Key Biscayne had failed to show that NMMA was acting as a city of Miami agent by developing structures at the Miami Marine Stadium property for the boat show. “It cannot be said that license ‘significantly involved’ NMMA with the city,” Marin wrote. “There is also no claim that the city regulates NMMA, and NMMA was plainly not created by the city to host the boat show.”

Key Biscayne still has another pending lawsuit against the city, alleging the boat show will create a public nuisance and that the license agreement with NMMA is actually a lease for waterfront land that requires voter approval.

The village, along with environmentalists and historic preservationists, have been locked in battle with Miami and NMMA officials for months to prevent the boat show from taking place at Virginia Key. They claim the event will create traffic gridlock on the Rickenbacker Causeway, the only artery into Virginia Key and Key Biscayne, as well as significantly damage the sea life in and around the Miami Marine Stadium basin.

Last month, the Miami-Dade County Commission postponed a vote to give the NMMA an environmental permit and a zoning variance allowing the boat show operator to install a floating dock that can accommodate up to 830 boat slips and other floating structures. The NMMA is also waiting for permit approvals from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Army Corps. of Engineers.

- See more at: http://therealdeal.com/miami/blog/20....UnyK4N74.dpuf

[Serious News]

Key Biscayne trying to sink Miami Boat Show

The 75th Miami International Boat Show is Feb. 11-15, but some people are trying to keep what could be the most user-friendly edition of the event from happening.

Construction at the Miami Beach Convention Center forced the show to look for a new site. After studying several, including Marlins Park, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, which puts on the show, settled on Miami Marine Stadium on Virginia Key.

Village of Key Biscayne officials are not happy about that because of traffic that could inconvenience the island's residents, whose only vehicular access is via the Rickenbacker Causeway. They have also expressed environmental concerns.

Those officials have tried to persuade the Miami-Dade County Commission not to approve a permit for the show to set up floating docks at the stadium for about 500 boats and allow water taxis and shuttle buses to take show-goers to and from the site.

The county commission will vote on the permit at its Dec. 15 meeting. Several organizations, including the American Sportfishing Association and Keep America Fishing, are encouraging boat show supporters to sign an online petition at votervoice.net/NMMA/Petitions/711/Respond that will be presented to commissioners.

The way Thom Dammrich sees it, preventing the show from being held on City of Miami property just because of exaggerated traffic and environmental concerns will have a negative effect not only on one of Florida's biggest industries, but on working people who directly benefit from the show's economic impact.

"Key Biscayne has spent over half a million dollars over the past 10 months because they don't want increased traffic congestion," said Dammrich, the president of NMMA. "The trade-off is if they're successful, hundreds of Miami-Dade County businesses and thousands of Florida businesses will all be adversely affected.

"They're threatening the financial security of thousands of working people so they don't have to be inconvenienced by traffic."

Dammrich said $300 million worth of product is sold at the show, which has a $597 million economic impact in Florida according to a study conducted by Tom Murray of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

He added that NMMA is spending an unprecedented $800,000 to keep show-goers off the causeway and to make sure that traffic during the five-day show flows smoothly to minimize the impact on Key Biscayne residents, who put up with two weeks of traffic during the Miami Open tennis tournament. Police officers will be at intersections to control the stoplights so boat show traffic moves swiftly.

"We tried to tell Key Biscayne, 'We're on your side.' We'll take you to the show by shuttle bus and by water taxi. They're against everything," Dammrich said.

There will be free water taxi service for those who have a boat show ticket from seven locations, including AmericanAirlines Arena. Free shuttle buses will run from more than a dozen locations, including Marlins Park. And there will be dedicated lanes onto and off the island for local vehicles.

The show also has made sure there is plenty of parking for show-goers. You can reserve guaranteed parking now at miamiboatshow.com for $5 at Marlins Park, $20 at the arena and $35 on Virginia Key.

