Leading yacht-show organiser Informa Exhibitions has announced that it has expanded its presence in the U.S.A. with the opening of a 7,700-square-foot Southeast base at 1650 SE 17^th Street in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The new office will join a collection of more than 20 international offices which currently house Informa Exhibitions’ 1,400-plus colleagues – around 48 per cent of which are based in the U.S.

The expansion follows the company’s acquisition of Yachting Promotions, Inc., in 2017, which saw Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, Miami Yacht Show and Palm Beach International Boat Show added to Informa Exhibitions’ portfolio, alongside St. Petersburg Boat Show and Suncoast Boat Show in Sarasota.

The combination of these five North American shows with Informa Exhibitions’ Monaco Yacht Show, the leading event of its kind in Europe, has served to strengthen the company’s relationship with leading yacht brokers and builders, and provides good opportunities for collaboration and cross-promotion across multiple platforms and geographies.

In a release, Ken McAvoy, executive vice president of corporate development at Informa Exhibitions, said, "As one of the largest exhibitions organisers in the world, promoting the largest in-water boat show in the world, namely the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, Informa Exhibitions has made a strategic decision to locate its Southeast U.S. base in Fort Lauderdale, where it can fully leverage the logistical advantage of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, as well as renowned hotels like the Ritz-Carlton, the W, Pier 66, amongst others."

Bob Swindell, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, the official public/private partnership for economic development in Broward County, says he supports Informa Exhibitions’ move to the heart of the city.

"It's incredibly exciting that Informa Exhibitions has chosen Fort Lauderdale for its Southeast U.S. base," he said, adding, "We can expect great things from them."