HUGE Turnout At Overland Park Boat Show, As Attendance Hits 10-Year High

OVERLAND PARK, Mo. — More than 8,000 people came to the Overland Park Convention Center last weekend, as Lake of the Ozarks boat dealers and marine-related businesses hosted the annual Overland Park Boat Show.

The show is organized by the Lake of the Ozarks Marine Dealers Association (LOMDA), and Director Mike Kenagy reports the show saw a higher number of attendees than it had in at least a decade. The total count was 8,436. Kenagy noted Thursday — typically the lowest-attended day — set a new record for attendance, with 932 coming past the ticket booth.

Though some in the business community wondered whether recent tightening economic conditions nationally would negatively affect the show, boat dealers say their sales were still very strong. 

A MarineMax Lake of the Ozarks staff member noted the supply-shortage-fueled buying frenzy of 2021 and 2022 has settled, since dealers now have more inventory in stock, so the urgency to “buy now” has slowed somewhat. However, MarineMax staff reported foot traffic was up, sales were up, and the appeal of boating remains strong among their customers.

“Overland Park continues the trend we've been seeing with the Florida shows we've also been a part of,” explained Big Thunder Marine GM Jeremy Anderson. “People are definitely buying boats, but unlike the last couple of years, this year they are taking their time to make the right decision.” He added, “Everyone is excited that even though boat prices continue to rise they're getting bigger discounts than over the last couple of years.”

Boat show attendees found the 42-foot Cruisers Yacht brought by Iguana Marine Group irresistible. IMG staff say two boaters found the $1.2 million yacht so appealing that they began the process of purchasing one, at the show.

At Bridgeport Marine, owner Darrell Law said plenty of people were buying jet skis. Law said the show’s strong sales met his expectations. 

As for boating trends, the MarineMax team says while pontoon demand was still strong, there was noticeably increased interest in fiberglass boats this year. Big bowriders continue to be popular, and outboards are the engine of choice. But likely the most exciting is the new tech on boats in the form of joysticks. While joysticks have been around for years, Mercury recently released the first-ever joysticks that can be used on a single-engine pontoon.

From a Harris Boats press release: “Offered as an option on the Harris Crowne, Grand Mariner, and Solstice Pontoon model series, Mercury’s Joystick Piloting for Outboards (JPO) for Single-Engine Pontoons provides the same precise 360-degree control historically has only been available on multi-engine integrations. Through Mercury’s newly launched JPO system, boaters can have more confidence in docking and maneuvering in close quarters with single engine joystick capabilities as a first-of-its-kind feature within the industry.”

For Midwest boaters who missed the Overland Park Show — or just want to climb aboard some more — the next LOMDA boat show will be held in St. Charles, Mo. at the St. Charles Convention Center, Feb. 23–26, 2023.