The record-breaking 2025 Palm Beach International Boat Show (PBIBS) has cemented its place as a key event on the boat show calendar, according to brokers and shipyards. An extended schedule saw around 55,000 visitors come to see around 600 exhibitors and more than 1000 yachts.
After a flurry of swap-outs and last-minute additions, this year’s final tally saw over 204 yachts (24 metres and above) – more than the 2024 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (180) and Monaco Yacht Show (117) – solidifying its status as one of the world's leading industry showcases. The average yacht LOA was 37.3 metres, with 85.3-metre SilverYachts Bold the largest attending. Among the yachts making debuts at the show were the 61-metre Benetti Bravissima, 58-metre Tankoa Yachts Diamond Binta and 52.32-metre Baglietto Daybreak.
For the Damen Yachting and Amels stable, the show was a success. “I think the show started off a little slower at the beginning but as the week went on, it really built up in terms of quality of visitors,” said Damen Yachting marketing manager Sarah Flavell. “We've had some client meetings on the stand, we've had a really good meeting about an Amels 60. We’ve seen more and more people coming to look at the explorers and yacht supports, so we're really excited for how it's gone.”
For Denison Yachting COO Ben Farnborough, the show was a chance to showcase their offering. “This year we had about $170 million in listings at the show with more boats over 30 metres than any other broker," Farnborough said.
He noted that the market had picked up from a slow Q3 in 2024 but, with US tariffs and fears of inflation currently dominating the headlines, conceded that there was some uncertainty creeping into the market.
“Last year, election year, it seemed like there was a flurry of almost pent-up activity with people not quite knowing what was going to happen and then making quick decisions post election. But now in the last few weeks there’s been a lot of noise globally about wars ending and other news and this has created a little bit of a cause for pause on decision making,” he said. Farnborough also cited a charter client with interests in China keeping an eye on possible tariff hikes who has delayed his booking until the economic situation is clearer.
Despite this hesitation, Farnborough is still feeling pretty optimistic about 2025, and at the show Dennison announced exclusive partnerships with Ocean King, Filippetti Yachts and Northern Jet. “It's definitely started better than it did a year ago,” he concluded. “Palm Beach is becoming much more important in the schedule - you can see that from the effort that a lot of the brokerages are putting on in building bigger displays, and also from the amount of European manufacturers here.”
Federico Ferrante, president for Azimut-Benetti Americas, has seen the show expand significantly since he moved to Fort Lauderdale 21 years ago. “I've seen it grow from its beginnings as the last show in the season where the leftover inventory was hoping to be sold before migrating north to what it was to what it is today, which is a reference point in the industry - not just in the US, but globally,” said Ferrante, pointing to the show's compact size as one of its major attractions. “It’s not as big as Fort Lauderdale as far as square footage, but it’s very convenient.”
Ferrante is undaunted by any possible economic instability ahead, saying that in the 30 years he has been in the marine industry, he has lived through the “rollercoasters of 2008, 9/11 and COVID” and watched the business come out stronger on the other side.
He added that as a private company, Azimut-Benetti Group was well-placed to weather any storms thanks to steady management and the single vision from its chair, Giovanna Vitelli. “I think [US customers] look for stability, and in a world which is very volatile in every sense, we’ve managed to remain stable,” he explained.
However Ferrante admitted there was some circumspection in the air when it came to sales. “It depends a little bit on segments," he said. "There are segments which are more affected, others that are not. And it's not necessarily the largest that are affected, because we’re seeing a lot of movement there as well. But there is definitely some cautiousness, although it is not as bad as one might expect.”
Ferrante concluded that business had been brisk at the show and the previous week’s St Barths Bucket, which they sponsored, was equally buzzy. “The event was packed full of beautiful yachts and the island was vibrant. I didn't feel for a moment that there were not enough people, quite the other way around,” he said.
Benetti also used the show to reveal new details about its full-custom 80-metre Espen Øino-designed concept, while Nautor Swan and Edmiston announced a new commercial partnership to produce a range of 40-metre-plus alloy sailing yachts. Both GX Superyachts and Tankoa unveiled new models: a new 34-metre raised pilothouse model and 52-metre S520 superyacht model respectively. In addition, Moonen revealed the interiors of its eighth in build 112 Martinique yacht model.
Elsewhere, captains and crew magazine Dockwalk hosted captains and crew at the Oasis Captain and Crew Lounge, where they were a media partner for the show, and hosted a bustling Captains’ Club party sponsored by P3 Marine, Pendennis, Cayman Islands Shipping Registry and HFW, which saw over 140 senior crew and captains attend. Dockwalk also took this opportunity to launch their new Crew Creator Awards, highlighting the achievements of current and former crew.
BOAT International took the opportunity to announce the exciting new launch of the Bermuda Superyacht Rendezvous in partnership with the Bermuda Tourism Authority, an event inviting superyacht owners the opportunity to come together and explore the picturesque island of Bermuda. Taking place 18-21 June 2026, the four-day yacht meet is open to motor and sailing superyachts from 24 metres and up, and will feature a packed social programme including welcome cocktails, an adventure day, an evening yacht hop and cruising. Rounding off a successful show, BOAT hosted another successful Owners' Club event at the historic Ann Norton sculpture garden featuring over 40 owners and guests in attendance.
As the show closed its doors for another year it was over to Andrew Doole, US Boat Show President at Informa Markets to have the final word: “The Palm Beach International Boat Show continues to attract an increasing number of domestic and international exhibitors, underscoring the event's global reach and influence. The industry’s response to the additional day has been overwhelmingly positive, providing buyers with more time to explore products, make purchases, and engage with exhibitors. This year further reinforced PBIBS as a premier business hub for the marine sector.”
The Palm Beach International Boat show is scheduled to return between March 18-22 2026.
Read More/Numbers preview: Is Palm Beach now the number one boat show for big yachts?