The most stress-free deal for Palm Beach and Broward County residents might be to take Tri-Rail to the Metrorail Transfer Station to the Metromover and catch a water taxi or shuttle to the show at the Freedom Tower Station.

"It has never been easier to get to the Miami Boat Show," Dammrich said, noting that there were 2,200 parking spaces in Miami Beach when the show was at the convention center. "We'll have 10,000 spaces in downtown Miami and 3,800 on Virginia Key. There's not going to be trouble with traffic, there's not going to be trouble with parking."

"This is the most comprehensive traffic control plan ever," Dammrich said. "We're making it easy for anybody to get there."

As for environmental damage, in a Nov. 9 Op-Ed column in the Miami Herald, Key Biscayne mayor Mayra Pena Lindsay wrote that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers "has raised serious concerns about the boat show's potentially negative effect on the ecosystems of Virginia Key and Biscayne Bay."

But at a public meeting Wednesday night hosted by Key Biscayne, the Corps said it had no significant environmental concerns about the boat show according to NMMA's Ellen Hopkins Bradley. In addition, the Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resource Management has worked with the show on minimizing any impacts and recommended that the show get its permit from the county commission, and the state Department of Environmental Protection has published a notice of intent to issue its environmental permit to the show.

swaters@tribpub.com or @WatersOutdoors

Copyright © 2015, Sun Sentinel

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/o...203-story.html

[Serious News]

Why Fort Lauderdale is rooting for the Miami International Boat Show


he economic impact of a Super Bowl is amazing, but its location changes annually, unlike events such as Art Basel or the Miami International Boat Show. These homegrown international events promote and grow Miami's vibrant economy every year and must be stewarded by public and private leaders for the good of the community.

What attracts people to Miami is the water and its diversity. The waterfront and accompanying industry create revenue for the region, incite people to do things like build resorts, restore reefs and generate property taxes, among many other economic benefits.


The presence of the Miami International Boat Show, which is produced by the National Marine Manufacturers Association and has taken place for the past 74 years, keeps our region economically strong and complements the Marine Industries Association of South Florida's Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. When the show started in 1941, America was at war and Franklin Roosevelt was president. We cannot allow it to be harmed, and we hope the challenges it is facing from Miami-Dade County and Key Biscayne are just a bump in the road.

The Miami International Boat Show in February also benefits the Florida Yacht Brokers Association's Yacht Miami Beach show on Collins Avenue, which takes place at the same time. These shows support an $11.5 billion marine industry that employs 136,000 people in the region and pays wages that are 28 percent higher than the state average of $46,566.



The true economic benefit of the show is not just the approximately $500 million impact it has for five days, but the year-round impact it has on all businesses that exhibit. Community businesses benefit greatly as well when the industry's workforce spends its wages at local grocery stores, day cares, car dealers, dentists and countless other businesses in the community.

The hurdles the show is facing highlight the importance of stewarding and reinvesting in a boat show, raising awareness of its importance among elected officials and educating people about this economic gem in order to ensure its next 74 years and beyond. If this can happen in Miami, it can happen in Fort Lauderdale or anywhere else.

The show is a public event on public land, and investments into the Virginia Key site would have other public uses. Additional community events including cultural, art, music or other activities would serve a community purpose and provide a community benefit.

What's happening today reflects a lack of awareness and education of the benefits derived from the show and the region's marine industry. It highlights the importance of investing both in infrastructure and awareness of the value of all boat shows and the marine industry to South Florida.

Phil Purcell is executive director of the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, a nonprofit based in Fort Lauderdale. miasf.org or phil@miasf.org

Copyright © 2015, Sun Sentinel

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion/...209-story.html

[Serious News]

Poll shows support for Miami International Boat Show move to Marine Stadium

@NewsbySmiley

Heading into a crucial public hearing next week, the National Marine Manufacturers Association has released the results of a poll that suggests a majority of Miami-Dade County voters support the Miami International Boat Show's move to Virginia Key.

