Sail America Announces New Philadelphia Sailboat Show

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sail America Launches New Philadelphia Show As Part Of New National Boat Show Strategy February 13, 2004, Middletown, RI – Sail America is launching an all-new, all-sail show in Philadelphia next January as part of a dramatic new strategy for marketing its national sailing shows in each major region of the country. As part of this strategy, Sail America will no longer host the Atlantic SAIL EXPO® and NY/NJ SAIL EXPO® shows in the future to consolidate and target the resources of the sailing industry behind a single, strong mid-winter show in Philadelphia. After extensive industry research and feedback, Sail America members decided the opportunity in Philadelphia would unify industry efforts that previously had been split between the two SAIL EXPO® shows in Atlantic City and the New York/New Jersey markets. “When we opened the NY/NJ show, what we did was allow the industry to split, where essentially boat builders were committed to Atlantic City, however gear manufacturers and supporting services were more excited about the NY/NJ show,” said SA Executive Director Scot West. “By running two shows in the same market, we ended up with two shows that did not reach their potential.” The new marketing strategy gives Sail America, the U.S. sailing industry trade association, a strong presence and thrust in each major sailing area of the country at the most important time of the year: The Philadelphia show will attract sailors from the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast markets; Strictly Sail® Chicago is the Midwest’s star sailing show; Strictly Sail® Miami is the Southeast’s largest sailing show and the Pacific SAIL EXPO® successfully reaches the sailors in the West. Sail America plans to package these four shows as four prime buying and selling opportunities to the industry from the third week in January to the third week in April. “These are four “star” shows that will draw successfully in each area of the country. Each show has its own strengths that will attract a distinct crowd of sailing consumers,” said Sail America President Ed Massey. At the same time, the SAIL EXPO® St. Pete show committee has unified in the positioning of SAIL EXPO® St. Pete as a fantastic local show, with marketing focused on Florida’s Gulf Coast and Southeast sailors. “SAIL EXPO® St. Pete has a very solid future and enjoys tremendous local and regional support from the sailing industry, the City of St. Petersburg and the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention and Visitors Bureau,” said Ron Frisosky, chairperson of the SAIL EXPO® St. Pete Committee. The new SA strategy is the result of months of extensive research and discussion among membership, exhibitors, the national boat show committee and the SA board of directors, which unanimously voted for the new strategic plan. The plan underscores SA’s commitment to sailors in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast markets. “Traditionally, sales results from Atlantic City have been very strong, versus just about any show, so we did not want to giv