IBEX 2022 cancelled

The International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) has announced the cancellation of this year’s show. The decision is based on weather reports from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and consultation with the City of Tampa, the Tampa Convention Center, and other stakeholders, as probabilities increase for Tropical Storm Ian to substantially impact the Tampa region.

“It is a very difficult decision to cancel IBEX 2022, as we were on track to have an excellent event,” said Anne Dunbar, IBEX show director. “The entire IBEX team is very disappointed, but the safety of our community is our priority. This was the right choice. Additional information will be shared with exhibitors and visitors as we work through our cancellation process.”

The Tampa Convention Center, where IBEX was scheduled to take place on 27^th to 29^th September, sits at the top of Tampa Bay at the core of the city’s Evacuation Zone A, due to the possibility of coastal surge waters and severe flooding from Gulf Coast storms, even if they don’t make direct landfall.

Jamie Rhome, director of the National Hurricane Center, said, “Ian is expected to be a major hurricane in the eastern Gulf of Mexico during the middle of the week. Regardless of Ian’s exact track and intensity, there is a risk of dangerous storm surge, hurricane-force winds, and heavy rainfall along the west coast of Florida and the Florida Panhandle by the middle of the week.”

With thousands of marine industry professionals from across North America and abroad bound for Tampa, city and show officials were forced to make an early call on the fate of IBEX, even if the storm track shifts or doesn’t quickly intensify into the serious hurricane expected.

“The safety of our team, exhibitors, and partners is our top priority and, given the significant and unpredictable nature of the coming storm, cancelling the show is imperative to keeping everyone out of harm’s way,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) president. “IBEX is the premier recreational boating trade event delivering critical business for our industry and as such this decision was not made lightly. Thank you for your commitment and continued support of the IBEX, NMMA, and RAI teams.”

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