Just over half the 800 voters polled early this month backed the trade association's efforts to bring about 1,500 boats onto the upland and basin surrounding the historic Marine Stadium. Told of opposition from the Village of Key Biscayne, which has sued to stop the event, that support dipped to 46 percent but still compared favorably to 31 percent in opposition.

"What this poll shows me is that the Boat Show is not one of these hot button issues," said FIU political science professor and pollster Dario Moreno, who was contracted by local businesses, industry advocates and labor unions. "There's some controversy. The people of Key Biscayne are opposed. Some environmental groups are opposed. But this is not an issue that has reached a boiling point."


The poll, conducted by live callers, was released just days ahead of a hearing before the Miami-Dade County Commission to decide whether the NMMA will be granted a permit to allow for the operation of water taxis and the construction of a temporary marina with floating stages and more than 800 boat slips. Commissioners could have approved the permit last month, but requested more information from administrators and environmental regulators.

Environmental groups who oppose the show's introduction into an area next to a sensitive wildlife preserve will surely note that voters were not asked if environmental issues affect their opinions. Results also showed that more than half of the voters polled weren't "familiar" with the show.

Updated: On Thursday afternoon, Key Biscayne Mayor Mayra Lindsay released a statement calling the poll a "bogus survey funded by [the Boat Show's] very own vendors and the marine industry. If the Boat Show really wanted an objective gauge of public opinion, they would have commissioned an independent poll, but that wouldn’t have served their needs."

But the poll showed heavy support in general from voters -- 87 percent support the show's continued existence -- and is being held up by backers of the massive trade show as evidence that opposition to the show isn't widespread.

“These results reaffirm what we already knew, which is that the South Florida community embraces the Miami International Boat Show, as well as the local marine industry that it helps support,” Marine Industries Association of South Florida Executive Director Phil Purcell said in a statement. "It was important for us to understand what the entire community wants, and the poll gave us our answer.”

The Boat Show is moving to Virginia Key due to renovations to the event's longtime home at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The U.S. Army Corps is also considering a permit.

The poll was paid for by Captain Harry’s; Cigarette Racing; Contender Boats; Hopkins Carter Marine Supply & Fishing Tackle; Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF) nonprofit trade association; SeaVee Boats; Sign, Display & Allied Trades Local Union 1175; and Teamsters Union Local 769.

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[Serious News]

Yacht brokers to stay in Miami Beach despite boat show move -

The Miami International Boat Show might be moving across town this year, but Yachts Miami Beach is staying put.

Representatives of the luxe yacht vendor held an early afternoon press conference Wednesday at Miami Beach City Hall, where they sought to clear up any confusion about whether the boat show’s move will affect their sales event.

For the last 28 years, Yachts Miami Beach has held its event in the Indian Creek Waterway along Collins Avenue between 41st Street and 54th Street in conjunction with the Miami International Boat Show, which is organized by the National Marine Manufacturer’s Association.

The association plans to relocate to Virginia Key for its February event, as its usual venue at the Miami Beach Convention Center will soon undergo a massive transformation.

“It’s my purpose today to clear up that confusion and indicate there are two shows,” said Efrem “Skip” Zimbalist III, president of Show Management Co., the firm that co-owns Yachts Miami Beach. “[Yachts Miami Beach] is staying here in Miami Beach forever.”

Although the company’s sales event will remain at its old homestead, Yachts Miami Beach is also adding a second location at the soon-to-be completed Island Gardens Deep Harbour Marina — the first phase of a grand-scale mixed-use development that will include two hotels, retail shops and restaurants on Watson Island.

The Island Gardens marina is being developed by Mehmet Bayraktar’s Flagstone Property Group and will be able to accommodate up to 50 yachts that range in size from more than 100 feet to 550 feet long.

“We have always been keeping our eye open for marinas that can handle boats of that size,” Zimbalist said. “[Super-sized yachts] haven’t been able to fit at Indian Creek because the canal isn’t deep enough for them. So we were always looking for around for a place where we could have another show where we could accommodate the largest yachts in the world.”

