A guide to the Palm Beach boat show 2024
Published 18 March 2024
Discover insider tips and get expert advice from the Burgess team for one of America’s premier yachting events, the Palm Beach International Boat Show
Palm Beach International Boat Show
Showcasing the latest yacht builds, brokerage and charter yachts and marine accessories, the Palm Beach International Boat Show (aka PBIBS) marks the beginning of the Spring sales season for the entire yachting industry.
Following on from the Miami International Boat Show, which has grown to become the largest boat show in the world, PBIBS has a more relaxed feel with a high level of serious clients attending to view new yachts coming onto the market. Now in its 41 year, it is up there as one of the premier yachting events in the U.S.
Burgess guests and clients are invited to attend the show in style, with complimentary VIP tickets giving access to a dedicated Super Yacht Show area, where Burgess will have the largest superyachts for sale and charter in the show. Welcoming VIP ticket holders and clients with yacht brokers, the yachts are available for viewing by serious buyers and charter clients only. Burgess clients and guests will also have access to two VIP lounge areas where they can relax and enjoy wine and food tastings, live entertainment, catering and free-flowing champagne.
When is the Palm Beach Boat Show?
The Palm Beach International Boat Show will take place from the March 21-24. The show opens on Thursday, March 21 at 12pm and runs until 7pm on that day; the show then opens on the Friday and Saturday from 10am until 7pm, and then 10am until 5pm on the Sunday, when the show closes.
Where can I get tickets?
Tickets can be purchased directly from the Palm Beach International Boat Show website, or Burgess clients and their guests can contact the Burgess team to organise their VIP tickets and tours ahead of the show. Most yachts require a pre-scheduled appointment, which is at the discretion of the broker or manufacturer. Burgess recommends that you discuss the yachts that you would like to visit ahead of the show with your Burgess expert so that they can organise viewings in advance and ensure smooth passage and no waiting.
Where is the Palm Beach Boat Show?
The Palm Beach International Boat Show takes place along Flagler Drive in West Palm Beach, just across the Intracoastal Waterway from Palm Beach Island. More than a century after Henry Flagler established South Florida as a winter vacation destination, Florida’s East Coast is once again having its moment as the epicentre of yachting in America, and the affluent mecca of Palm Beach is right at the heart of this golden dream.
Show overview
Whether you are considering embarking on a yacht charter or looking to purchase a yacht, the Palm Beach International Boat Show certainly delivers a thrilling experience for all. This sun-drenched Floridian coastal town welcomes a huge selection of new and pre-owned yachts available for charterers, owners and buyers to view, while all manner of boating and yachting related activities also take place in and around the show. These include boating related seminars, water toys and marine accessory demonstrations, and live music and entertainment.
Burgess Show Highlights
Burgess representatives from both the sales and charter team, as well as from the yacht management and marketing departments, will be on hand throughout the show, sharing their market insights and advising on the most suitable yachts for you to view. Burgess clients with an interest in either sale or charter will have the opportunity to tour both the Burgess fleet and also any of the other yachts on display when accompanied by their Burgess broker.
Burgess will be displaying a stunning line-up of yachts in the show, including the 70.6m (231.6ft) TALISMAN C, the 65m (213.3ft) SEANNA and the 43.9m (144ft) MUCHOS MAS, all available for sale and charter with Burgess, along with the classic 52m (170.6ft) Feadship ICE BEAR, the 44.8m (147ft) GRAN FINALE, 44.6m (146.3ft) BIG EASY, the recently delivered 28.5m (93.5ft) Riva Argo ZUMA, and the brand-new 25.2m (82.7ft) 57-knot sportster INCENTIVIZED. Clients interested in charter are also invited to view the iconic 90.1m (295.6ft) NERO on display in the nearby Rybovich Marina. An icon of the world’s charter fleet, NERO is available for charter once again following an extensive refit and upgrades.
