IBEX

What IBEX does

IBEX (International BoatBuilders' Exhibition & Conference) is a B2B trade show and technical conference serving the recreational marine manufacturing industry, jointly owned and produced by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and RAI Amsterdam. The flagship product is a three-day annual exhibition held at the Tampa Convention Center (next event scheduled October 6-8, 2026), featuring 700+ exhibitors, 50+ educational sessions across 10 technical tracks, the IBEX Innovation Awards, the Start-Up Pavilion, the Industry Breakfast, and the MIX networking program. The legal entity, IBEX, LLC, is incorporated in Illinois with corporate headquarters in Chicago.

The company's monetization is built on five revenue streams: exhibition booth space rental (the largest contributor, with quote-based pricing by booth size and floor location), tiered sponsorship packages (anchored by brands such as AWLGRIP, Honda Marine, Interlux, Sea Hawk Paints, Suzuki Marine, and Tides Marine), attendee registration fees, print and digital advertising through the Professional BoatBuilder technical journal and IBEX 365 platform (reaching 30,000+ technical subscribers), and continuing education seminar fees for Florida-licensed insurance professionals. In 2024 IBEX acquired Professional BoatBuilder, integrating a 35-year technical journal archive of 1,000+ articles into its content engine and aligning editorial leadership with the Education Conference.

IBEX operates as a recurring platform extending beyond the annual event through IBEX 365 (year-round digital content, email, and social), Professional BoatBuilder magazine, and a suite of sub-brand programs (Innovation Awards, Start-Up Pavilion, MIX, Emerging Marine Leaders, Industry Breakfast, and the new Insurance CEU program). Its customer base spans production and custom boatbuilders, naval architects, marine engineers, component suppliers, marina and boatyard operators, and (as of 2026) licensed insurance professionals in Florida. The company's stated markets served are North America, and its core go-to-market is event-driven with year-round content and community reinforcement through owned channels and partnerships with ICOMIA, IFBSO, METSTRADE, and Boating Writers International.

Name

IBEX

Legal name

IBEX, LLC

Website

https://ibexshow.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IBEX is a B2B marine industry trade show and conference, jointly owned by NMMA and RAI Amsterdam, serving boatbuilders, naval architects, engineers, and marine suppliers through an annual Tampa exhibition, Professional BoatBuilder journal, and IBEX 365 digital platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Exhibition Fees: Revenue generated from companies renting exhibition booth space to showcase marine products and services to industry professionals.
2. Sponsorship Packages: Tiered sponsorship opportunities including Industry Breakfast, Innovation Awards, and various event activations. Sponsors include AWLGRIP North America, Honda Marine, Interlux Yacht Finishes, Sea Hawk Paints, Suzuki Marine, and Tides Marine Inc.
3. Attendee Registration: Registration fees for marine industry professionals to attend the show, with early-bird discounts available through September 4 for seminar discounts and free exhibit hall badge.
4. Advertising (Professional BoatBuilder): Print and digital advertising opportunities reaching 30,000+ technical subscribers including full-page, half-page, and custom ad placements in print and digital editions, plus sponsored email blasts and website ads.
5. IBEX 365 Digital Advertising: Year-round digital marketing opportunities through IBEX 365 platform including digital content distribution, email campaigns, and social media exposure.
6. Continuing Education Fees: State-approved continuing education seminars for insurance professionals offering up to 16 CE hours in General Lines (Property & Casualty) for Florida licensed professionals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

IBEX operates North America's leading technical trade show for the recreational marine manufacturing industry, held annually at the Tampa Convention Center. The company brings together 700+ exhibitors, 50+ educational sessions across 10 technical tracks, and thousands of marine industry professionals (boatbuilders, naval architects, engineers, designers, suppliers, and marina operators) for three days of product showcases, technical education, and B2B networking, supplemented year-round by the IBEX 365 digital platform and Professional BoatBuilder technical journal.