Yachts Miami Beach, formerly known as the Yacht & Brokerage Show in Miami Beach, will showcase between 30 to 35 super-sized yachts at the Watson Island location, Zimbalist said.

- See more at: http://therealdeal.com/miami/blog/20....Sc1kvNNW.dpuf

[Serious News]

Virginia Key committee created amid boat show dispute

Five years after approving a master plan for of Virginia Key, the city of Miami took the first step in creating an advisory board that will oversee development of the historic small island. Late Thursday, city commissioners unanimously granted preliminary approval to the establishment of the Virginia Key Steering committee, which will have members appointed by city officials, as well as the Miami-Dade County Commission and the Village of Key Biscayne.

The move comes at a contentious time between Miami and Key Biscayne. Key Biscayne is suing the city in Miami-Dade Circuit Court in an effort to stop the relocation of the Miami International Boat Show from its longtime home in Miami Beach to the Miami Marine Stadium Park & Basin in Virginia Key. A judge recently tossed a separate lawsuit against National Marine Manufacturer’s Association or NMMA, the company that puts on the boat show, which is scheduled to take place February 11 through February 15.

For close to a year, Key Biscayne officials, as well as environmentalists and preservationists, have argued the boat show — which draws more than 100,000 attendees — will create horrific traffic conditions on the Rickenbacker Causeway and damage the ecosystem in the bay.

In a written statement released prior to the city commission meeting, Key Biscayne Mayor Mayra Peña Lindsay criticized Miami officials for waiting five years to start the process of establishing the steering committee.

“The City of Miami has been turning a blind eye to its own master plan for years,” Lindsay said. “The city of Miami views Virginia Key as a piggy bank, consistently putting for-profit enterprises before the environment and public access for Miami-Dade residents.”

At the hearing, some Virginia Key advocates echoed Lindsay’s criticisms, but also expressed their satisfaction that the city commission is finally addressing the issue. “If we had this committee in place we wouldn’t have the contentious situation we have right now,” said Blanca Mesa, founder of Friends of Virginia Key. “Although some commercial development is appropriate to bring in revenue, the primary purpose is to protect the public interest and natural resources. This committee will help do that.”

The city commission’s vote came on the same day that the NMMA released results of a poll showing broad support for the boat show’s relocation to Virginia Key, despite Key Biscayne’s objections. According to a statement by NMMA representatives, the survey of 800 registered Miami-Dade voters was conducted by Miami pollster Dario Moreno and was commissioned by a group of local businesses, marine industry advocates and labor groups whose employees and members depend on the boat show for work. Among the poll funders are Captain Harry’s, Cigarette Racing, the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, and Teamsters Union Local 769.

The poll results provided by NMMA show that respondents supported the move by a 46 percent to 31 percent margin after been told of the issues raised by Key Biscayne. In addition, voters in County Commission District 7, which includes Key Biscayne and Virginia Key, supported the annual event’s relocation to Miami Marine Stadium by a 48 percent to 31 percent margin after being informed of the village’s objections.

The boat show still needs to obtain permit approvals from Miami-Dade, the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Army Corps. of Engineers.
- See more at: http://therealdeal.com/miami/blog/20....rl0WTRTE.dpuf

[Serious News]

Try this: One, done, then move boat show

When they vote on Tuesday, Miami-Dade commissioners likely will set the future course of the popular Miami International Boat Show, whose search for a new home after 74 years on Miami Beach has placed it at odds with the residents of the Key Biscayne and a coalition of local environmentalists. They should vote with care.

At issue is the plan by the National Marine Manufacturers Association to stage the massive trade show at the Miami Marine Stadium site on environmentally sensitive Virginia Key in February.

County regulators have recommended that commissioners grant the boat show the permit for an 830-slip docking facility at the stadium site and in the basin over a 90-day period and also permission to operate water taxis — an uncommon on Biscayne Bay.

