Visitor registration opens for IBEX 2025
Registration for the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) 2025 is now open. The annual technical trade event for the recreational marine sector will take place at the Tampa Convention Center from 7–9 October 2025.
IBEX 2025 is expected to host more than 700 exhibitors across three floors of exhibition space, including over 50 first‑time participants. Organisers forecast an attendance of about 8,000 professionals, including boatbuilders, manufacturers, naval architects, distributors and wholesalers.
This year’s theme, Fast Forward, highlights ongoing developments in electronics, build methods, propulsion systems and sustainable materials.
“In an industry undergoing rapid change and an uncertain future, IBEX is where we come together to navigate what’s next,” says Mary Velline, IBEX show director. “Boatbuilding is a decentralised, resilient and remarkably inventive community – and IBEX is the one place each year where those innovations, challenges and ideas take centre stage.
“It’s where builders connect, learn and push each other forward. The show floor is packed with new technologies, the seminars offer critical insights, and the conversations you have will shape the year ahead. IBEX is where momentum is built – and where we go Fast Forward, together.”
Returning events include the IBEX Industry Breakfast, Tech Talk Theatre, Start‑Up Pitching Competition and Start‑Up Pavilion on the first‑floor exhibit hall, opening-night party and mid‑show mixer at the Sail Pavilion.
The seminar programme covers technical and commercial topics. Sessions include “AI Afloat”, examining artificial intelligence applications with speakers from Hefring Marine, Tocaro Blue and MIT; “Winning the Next Generation of Boaters”, with representatives from Freedom Boat Club, Lund Boats and Tiara Yachts; and “The Perils of Paint: Creating Consistency in Yacht Coatings”, led by specialists from Peake Coating and Front Street Shipyard.
Additional presentations range from DLBA’s analysis of design errors in “Good Ideas Gone Bad” to the American Boat and Yacht Council’s “E‑11 Update” on 2025 electrical system standards. Pre‑conference sessions, Tech Talk workshops, the Seminar Series and the IBEX Main Stage will run alongside the exhibition.
IBEX 2025 registration
Visitor and press registration is available online, with separate links for exhibitor personnel. Organisers recommend arranging accommodation early because of high demand. Exhibitor lists, floor plans, schedules and other information are published on the event website.
In May 2025, organisers confirmed that IBEX will adopt a new event schedule beginning in 2027, shifting from its traditional October dates to a December timeframe.
The show will continue to take place in Tampa, Florida, with the 2027 edition set for 7 to 9 December at the Tampa Convention Center.
