The Truth About Boat Shows
Every year, some of the biggest boat shows in the region come to our bigger cities. Alongside them come tons of dealers and brands, who bring their finest inventory and coolest technology! For years, we did the same thing. But there’s a catch. Being a boat show shopper can actually end up costing you extra money and lead to a less than ideal experience and purchase. Below is everything you need to know about the boat show, from an inside perspective!
Behind the Boat Show
First, let’s talk about what boat shows are. Often, trade show organizations sell venue space to prospective clients. In the case of boat shows, these clients are marine dealers, manufacturers, financiers, and other suppliers. The trade show organizations are - of course - looking to turn a profit, and so are the clients! I mean, why else would people spend so much valuable time and money organizing these events?
Perhaps the biggest reason to avoid boat shows is that it is inherently expensive - for many reasons. Vendors are charged a lot to participate in boat shows, and they have to recover those costs by passing on the expenses to you! Besides the show ticket prices (which are just another way for the organizers to make money), there are a ton of invisible costs.
Overhead Costs
Dealerships pay exorbitant prices just to have floor space at the show. For example, in the past, we paid $5 a square foot - and our space was about 6,000 square feet - which equates to $30,000. Just for the floor space. It also often costs more to have more premium spots at the venue, such as closer to the entrance or food vendors.
6,000 square feet sounds like a lot, but boats are big. You can only fit so many boats inside such a relatively small space. Assuming the average boat on a trailer is 10 feet wide by 20 feet long, that’s 200 square feet. Mathematically, we can fit 30 of these boats in a 6,000 square feet area, but we need to allow room for foot traffic, sales tables, a finance area, and other displays - so it ends up being closer to 20 boats in that size spaceboats. So, it stands to reason that the cost of the space has to be added to the price of each of those 20 boats.
But that’s not all, there are other big overhead expenses, such as:
Advertising: Trade shows want people to know there’s a boat show, and dealers want people to know they’re at the boat show! Dealers spend a lot of ad dollars to inform potential buyers that they will be at the boat show.
Liability & Insurance: When you’re hauling hundreds of thousands of dollars of boats across the state to the show, it pays to be safe and insure the boat. Plus, imagine all of the potential scratches and damage caused by crowds of boat show shoppers!
Travel expenses for staff: Most boat shows are hours away from the vendors’ store, so companies often reimburse employees for travel, food, and hotel expenses.
Display Costs: Often, vendors pay for unique signage, elevated decks, and various other displays to beautify their spaces
So, overhead costs are expensive and obviously have to be added to the price of the boats being sold at the show. Very often, you end up paying more to buy a boat at a boat show than if you just boat it off the dealer’s showroom floor .
Dealership Sizes
That brings us to another point, oftentimes the reason that some dealers attend a boat show is because they are very small and don’t have a building adequate enough to display more than just a few boats. At the boat show, they can display all of their inventory and essentially look equal to the larger dealers there who are only displaying a fraction of their inventory. The result is you become very surprised when you end up visiting the actual dealership location.
Stressful Environment
Now, let’s talk about the boat show environment. With busy crowds, traffic in the big cities & dealerships anxiously looking to make a deal, there’s no doubt that boat shows are stressful. When you walk in a show, it’s almost as if there’s sensory overload. Music playing from your left, children screeching on your right, and a seemingly endless selection of boats in front of you.
Perhaps the most egregiously stressful part of boat shows are the salespeople. Often times boat salespeople are paid on commission, meaning they get a percentage of each sale. This often leads to an experience where they’re looking to sell you a boat that pads their pockets, but not necessarily the boat best suited for you.
They also create this false sense of urgency.
“These deals will be over by the end of the boat show!”
“You won’t get these deals anywhere else!”
All false. In fact, the opposite is often true. Think about it, why would dealers cut prices before the season even begins, only to find themselves with no inventory when the real buying season kicks off in spring and summer? Frequently, dealers will actually raise prices, and then cut them to “normal” rates - just to paint the picture that you’re getting a great boat show deal. This is further compounded by the reality that most dealerships have low inventory levels - especially after the craziness of the last 3 years. With low inventory levels, they truly can’t afford to cut deals and pass on the savings to you!
Plus, as a boat shopper (especially with such a significant purchase), you want to take time and ensure that you’re buying your dream boat. At Foothills Marine, we approach this much differently.
The Difference
Firstly, our sales team is paid on salary, not commission, meaning that your experience with them will be about you and finding your dream boat. For them, this means that every deal is about you. Not fulfilling a quota, which can often lead to them - and as a byproduct - you - having a stressful experience.
We have two stores - one in Morganton, NC & another in Mooresville, NC - each with full inventory levels and spacious showrooms! We have worked very hard and leveraged our relationships with boat manufacturers to secure a lot of inventory. Additionally, we firmly believe in Transparent Pricing, so the price you see is the price you pay (aside from state-required registration & fees). So many dealers advertise a price that is thousands of dollars below what the final price actually ends up being!
Don’t get us wrong, boat shows aren’t always a miserable experience. But with the current market, their flaws are more visible than ever. So, skip the stress and craziness and come on over to either of our locations in Morganton or Mooresville, where everyday is a boat show! Just… without the stress.