Environmentalists and others are right to be concerned, though boat show operators say there’s no reason to worry. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has signed off on the scope and scale of the boat show. But, years ago, the Corps also gave the thumbs-up to the deep dredge at the port, saying damage to the environment would be minimal, even with the explosives used. The damage was far greater than advertised. The Corps credibility was also a casualty.

That the boat show ended up on Miami-owned waterfront property — without a voter referendum or recognition of the master plan — shows the city’s irresponsibility, which the Editorial Board has already criticized.

On Tuesday, the commission can grant the boat show the crucial environmental permit allowing it to move ahead full throttle. The commission deferred this issue last month, delaying preparations; or it can deny the permit, highly unlikely since the show brings $595 million in economic impact to the area.

But Commissioner Xavier Suarez told the Editorial Board Monday that he has been exploring another location for the boat show — inside PortMiami, the same site initially coveted by David Beckham for his Major League Soccer stadium. It’s worth considering — it’s a start.

But there’s a catch: The boat show would be allowed to go on at the Marine Stadium this year and then move to a new site next year. The county would only issue a one-year permit, not a three-year permit as the boat show requested. Mr. Suarez’s colleagues should support this third way, giving all time to correct the slipshod approach that has gotten us to this point.

“I think if we can get all parties together to work on this compromise, we might find a solution,” Commissioner Suarez said. The commissioner vowed, though, that he’ll first listen to both sides on Tuesday.

Mr. Suarez said he’ll likely request a reduction in the number of boat slips. That’s just what he should do to mitigate environmental damage — yes, there will be damage — especially from the pilings that will be driven into the basin floor.

Miami Commissioner Ken Russell, who represents the area, told the Editorial Board that Commissioner Suarez’s compromise sounds promising. “Whatever creates the least impact on Virginia Key, I support,” he said.

Community activist Blanca Mesa, among those leading the opposition camp, commended Mr. Suarez for speaking up for waterfront land that belongs to residents. “This is the first step in the right direction,” she said.

And the first step toward instilling some missing accountability.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/e...#storylink=cpy

[Serious News]

Marine Stadium Redevelopment Would Kill Threatened Sea Life, Opponents Argue

Every year in South Beach, the Miami International Boat Show brings huge, Basel-esque crowds to gape at fleets of luxury yachts. This morning, though, county commissioners will decide whether to let the show flee to Virginia Key. It's all part of an ambitious plan to renovate Miami Marine Stadium, a long-neglected graffiti-covered icon on the bay.

But serious concerns have marred the plan to add hundreds of boat slips outside the stadium, including the lack of a public vote and worries over traffic on Key Biscayne. Most heated of all is an argument over whether the construction would kill threatened wildlife.

Boat show officials insist that the renovations wouldn't harm any creatures despite being just across the water from a protected critical wildlife area. They point to a survey from the Army Corps of Engineers and a recent study they commissioned that found mostly "silty sand" in the area. (The Boat Show's CEO, Cathy Rick-Joule, didn't respond to a message from New Times to comment on this piece.)

Au contraire, say opponents. The Army Corps of Engineers, after all, made identical claims about the deep dredge in Government Cut and ended up wrecking hundreds of threatened corals.

And now, they're circulating a video by Colin Foord — the co-founder of Coral Morphologic and arguably the loudest voice exposing the damage done by the deep dredge. Foord dove in the waters outside of Marine Stadium earlier this year to film a video that shows vibrant sea life in the water, including corals, sea anemones, sea grasses and stingrays.

He says the video should put to rest claims by the boat show that there's no significant wildlife around that would be harmed by a plan to bring 830 new docking slips and hundreds of new boats for up to three months at a time.

"It is my professional opinion that the addition of new infrastructure inside and adjacent to the Miami Marine Stadium basin will have a negative impact on marine life," Foord writes in a report about his video. "The (area) is currently home to a variety of state and federally protected and important species such as manatees, sea grasses, stony corals, queen conch, and spotted eagle rays. The addition of hundreds of dock pilings throughout the basin will increase turbidity levels and degrade the seagrass habitat."

