Pleasanton, CA Boat Show

[wake_fun]

Does anyone know if a Correct Craft dealer will be there?

[raygunclan]

answer may be on this list
http://www.nautique.com/pdf/BoatShowsforWebsite2011.pdf

[wake_fun]

Then the answer is no I guess I'm not going now.........

Hey CC how do expect to sell any boats when your not helping getting the boats to the boat shows I've got only one dealer in Northern CA now.

[BKinSoCal]

Then the answer is no I guess I'm not going now.........

Hey CC how do expect to sell any boats when your not helping getting the boats to the boat shows I've got only one dealer in Northern CA now.

I agree. This will be the second year in a row that CC will not be represented at the Los Angeles boat show, new dealer and all. Sad to see.

[GoBig]

Bummer. No Central Valley Marine exhibit or is CVM just not bringing Nauti? I guess they are primarily 'Bu, Sanger, and Grady White now.

[wake_fun]

Bummer. No Central Valley Marine exhibit or is CVM just not bringing Nauti? I guess they are primarily 'Bu, Sanger, and Grady White now.

I called them and they are only bringing bu and sanger. They said CC "wouldn't help them", whatever that means.

[DanielC]

Boat show costs

The reality is that it costs easily $10,000 to 20,000, or more to display the boats at a boat show.
There is the entry fee, transportation to the boat show, setup, time at the show, teardown, and cleaning the boats and trailers after everything is back at the dealer. It can cost several hundred dollars just for a credit card hookup, so the dealer can make transactions at the show.

That cost has to be absorbed into the purchase price of the boats you sell.

If you sell four boats at the boat show, and you were able to contain the cost to show the boats at the show to only $10,000, the price on each boat has to go up $2500, and that is to break even.

[BKinSoCal]

The reality is that it costs easily $10,000 to 20,000, or more to display the boats at a boat show.
There is the entry fee, transportation to the boat show, setup, time at the show, teardown, and cleaning the boats and trailers after everything is back at the dealer. It can cost several hundred dollars just for a credit card hookup, so the dealer can make transactions at the show.

That cost has to be absorbed into the purchase price of the boats you sell.

If you sell four boats at the boat show, and you were able to contain the cost to show the boats at the show to only $10,000, the price on each boat has to go up $2500, and that is to break even.

This is a subject I talked with the former SoCal dealer about a couple of years ago. They told me it would cost them roughly $30k to have a booth at the LA Boat Show, and CC did not cover any of the cost, but expected them to be there. At $30k, they needed to sell a lot of boats to bring that money back and most tow-boat purchasers do not sit down and sign paperwork for a new boat at the show...particularly since a Nautique is going to run them $65k-$100k+, depending on what model they get.

I've been going to the boat show every year for the past 10-12 years and I never would have bought a boat at the show. That's where I did my homework and easily got to compare all of the competition because they were all there to talk to and for me to get in the boats.

My understanding is the new Nautique dealer in SoCal will be at the LA boat show, but will not have a Nautique with them as they simply believe Nautiques don't sell at the show. On the other hand, representation is big when all of the other players are there with a full booth of boats. Catch22...

[wetfoot]

Who is the new SoCal Dealer?

Is it not public knowledge yet?

[BKinSoCal]

Who is the new SoCal Dealer?

Is it not public knowledge yet?

The old dealer was California Correct Craft, which was fantastic. The new dealer is Sun Country, which I hope turns out to be better than their reputation.

[2gofaster]

Well..........Dockside Marine in Houston sold 13 Nautiques at the winter boat show last year. We loaded up 2 230s, 2 210s, a sport 200, a 226, a 216V and some assorted other CCs for this year's show that starts this weekend. Only reason there weren't more is there just wasn't room in our display. So I'm not necessarily buying that a nautique wouldn't sell. Maybe the buyers think differently in SoCal.

[skiswm]

Having done many shows in another indstury but having used the AlCo Fairgrounds where the show is taking place I can tell you costs can add up fast. Figure $1k or more just for power at the show, if you need that power 24 hrs a double that cost, figure you'll have to pay $500 just to have your sign hung from the rafters, you might possibly have to pay union members (at some facilites) to tow your boat(s) onto the show floor usually requiring 2 men to handle this so probably by the time you're done another $500-$1000. Do you want carpet around your booth, that's another $500, asking for chairs and a table to be set up.....double it again. Shows are not cheap at all to porduce and handle, plus you're losing day(s) at your show becuase you're bring your sales people and possibly support staff to work at the show.....maybe you're closing your store down or your possibly hiring "booth babes" to help out at the show so add that into your cost. I could see where a boat dealer would say if the manufacture doesn't want to help cover booth costs they won't show them at a show.

[BKinSoCal]

Well..........Dockside Marine in Houston sold 13 Nautiques at the winter boat show last year. We loaded up 2 230s, 2 210s, a sport 200, a 226, a 216V and some assorted other CCs for this year's show that starts this weekend. Only reason there weren't more is there just wasn't room in our display. So I'm not necessarily buying that a nautique wouldn't sell. Maybe the buyers think differently in SoCal.

I'm not saying they WOULDN"T sell, but how many do you need to sell to recoup $30k in boat show costs? Like I said, it's a catch22. Do you not want to have a booth at the show due to cost or do you not want to let the competition have all of the attention for potential business because you don't have a booth.

I think it's awesome you guys sold so many boats at the boat show last year. It appears buyers must be different in SoCal or they're different in TX and will buy at a show. Whatever the case, I hope you guys can sell at least another 13 boats at the show this year.

[wetfoot]

We bought our boat from CCC.

When I called CC last week they told me M20 Marine in San Diego was my closest dealer.

Is Sun Country not a done deal yet?

[maxpower220]

In the winter, how many people at walking up to the dealer's showroom and buying boats? Having staff at the Boat Show probably gets 1000x more traffic than the dealership in a given winter weekend. That excuse is lame.

Selling a boat at or near MSRP has A LOT of built in profit. If a dealer sells 4-6 more boats at the Boat Show than at the dealership, it would be very easy to absorb that cost, especially if you are selling floor models and not carrying the floor costs for several months. No one has mentioned a dealer getting a boat on the floor and having it from Jan to July. There is a cost to that, is it a lot less than the cost to be at a show in Jan/Feb?

When people go to the boat show and get caught up in the moment, they make quick decisions to buy. If they see a Bu, MC, and a Moomba with no CC or brand X there, that dealer will NOT sell a boat. If you are not at the show, you won't sell a boat at the show.