Show Season Without the Hype (FLIBS, Newport & the Circuit)

Show season gets loud. Brochures get glossier. The useful question stays simple: will being there help you buy, sell, or learn — or just tire you out?

How I think about shows

FLIBS / South Florida: convenient for local buyers and sellers; good for volume of boats and conversations in one place

Newport and northern stops: different fleet mix and buyer energy; relevant when your search or listing has East Coast gravity

European circuit (Cannes, Monaco, etc.): global stage and serious metal — useful context, not a requirement for every South Florida owner

I won’t pretend every show is mandatory or invent “we closed X at Y.” Shows are tools: walk boats, meet people, calibrate the market with your own feet.

Practical tips

Go with a shortlist or a clear use-case brief

Take notes like a survey day, not a party

Leave room to follow up after — the real work often starts when the tents come down

— Enrique Dillon · Dillon Yachts · Key Biscayne · Luke Brown Yachts