2008 Seattle Boat Show expands onto Qwest football field
Show goers can walk right onto Seahawks’ turf, view more boats and attempt to kick a field goal 

SEATTLE, Nov. 19, 2007 – Here we GROW again! The West Coast’s Largest Boat Show (www.seattleboatshow.com) is expanding in 2008 to provide room for more boats, yachts, engines, electronics and other accessories than ever before. The 2007 Seattle Boat Show encompassed more than 700,000 square feet of space, both on land at Qwest Field and on the water at South Lake Union. At Qwest Field in 2008 (Thursday, January 24 – Saturday, February 2, 2008), show organizers are rolling up the entry way doors and pushing out onto the football turf where the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks play. The football field expansion provides an additional 100,000 square feet of boat displays and show attractions. Organizers plan to include a number of promotions on the field, including a Field Goal Kicking Contest for a chance to win a boat, a Casting Contest and a kid’s fishing pond. This is the first time in Qwest Field’s history that a consumer show has expanded onto the football field.

“The Seattle Boat Show is healthy and continues to grow, which is a reflection of the strength of boating in the Northwest,” says George Harris, Vice President and Boat Show Director at the Northwest Marine Trade Association (NMTA). “In recent years, we’ve had to get pretty creative to find more space to meet the demand of the industry. Moving onto the football field was really the only other place to go.”

The Seattle Boat Show moved from the Kingdome to Qwest Field Event Center in 2000, and space demand has not slowed. The show is more than 50 percent bigger than it was when held in the Kingdome. In 2004, organizers converted the second floor of the adjacent parking garage for accessory display space. In 2005, the show expanded onto Qwest Field’s Club Level to house a full-service restaurant and the event’s 200+ seminars.

 “Boaters in the Northwest have come to know the Seattle Boat Show for not only its size, but also its variety,” says Harris. “The show features the largest marine accessories and electronics display outside of Florida and represents all the various types of boating available in the region. Moving onto the field allows us to continue to be a leader in the industry and offer something for every boater.”

 “There aren’t many opportunities for the public to walk out onto the field of any professional sport,” says Harris. “It’s going to be a pretty exciting and fun experience for a lot of people”

Produced by:
Northwest Marine Trade Association (www.nmta.net) and the Northwest Yacht Brokers Association (www.nwyachtbrokers.com.)

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About the Northwest Yacht Brokers Association
The Northwest Yacht Brokers Association www.nwyachtbrokers.com is a non-profit marine trade group founded in 1988 consisting of over 340 marine brokers, dealers and other industry professionals representing over 230 marine-related businesses in the Pacific Northwest. Subscribing to the strictest code of ethics, NYBA members are committed to bringing integrity and professionalism to the buying and selling process of new and previously owned pleasure craft. NYBA plays an active role in marine youth and education programs and is active in creating a greater interest in the welfare and safety of the boating public. Along with the Northwest Marine Trade Association, NYBA's January and September Boats Afloat Shows connect thousands of boating enthusiasts with marine professionals and the finest pleasure craft the Northwest has to offer.