Richmond boat show, dissapointing

[Latonkaboarder]

I just got home from the Richmond boat show and was dissapointed because there was not any Correct Craft representation there. On the website for the boat show it said there was going to be Nautiques there. I know the boat shows have slowed down quite a bit but there was Malibu and Mastercraft at the show. The only good thing was that I got to see an Axis in person, but for a price line wakeboard boat the price was not in line at all. They wanted $52,000.00 for the one that was at the show. I would never spend that much on a price line boat. The other thing was I new more about the boat than the sales rep did.

[MichaelD]

I went to the Raleigh boat show this weekend, and it was a huge disappointment. In previous years, it took up 3 buildings, but this year it was down to 1.
White Lake & Lake Gaston Watersports had Nautiques there.

From a boat dealer's perspective, I could imagine that it was even a bigger disappointment because there were more dealers/exhibitors walking around chatting with their boat industry colleagues than boaters. Lets face it, a lot of people don't have cash right now to buy a boat either because they are currently un-employed, under-employed, were in the past 18 months, or are fearful that they might become unemployed in the next year.

If you want to see some Nautiques, talk to Corky or Kevin at Lake Gaston Watersports VA location. http://www.lakegastonwatersports.com/

[SkiTower]

I went to the Raleigh boat show this weekend, and it was a huge disappointment. In previous years, it took up 3 buildings, but this year it was down to 1.
White Lake & Lake Gaston Watersports had Nautiques there.

From a boat dealer's perspective, I could imagine that it was even a bigger disappointment because there were more dealers/exhibitors walking around chatting with their boat industry colleagues than boaters. Lets face it, a lot of people don't have cash right now to buy a boat either because they are currently un-employed, under-employed, were in the past 18 months, or are fearful that they might become unemployed in the next year.

If you want to see some Nautiques, talk to Corky or Kevin at Lake Gaston Watersports VA location. http://www.lakegastonwatersports.com/

You should have hit the one LAST weekend at the Civic Center. Whitelake fore-warned me that the fairground one was vastly reduced from previous years.

Did you sign the board?

[hrwboarder]

The convention center show was awesome last week. Every company was represented and their was a pretty good turnout

[MichaelD]

I actually went to both boat shows this year. It was my first time at the Raleigh Convention Center one. The problem I had with the convention center show is the show organizer's really didn't have a target market. For someone who is primarily a lake boater, there sure was quite a bit of salt water stuff at the Convention Center boat show.
Hopefully the economy will improve & folks will start buying boats again & giving business to the boat dealers & manufacturers & the shows can be bigger in future years. Right now, I'm not expecting the 2011 shows to be larger. Wait & see for the 2012 shows.