Palm Beach VIP style
Burgess experts are on hand to ensure that both Burgess clients and their guests experience the Palm Beach International Boat Show in VIP style. Experts are on hand to steer clients and guests through the yachts, with VIP hospitality throughout the event. With Burgess, clients and guests can also enjoy the Windward VIP experience, which includes early admission to the show through the Palm Harbour North entrance, and VIP access to an indoor and outdoor lounge area where guests can relax with an open bar or enjoy a buffet style lunch or early dinner. The VIP experience also offers Burgess guests the opportunity to visit the Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary Art Fair, which runs simultaneously to the Palm Beach International Boat Show dates.
Make the most of your time in Palm Beach
For more than half a century, Palm Beach has been the winter home of American aristocracy, and the town has a wealth of offerings for both the waterborne and those staying ashore. Separated from the mainland by the Intracoastal Waterway, the city is known for its upscale lifestyle, with some of Florida’s most exclusive restaurants and hotels.
While visiting the Palm Beach International Boat Show, why not spend a few days either side to discover the city’s cultural highlights which, thanks to a wealth of patrons dedicated to the arts, is booming. From the art scene to live music, there really is something for everyone.
Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary
Returning for its seventh edition, Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary is South Florida’s most prestigious winter art fair. Organised by the Art Miami Group, the event takes place from Thursday 21 March through to Sunday March 24 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, just a stone’s throw from the Palm Beach International Boat Show. The fair attracts private collectors and curators to view the works on display from almost 100 galleries.
Sunday on the Waterfront Concert Series
For those looking to spend a few days prior to the Palm Beach International Boat Show exploring Palm Beach and the surrounding area and who are there on Sunday, why not take some time out and spend an afternoon enjoying an alfresco concert. Held every third Sunday afternoon throughout the year, Sunday on the Waterfront invites regional and national recording artists to perform in a series of alfresco concerts. The Intracoastal Waterway is the perfect setting to enjoy a variety of performances, ranging from classical to rock, pop and traditional folk music, depending on the afternoon. This year, the third Sunday in March falls on St.Patrick’s Day, and features Irish Celtic music from renowned vocalist Tracy Sands.
Don’t miss Sea Turtle Season
Much of Florida’s hundreds of miles of beaches are protected Florida State Parks where nesting sea turtles lay their eggs. The nesting season runs from March through late October, when leatherbacks, loggerheads and green sea turtles start coming ashore, usually returning to the same spot just a few feet away from the nesting spot from the previous year. Join park rangers early morning as they survey the beach to track and record the number of turtles that come ashore overnight, marking any nests in vulnerable areas. Incubation can take anywhere between 45 to 75 days, so you are unlikely to see any hatchlings unless returning to Florida in the summer season.
Enjoy Norton Sculpture Gardens & Art Museum
Spend an afternoon at the Norton Museum of Art and the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, both located in West Palm Beach. Spread over two acres right in the middle of the El Cid Historic neighbourhood of the city, the property, which comprises exhibition galleries, an artist studio and sculpture gardens, was the home of steel magnate Ralph Hubbard Norton and his first wife Elizabeth, and then later on also the sculptress Ann Norton.
The Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens holds the collection of Ann Weaver Norton’s work, which includes nine sculptures she created in situ and that stand amongst dense foliage that includes the largest collections of rare palms in the U.S. Whether you prefer to enjoy the gardens while relaxing with a Sunday afternoon concert, during an alfresco lunch in the courtyard, or if you prefer a guided tour of the property and visiting exhibitions, the gardens can provide a quiet retreat away from the bustling city and boat show.
Come and See us!
To find out more about the Palm Beach International Boat Show and the yachts attending, or to discuss any of your yachting needs, please contact your Burgess expert who can help organise and curate your visit to Palm Beach and ensure you get the most out of it.
To find out more about Burgess’ yachts for sale and yachts for charter, please contact a Burgess broker. Alternatively, get in touch with one of our offices directly: London, Monaco, New York, Miami, Singapore or all other locations.