Boats, yes, but much more to annual industry show

BEST IN SHOW: At a recent Providence Boat Show, an attendee, left, speaks to a company representative about a motorboat, the 2012 Larson LX2150. / COURTESY ERIN MCGINN
BEST IN SHOW: At a recent Providence Boat Show, an attendee, left, speaks to a company representative about a motorboat, the 2012 Larson LX2150. / COURTESY ERIN MCGINN

If you want to examine the latest in boats, yes, the annual Providence Boat Show is a destination.
But the experience has become much more diversified in recent years, as organizers have worked to present a gallery of vendors and programs that will attract a broad audience interested in all aspects of fishing, boating and sailing.
The show, which runs from Jan. 23-25 at the R.I. Convention Center, will have a larger lineup of products and services this year and has drawn increased business sponsorships.
Now in its second year under the ownership of the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association, the show also has a new website: providenceboatshow.com. Tickets are $12 for adults; children under age 12 are free.
“Our goal has been to breathe new life into the show,” said Jonathan Banks, the show’s director. “We’re taking the boat show beyond the boat.”
Among the 2015 show highlights: a live Web feed to the Volvo Ocean Race, a round-the-world race that will stop in Newport in May, and which is expected to be approaching China during the boat show; a fresh-seafood cooking demonstration featuring noted chefs; a live fashion show of marine wear; and a ‘fighting chair’ simulator that allows would-be anglers to feel the experience of landing a big fish.
Last year, about 10,000 people attended the boat show over the three days. Organizers expect as many or more this year, Banks said. Based on feedback from attendees in 2014, the show will feature more sailing craft and services, as well as seminars that appeal to people who are newcomers to sailing and boating. The Washington Trust Co. will sponsor the Show Pavilion, the center stage, with revolving events designed to capture the interests of people who want to be on the water.
The primary reason that people visit boat shows is to see what is new in pleasure craft, including new models, and make purchases. But participants also want to feel educated about emerging trends and new products in the broader marine industry. “They want to come away from the show feeling like they’ve benefited,” Banks said. The marine-trades industry, the web of businesses and services that cater to fishing, boating and sailing, is one of Rhode Island’s most critical economic engines, according to the Governor’s Workforce Board.
A report prepared in August 2014 on the economic impact of the marine-trades industry found Rhode Island had 650 related employers, providing 7,000 jobs in areas including ship and boat building, specialized-equipment production, marine-related insurance and publishing, and marine-related instruction. The benefits were estimated at $325 million a year.
The industry is healthier this year, with reports of increased sales. Even at last year’s event, the mood in the room was upbeat, according to Wendy Mackie, CEO of the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association.
“It definitely rides the economic tide, being recreational,” she said, of the marine-related industry. “Part of the goal of the boat show is to give people reasons why they might want to be on the water, in Rhode Island.”
Based on attendee feedback from 2014, new segments within this year’s show will emphasize fishing and sailing, in addition to power boating.
The “Reel Island” area will including a fishing exhibition, with the “fishing chair” simulator and space for education and entertainment. Rhode Island B.A.S.S. Nation will sponsor a “Casting Kids” program, aimed at introducing young adults and children to fishing.
Capt. Jack Sprengel, owner of East Coast Charters of Warwick, will coordinate a sport-fishing seminar over the three-day series, as well.
For the second year, the show will feature “Sea to Table” events, including chefs that will demonstrate how to prepare fresh catch. Hemenway’s Seafood Grill and Oyster Bar, in Providence, and Blaze East Side, also in Providence, and Midtown Oyster Bar in Newport are participating.
The Sailing Center will feature seminars, including a panel discussion of veteran sailors describing how they got started. The construction of the Oliver Hazard Perry, a tall ship, will be featured as well. The stopover in Newport of the Volvo Ocean Race will be explained and promoted, including a live feed to one of the boats. Participants will find a range of sailing-instruction programs represented at the boat show. The Show Pavilion is designed to be the center of attention, where some of the unique programs and seminars will be offered.
The fashion show, run by Team One Newport, a retailer geared to the marine industry, is intended to be both fun and practical. One of the apparel companies that will participate is Helly Hanson, a Scandinavian company that produces “purposeful and good-looking” maritime clothing, said Brad Greenwood, its territory manager for New England. Rhode Island is an important market for the clothing manufacturer, which produces waterproof, breathable garments and insulating layers. The clothing is sold at retailers, including its own store in Newport.
Participating in the boat show made sense, as the expected audience is large, and interested in being out on the water. For New England waters, on most days, specific gear is required. “The ocean is an inhospitable environment,” Greenwood said. “You need gear that protects your body.”
In other programs at the Show Pavilion, a novelist and a nonfiction writer will speak about their work. Michael Tougias, who wrote The Finest Hours, a story about a Coast Guard rescue off Cape Cod, will be featured, as will Kevin Saulnier, who wrote a novel set on Block Island.
Regina Krieger, who is training to take part in the Clipper Round-the-World Race, will speak about her efforts.
The purpose of some of the new programs, including the speakers’ events, is to capture some of the excitement about being on the water, organizers say.
“Our goal is to get everybody from new boaters to seasoned veterans,” Banks said. •

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