The 44th annual St. Petersburg Power and Sailboat Show will be held at the Duke Energy Center for the Arts Mahaffey Theater—Yacht Basin and Albert Whitted Park (next to the Dali Museum) from January 20 to 23.
Florida residents who love boats, sailing enthusiasts and those in the market for a luxury vessel can anticipate a premier boat show at the downtown waterfront. This year marks the first time the Tampa Boat Show will merge with the St. Petersburg Power and Sailboat Show. It is part of a long-term strategy to scale the show and enhance the experience for guests.
“We determined now is the time to merge the Tampa Boat Show with the St. Petersburg Boat and Sailboat Show and begin building the Gulf Coast’s largest boating event,” says Andrew Doole, president of U.S. boat shows for Informa Markets. “Combining these two leading Gulf Coast boat shows will streamline, and enhance, the attendee experience and deliver the most comprehensive display of boats and marine products in the region. The combined shows will mean a larger number of exhibitors and organizers anticipate record ticket sales, Doole added.
The organizers of the St. Petersburg Boat and Sailboat Show are committed to enhanced health and safety standards, known as AllSecure, at Informa. All Informa events, including the St. Petersburg Power and Sailboat Show, are safe and hygienic organized events. In addition to AllSecure standards, the St. Petersburg Power and Sailboat Show follow all official government and local authority guidance and regulations.
Guests should expect an immersive experience to delight boat enthusiasts of any age. Signature highlights of the event include complimentary sailboat rides as well as the Kids’ Fishing Clinic for children ages 4-16, presented by the nonprofit organization Hook the Future.
Guests may learn more about the larger number of exhibitors at the show. Galati Yacht Sales is one of the exhibitors representing Viking Yachts, Princess Yachts, Cruisers Yachts, Prestige Yachts, Maritimo Yachts and Valhalla Boatworks. At the event, Galati will offer potential buyers an opportunity to preview the latest in-stock models and pre-owned yachts.
Galati is family-owned, with three generations overseeing operations. During 51 years in business, Galati was one of the first to display with Kay Pearson in 1978. Now, the company spans the entire Gulf Coast, parts of the United States and two international locations.
Mary Strauss, the marketing director for Galati, emphasized the company’s commitment to the St. Petersburg community. “Having a location in St. Petersburg, and the greater Tampa Bay area, for 26 years, we have become a driving force for yachting in the community—from hosting the St. Petersburg Christmas Parade Lead yachts to helping our world-champion [Tampa Bay] Lightning and [Tampa Bay] Buccaneers by supplying yachts for their victory parades. We pride ourselves on our continued efforts to work with the community, including charity events, our professional sports teams and many other community programs,” Strauss says.
This year, the St. Petersburg Power and Sailboat Show is expected to have better turnout and interest, Doole says.
“Attendance and sales continue to grow at all of our boat shows,” Doole says. “[Sales] were exceptionally strong this year in Fort Lauderdale, considering our challenges of finding temporary labor, ensuring safe environments during the pandemic and attracting a huge number of exhibitors who struggle to get parts and deliver products in their own businesses.”
Some luxury hotels such as The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort and Golf Club have partnered with the St. Petersburg Power and Sailboat Show to offer special rates for the event weekend.
“People love to attend shows. Some come to comparison shop and others to dream of the day that they, too, can own and operate a luxury vessel on the water … and this is the only place to see all the products together,” Doole says. ♦