Product overview

IBEX (International BoatBuilders' Exhibition & Conference) operates as a unified platform combining a flagship annual trade show with year-round digital offerings. The core product is the IBEX Show - North America's leading technical trade event for the marine industry, held annually at Tampa Convention Center. This core event is supplemented by IBEX 365 (a year-round digital platform delivering news, insights, and industry content), Professional BoatBuilder (a technical journal with 30,000+ subscribers), and multiple program modules including the Education Conference (50+ technical sessions across 10 tracks), Innovation Awards, Start-Up Pavilion, MIX networking, Emerging Marine Leaders, and the Industry Breakfast. Together, these products form a comprehensive B2B platform connecting marine professionals to technical knowledge, products, innovation, and community year-round.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Professional BoatBuilder: The official technical journal of IBEX, serving boat designers, builders, and repair professionals since 1989
• IBEX 365
• Start-Up Pavilion
• Innovation Awards
• IBEX Education Conference
• MIX: Marine Ideas Exchange

Products and services

• IBEX Show (International BoatBuilders' Exhibition & Conference) North America's leading annual technical trade show for the marine industry, held October 6-8, 2026 at the Tampa Convention Center, bringing together 700+ exhibitors and thousands of marine industry professionals for product showcases, technical education, and networking.
• IBEX 365 Digital Platform Year-round digital platform providing ongoing access to marine industry insights, news, email newsletters, digital content, and advertising opportunities for marine professionals.
• Professional BoatBuilder (IBEX Technical Journal) Leading technical publication in marine manufacturing with 30,000+ subscribers, delivering in-depth technical articles, engineering insights, and conference programming partnership for boatbuilders, naval architects, engineers, and repair professionals.
• IBEX Education Conference Comprehensive technical education program offering 50+ sessions across 10 technical tracks including Construction Methods & Materials, Design & Engineering, Marine Electrical Systems, Sustainability, and Marina Operations, led by industry experts.
• Insurance Continuing Education (CEU) Program State-approved continuing education seminars offering up to 16 CE hours in General Lines (Property & Casualty) for Florida-licensed insurance professionals including producers, claims adjusters, investigators, and surveyors.
• IBEX Innovation Awards Prestigious annual awards program in its 23rd year, recognizing manufacturers and suppliers who bring new, innovative marine products to market. Managed by NMMA and independently judged by Boating Writers International.
• IBEX Start-Up Pavilion Dedicated pavilion area at the IBEX show connecting emerging leisure marine companies with OEMs, boatbuilders, investors, and industry decision-makers, featuring pitch competitions and networking opportunities.
• Industry Breakfast Annual kickoff event held at JW Marriott Tampa Water Street featuring the Innovation Awards presentation, sponsored by major marine brands and selling out every year.

