With the new location of the Sail America Village and an aggressive marketing plan in place, support for the South West International Boat Show (SWIBS) is strong and growing.
“I’ve received very positive feedback from many exhibitors who believe the Texas marketplace presents an outstanding opportunity for the sailing industry,” Mitch Perkins, sales director for Sail America, says. “It’s important for exhibitors to get their contracts in to secure a good location.”
Catalina, Hunter, and Dufour have already booked slips for the show and talks are currently underway with Beneteau, Lagoon, and Jeanneau with regards to their slip requirements.
Bob Bitchin, founder of Latitudes & Attitudes and Cruising Outpost magazines, and one of sailing’s most famous cruising sailors, is already planning a large booth in the Sail America Village and will be hosting the Cruising Outpost party on Saturday evening from 7:00 pm, a much talked-about gathering with free beer, pizza, live music and raffle. Guests must be inside the SWIBS when the show closes to attend the party!
Powerboat exhibitors and vendors are also confirming exhibit space, and every indication tells us the entire show will sell out.
GEICO, Caterpillar, and Landshark are among the major sponsors and with just under five months to go, Houston once again will be hosting the largest in-water boat show in the southwest.
For more information, visit southwestinternationalboatshow.com
Texas Ranks #1 in CNBC’s “Top 10 States for Business”
Lone Star State is obvious choice for South West International Boat Show, March 21–24, 2013
According to CNBC, the state of Texas ranks #1 for business, a compelling reason for the South West International Boat Show to choose that state for its 2013 event at South Shore Harbour Marina near Houston, Texas.
For these rankings, CNBC scored all 50 states on 51 measures of competitiveness developed with input from business groups, including the National Association of Manufacturers and the Council on Competitiveness. States received points based on their rankings in each metric, which were then separated into 10 broad categories. The categories were weighted based on how frequently they’re cited in state economic development marketing materials. That way, the study ranks the states based on the criteria they use to sell themselves.
Within those 10 broad categories—Texas ranked in the top 10 within the 50 states for Workforce, Economy, Infrastructure and Transportation, Technology and Innovation, Access to Capital, and Cost of Living, thereby garnering its number one slot overall.
The South West International Boat Show creates an opportunity for vendors and suppliers to get face-to-face with those who come from within a growing economy, a strong workforce, and a place with the infrastructure to do business. The people walking the show will have the background and experience to make purchasing decisions because they have capital, confidence in the marketplace, and the wherewithal to make business happen within an environment that has been, up to this point, dramatically under-served.
This is the third year for the state of Texas to be within the top 10 in these rankings, which indicates it’s more of a trend than a one-hit wonder. Let’s bring the sailing industry to Texas and watch it grow.
