Evinrude/BRP, CT Buick GMC and Helly Hansen Lead Hartford Boat Show Sponsors - February 9-12, 2017

With Evinrude/BRP, CT Buick GMC and Helly Hansen leading its fleet of sponsors and exhibitors, The Hartford Boat Show will be cruising into the Connecticut Convention Center, February 9-12, 2017. Presented by the Connecticut Marine Trades Association (CMTA), the event will feature over 250 boats, 150 exhibitors including over 25 new companies, and is expected to draw over 14,000 visitors. Over 95 exhibitors are Connecticut based companies, representing the scope of the business of recreational boating in the state.

Evinrude is the Official Sponsor of the 2017 Hartford Boat Show. The CT Buick GMC Dealers are the Official Vehicle Sponsor and Helly Hansen is the Official Apparel Sponsor. At The Show, Evinrude will be introducing a new and unprecedented 10-year warranty on their E-Tec engines. Buick GMC vehicles will flank the convention center lobby area, spotlighting their towing capabilities, being paired with one of the boat lines featured at The Show. This will be the second year for Helly Hansen to be outfitting the entire Show Crew in its collection, including vests and pullovers.

Connecticut based businesses representing all aspects and regions of the business of boating in the state constitute the majority of this year’s exhibitor roster, from A&S Boats and G and R Marine of the Windsor area to Beacon Point Marine in Cos Cob. Shoreline dealers and facilities from Stamford to Mystic will be represented, as well as four dealers/marinas from Candlewood Lake: Brookfield Bay, Candlewood East, Echo Bay and Gerards Water’s Edge.

“Our Connecticut -based exhibitors represent every facet of the business of boating here. This is an industry that is characterized largely by small businesses that are the mainstay of our waterfront communities. The state’s marine industry supports a workforce of 7,000 people in over 520 businesses,” according to Kathleen Burns, Executive Director, CMTA.

Thursday, February 9 has been designated as Industry Day at The Show. An industry career fair and CMTA sponsorship and scholarship award ceremonies will open The Show, with the career fair continuing throughout the event. Now in its sixth year, the CMTA Scholarship Program annually awards scholarships to qualified member employees and their family members to further their educational pursuits related to the marine trades industry.

Over 25 new exhibitors are joining The Show in 2017, including the first and only New England boat show appearances for Spirit of Britany, 727 Sailbag, Oxford Handbags, Ugo Wear and Cedar Island Research Center. Other new exhibitors include Marine Tracker at Bass Pro, Rex Marine Center, Dennison Yachting, Snag-A-Slip and Prestige Yacht Sales. Many new exhibitors represent the “lifestyle” or “soft goods” product category within the boating industry.

“The boating lifestyle includes those shore side amenities that our guests have been requesting, including lifestyle products and fashionable apparel, and we’re excited about this expanding area,” Burns reports.

In addition to The Show’s sponsors, Shoreside Docks is supporting The Paddler’s Paradise Demo Pool an 800 square foot area on the second level of The Show which will feature a full schedule of demonstrations of kayaks, stand up paddle boards and special paddling activities for adults and children, including some of The Housatonic Model Club’s display of unique sailing models. The Annapolis School of Seamanship is partnering with The Hartford Boat show to provide a full schedule of seminars covering tops such as docking and line handling, iNavigation, outboard basics and obtaining a captain’s license. Throughout the event there will be media personality appearances, with remote radio broadcasts from the show scheduled for WUCS – ESPN Sports, WHCN- The River, WWYZ – Country 92.5 and WDRC – The Whale.

Tickets for The Hartford Boat Show are now available at www.hartfordboatshow.com. Pre-show online tickets are $10 and a multi-day pass is available at $18 which allows access to the show any two days. The Senior Skip’rs pass for February 10 is $8. Admission on-site at The Show will be $12. Children under 12 accompanied by an adult are free. Group sales for groups over 15 people may be arranged by contacting CMTA Show Staff at 860-767-2645.

The Hartford Boat Show will be open Thursday, February 9 from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm.; Friday, February 10 from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm; Saturday, February 11 from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm; and Sunday, February 12 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. For schedule details and a full list of exhibitors, visit www.hardfordboatshow.com.