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Boating Writers International (BWI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 August 2026BWI independently judges the IBEX Innovation Awards with a panel of six technical and boating experts. The panel includes Ben Stein (Chair, editor of Panbo.com), Tim Murphy (Co-Chair, education director for ABYC), Pim Van Hemmen (former deputy editor of Soundings), Tony Esposito (marine industry veteran), Steve Davis (BWI President), and Steve Mitchell (SeaBits founder).
• AWLGRIP North America, Honda Marine, Interlux Yacht Finishes, Sea Hawk Paints, Suzuki Marine, Tides Marine Inc.flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 August 2026These companies sponsor the annual IBEX Industry Breakfast where Innovation Awards winners are announced. Sponsorship demonstrates support for the marine industry's premier innovation recognition program.
• Florida Department of Financial ServicesminorOthers · 3 August 2026IBEX LLC is an approved Continuing Education training provider through the Florida Department of Financial Services, offering state-approved seminars worth up to 16 CE hours for licensed insurance professionals in General Lines (Property & Casualty).
• National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNMMA is a co-owner and producer of IBEX, providing industry leadership and network access for the premier marine trade show. NMMA also manages the IBEX Innovation Awards program.
• RAI AmsterdamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRAI Amsterdam is a co-owner and producer of IBEX, bringing international exhibition expertise and global connections to the marine industry event.
• METSTRADEflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMETSTRADE is a strategic partner of IBEX, representing a global marine trade show connection that helps expand IBEX's international reach and cross-promotion opportunities within the global marine industry.
• ICOMIA (International Council of Marine Industry Associations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICOMIA is an official partner of IBEX, representing international marine industry associations and helping connect IBEX with global marine industry stakeholders.
• IFBSO (International Federation of Boat Stream Associations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFBSO is a proud supporting member of IBEX, representing boat show organizers worldwide and supporting the global marine exhibition ecosystem.
• Professional BoatBuilder MagazinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional BoatBuilder is the official IBEX Technical Journal, developed in partnership with IBEX. Editorial leadership is shared between the journal and the show, with contributors leading technical education sessions and carrying insights from the journal into IBEX programming. The magazine has 30,000+ technical subscribers.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• boot Düsseldorf: boot Düsseldorf is Europe's largest boat and water sports trade fair, covering boats, accessories, and marine technology across multiple halls. It is comparable to IBEX in scope and exhibitor scale but serves the European marine manufacturing market from a German venue.
• Miami International Boat Show: Produced by NMMA (IBEX's co-owner), the Miami International Boat Show is one of North America's largest recreational marine trade events. It shares IBEX's exhibitor base and trade association backing but focuses more on end-consumer boat sales than technical boatbuilder/OEM sourcing.
• Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS): FLIBS is the largest in-water boat show in the United States, attracting marine manufacturers, brokers, and consumers across powerboats, yachts, and accessories. It overlaps with IBEX in marine exhibitor audiences but skews toward consumer-facing yacht sales rather than technical boatbuilder decision-making.
• METSTRADE: METSTRADE is the world's largest marine trade show held annually in Amsterdam, serving marine equipment manufacturers, suppliers, and builders. As IBEX's flagship strategic partner and global counterpart, METSTRADE competes for international marine exhibitor budgets but also collaborates on cross-promotion through the RAI Amsterdam co-ownership structure.
• Monaco Yacht Show: The Monaco Yacht Show is the premier European superyacht and luxury marine industry exhibition, attracting yacht builders, designers, brokers, and suppliers. It overlaps with IBEX in marine manufacturer and supplier audiences but focuses on the luxury yacht segment.
• Newport International Boat Show: A long-running New England boat show attracting marine manufacturers, brokers, and consumers with a strong sailboat and powerboat mix. It competes for exhibitor attention in the North American boat show calendar alongside IBEX, though it skews more toward retail buyer traffic.
• Cannes Yachting Festival: Europe's largest in-water yacht show held in Cannes, attracting global yacht builders, brokers, and suppliers. It is comparable to IBEX in marine trade show format but serves a European, luxury-focused exhibitor and attendee base.

Regional players

• Southampton International Boat Show: The United Kingdom's largest boat show, organized by British Marine, attracting marine manufacturers, suppliers, and consumers primarily from the UK and Northern European markets. It is a regional peer to IBEX with similar boat show mechanics but a geographically distinct audience.
• Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show: Australia's premier marine trade show held annually on the Gold Coast, connecting marine manufacturers, brokers, and buyers across the Asia-Pacific region. It is comparable to IBEX in marine trade show format but operates in a separate geographic market.

Broad incumbents

• Reed Exhibitions: Reed Exhibitions is one of the world's largest B2B trade show organizers, running hundreds of events across multiple industries. As a portfolio competitor and broader incumbent in the exhibitions space, it represents the scale competition IBEX faces when expanding internationally or adding adjacent marine events.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IBEXShow
• Facebookfacebook.com/IBEXShow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/about
• Instagraminstagram.com/ibexshow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IBEX