Miami International boat show

[Wunderlust]

I plan on going to the Miami International boat show next month and wanted to ask previous attendees or anyone familiar with Miami if it was easier to get a hotel outside of Miami and just drive and park or get a hotel as close as possible and just walk/water taxi over. Does the show have enough things to see for a 2 day pass or is a 1 day pass good enough.

Thanks

[WSMFP]

Last year we had a hotel room a few miles away, took an uber and then the water taxi which was easy in the morning. I don't know your budget but any hotel within walking distance of the water taxi is going to be expensive. I would also recommend going Friday or Sunday instead of Saturday which was very busy. The traffic on the causeway and outside the show is extremely heavy during the show so I wouldn't recommend trying to drive there.

Don't forget you can also bring your own food (publix subs are a good choice) and snacks in. We also carried in a 12 pack of beer since my friend had a booth with a cooler. The food and drinks in the show are insane expensive.

[justakiss]

We went in 2018. We stayed at an AirBnB in Little Havana and took the free public transit to the free water taxi location.
We're going again this year, and will stay at another AirBnB. This time though we will stay in Brickell and catch an Uber/ Lyft to the show on Sunday and Monday. We are also going to pack food/ drinks as options are not only limited, but pricey.
Check the boat show website for details on where to catch the free transportation.

[Wunderlust]

We booked a place and will attend Friday and Saturday, appreciate all the info it has helped in our planning this trip.

[Chotu]

Any issues with attending on Monday? Will everything still be open? All the boats still be there? I know people often check out both mentally and even physically the last day of a trade show.

It's the only day that fits my schedule due to work issues. I'm assuming Saturday and Sunday are bad days to go because it would be most crowded.

[Group9]

Originally Posted by Wunderlust

I plan on going to the Miami International boat show next month and wanted to ask previous attendees or anyone familiar with Miami if it was easier to get a hotel outside of Miami and just drive and park or get a hotel as close as possible and just walk/water taxi over. Does the show have enough things to see for a 2 day pass or is a 1 day pass good enough.

Thanks

Last time I was at the show, and not living down there, we got a room, almost at the last minute, in Hollywood, Florida. It was a pretty easy drive down to the show every day. Much easier than I thought it was going to be.

[Saleen411]

We went in 2018. We drove to parking area and took the bus. Earlier the better.

[justakiss]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Any issues with attending on Monday? Will everything still be open? All the boats still be there? I know people often check out both mentally and even physically the last day of a trade show.

It's the only day that fits my schedule due to work issues. I'm assuming Saturday and Sunday are bad days to go because it would be most crowded.

From our experiences at the Annapolis Sailboat Show, many of the vendors do start packing up the last day (Monday for Miami). Best advice is to get there right when the doors open to maximize your time. Having a plan in place of who/ where you want to visit helps as well. If there's specific boats you want to look at, check and see if they require an appointment.

[Zzmeyer]

Monday is the best day. No crowds. I hate the logistics of getting there but a nice show. All the boats are still there as many are trapped by temporary docks anyway.

[Tillsbury]

I don't know about that show in particular, but at the end of any show like this the products on the stands that are unsold have to be carried back to the trucks and cars by the exhibitors, and they can often be tempted into good deals to get rid of display models...

[Chotu]

Heading there in a few hours.