The ecosystem outside Marine Stadium has already been disrupted by the deep dredge across the bay at Watson Island, Foord says. Silt and debris from that project have clouded the water outside Virginia Key. The new project could be a tipping point, he argues.

"Any new construction in the Miami Marine Stadium basin should ensure that any stony corals or other protected benthic species are transplanted properly to an artificial reef to ensure their continued survival," he writes.

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/ma...-argue-8112856

[Bobcat]

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BY DAVID SMILEY
dsmiley@miamiherald.com
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South Florida's boating industry can exhale a little after Miami-Dade commissioners approved a permit Tuesday evening that would allow the Miami International Boat Show to go off as planned on Virginia Key next year.

Despite objections from environmentalists and the Village of Key Biscayne, commissioners voted 8-1 in favor of a two-year permit needed by the National Marine Manufacturers Association in order to build up to 830 boat slips, and floating docks and exhibition stages in the Marine Stadium Basin. Contractors are already erecting some 800,000 square feet of tents on the upland around the historic Marine Stadium, where some 1,500 vessels are slated to be exhibited on land and in water for five days over President's Day Weekend.

“We're thrilled with the decision,” NMMA president Thom Dammrich said after the hearing. “Certainly we would have rather had a three-year permit, but a two-year permit gives us what we need to move forward. We're going to be extremely responsible.”

Dammrich’s association initially applied for a 10-year permit, and regulators recommended three years. But with the county’s permission, however brief, Dammrich said the show will be able to display about 500 vessels in the water. They will also run seven water taxis to and from the event, including one with a manatee spotter out of the FEC slip next to AmericanAirlines Arena.

The county's approval of the permit comes more than a year after Dammrich announced the Boat Show's move to Virginia Key, forced by renovations to the event's longtime home at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The announcement was initially celebrated, but quickly became embroiled in controversy as Key Biscayne officials sued to stop the event and environmental groups warned of damage to a nearby environmental preserve.

The county vote follows the Friday issuance of a permit by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. A third permit being reviewed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is pending. But Lee Hefty, the director of the county’s Division of Environmental Resources Management, said “we believe they're prepared to issue a permit as well.”

For boating enthusiasts, hoteliers, and manufacturers, that’s good news. The trade show is among the largest in the world, and fills Miami-Dade hotel rooms like a Super Bowl. Executives from well-known manufacturers like Contender, Boston Whaler and Cigarette Racing attended Tuesday's hearing to tout the event as a significant portion of their business.

But warnings from environmental organizations like the Sierra Club have put the show's future in doubt. Initially, concerns about the event were focused on traffic on the Rickenbacker Causeway, but objections blossomed into fears that the scale of the boat show will harm marine life in the basin, endanger manatees and threaten a protected wildlife conservation nearby on Virginia Key.

Critics of the show say they don’t want the boat show’s demise, but rather a scaled-down, more responsible event. Some argued that, if the commissioners granted the permit, they should reduce it from the proposed three years to one, and increase demands for monitoring.

“Tickets have been sold and your approval or denial here is not going to stop the boat show,” said Laura Reynolds, head of the Tropical Audubon Society. “But what you can do is actually make the environmental impacts smaller.”

On Monday, in response to assertions from boat show executives that the majority of the project site was mostly “silty sand,” marine biologist Colin Foord released video he says he shot over a matter of hours showing bottlenose dolphin, spotted eagle ray, queen conch and other marine life that call the basin home.


But county regulators assured commissioners that the dockage system being permitted was constructed over areas of “sparse” sea grass coverage, and downplayed warnings about the boat show endangering manatees and other marine life. Boat show representatives and contractors assured commissioners that they’re considerate of the environment.

Key Biscayne officials are still fighting efforts to bring the boat show to Virginia Key, having quickly appealed the state’s permit. But Dammrich said the NMMA will be sure to prove doubters wrong.

“We’re going to be extremely responsible,” he said.

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