The nine-figure economic impact of recreational boating in Connecticut will be the focus of the opening day program at the 47th Hartford Boat Show, which runs Jan. 28-31 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.
More than 250 boats and 125 exhibitors representing every aspect of recreational boating will be there.
According to the nonprofit organizer Connecticut Marine Trades Association, annual retail sales of new boats, engines, accessories and services account for more than $136 million in Connecticut and support 537 businesses across the state. The association said it is estimated that there are 101,887 recreational boats in Connecticut, 85 percent of them powerboats; 10 percent personal watercraft; and 5 percent sailboats.
“The business of boating in Connecticut supports a workforce of 7,500 employees whose lives depend upon people buying, storing, servicing and caring for boats throughout the state,” said Kathleen Burns, executive director, CMTA. “This is not just a high-end boat or (Long Island)Â Sound-dominated business as many would think, but one which flourishes in all corners of Connecticut.”
According to Burns, the 2016 exhibitors ”“ representing everything nautical, including clothing ”“ represent the largest expansion in the diversity of products in the show’s 47-year history.
“The marine trades business in Connecticut is a segment which has not gone ‘big box’,” said Burns. “The mainstay of the whole industry is small businesses that are largely based in working waterfronts that anchor and distinctively characterize our small communities. About 95 percent of our exhibitors are classified as small business, many are family owned and even generational, with 94 being Connecticut-based.”
Hartford Boat Show opening day activities begin at 3:30 pm with sponsorship and scholarship presentations and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Exhibit hall hours are 4-9 p.m.
The Sponsorship Award Ceremony will acknowledge boat show sponsors Evinrude, the boat engine maker; Connecticut Buick GMC; apparel maker Helly Hansen; and NBC Connecticut as well as supporters of the annual CMTA Golf Tournament, which enables the scholarship program. Golf tournament sponsors included Starkweather & Shelpley, a marine insurer, and the Connecticut Convention Center.
Now in its fifth year, the CMTA scholarship program awards scholarships to qualified member employees and their families to further their educational pursuits related to the marine trades industry. The show will feature a career opportunity fair.
Show hours are Thursday, 4- 9 p.m.; Friday, noon-9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Preregistration information can be found at Hartfordboatshow.com. During the show, general admission will be $12, with children under 12 admitted free.
Founded in 1954, the CMTA has more than 300 member businesses.
