North America's leading marine trade event has wrapped up another successful year, with IBEX 2025 recording growth in both attendance and innovation as the industry gathered in Tampa to look ahead.
The International BoatBuilders' Exhibition and Conference closed on Thursday, October 9, drawing 7,600 professionals from more than 70 countries to a packed Tampa Convention Center. A total of 710 exhibitors filled the floor, among them 115 companies making their IBEX debut. More than 70 students from South Florida marine technical programmes also attended for the first time, taking part in the IBEX Career Day programme developed in partnership with the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC). The initiative gave those future boatbuilders and marine technicians a firsthand look at the industry they are preparing to enter.
The event opened on Tuesday, October 7 with the annual Industry Breakfast, Innovation Awards Presentation and Keynote, which drew more than 900 attendees. NMMA President and CEO Frank Hugelmeyer delivered the Industry Address, and Emmy Award-winning television host Kevin O'Connor, known for This Old House and Ask This Old House, followed with the keynote. The Innovation Awards programme attracted a record 112 entries from exhibiting companies, from which judges selected 12 winners and four honourable mentions, recognising standout advances in materials and technology. Those products are available to view through the online Innovation Way Showcase.
Education and networking formed a strong backbone for the show this year. New programming on the IBEX Main Stage, including the Marine Ideas Exchange (MIX), broadened the conversation beyond technical content to take in business strategy and leadership. Alongside those sessions, signature networking events including Pitch the Press, the Opening Night Party, and the Mid-Show Mixer all drew strong crowds. The cumulative effect was a notable increase in overall education participation. At the heart of the show's offering, as ever, were the curated expert-led technical sessions exclusive to IBEX, covering advanced boatbuilding techniques, materials innovation, systems integration, and design solutions.
"Boatbuilding is a decentralised and diverse industry, strengthened by a global network of innovators and skilled professionals," said Mary Velline, IBEX Show Director. "IBEX brings that community together each year to share challenges, celebrate breakthroughs, and spark the ideas that move our industry forward."
Feedback from exhibitors reflected a broad sense of satisfaction with the show's energy and results. Pat Brown, President of Teak Isle, pointed to a shift he observed on the floor: "From preshow promotion to the nuts and bolts of the show, we feel it was a resounding success. We noticed that the builders seemed to be bringing larger groups of people this year than in the past. This showed their dedication to needing to develop new models and that IBEX is the place to find the information and products to do that."
For Propspeed, the show provided a strong launch platform for a new product. "IBEX is always a fantastic opportunity to connect with our partners, distributors, media, and friends from across the marine industry," said Marcus Hamilton, CEO, Propspeed. "This year was especially exciting as we introduced the new Foulfree™ Multi-Surface System and received such positive feedback from the market. It's a show that continues to help us build relationships and share our innovations with the people who make this industry thrive."
Harman Marine's Kent Jopling, Senior Global Sales Manager, Special Markets, was equally enthusiastic about the results his team took home. "This was the best show we've had in the past four years," he said. "We were able to display many new technologies that will make 'the life in a day of a boater' less stressful and more enjoyable. Boat builders obviously recognized this which was evident in the number of new leads and opportunities we walked away with from IBEX. Now it's time to roll up our sleeves and go to work turning opportunities into reality."
Boat Fix Founder Alastair Crawford noted a shift in the quality of visitor traffic and a growing appetite among manufacturers for what his company offers. "It was a great show for Boat Fix," he said. "We definitely felt that there was more quality foot traffic in terms of visitor attendance. It was great to see both existing and new OEM customers – and interestingly we are now being approached in record numbers by boat manufacturers realizing the gamechanger value of our after sales support and 24/7 customer service."
IBEX 2026 is already confirmed for the Tampa Convention Center, with dates set for October 6 to 8, 2026.
