Yachting Ventures returns to host IBEX 2025 startup showcase
Yachting Ventures has confirmed it will once again partner with the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference (IBEX) to host the second Start-Up Pavilion in Tampa, Florida, following its initial edition in 2024.
IBEX will return to the Tampa Convention Center from 7–9 October 2025, under the theme “Fast Forward”. The trade show is a key B2B event for the North American marine industry. Organisers anticipate over 700 exhibitors and more than 8,000 professionals from across the recreational marine supply chain.
The Start-Up Pavilion is intended for early-stage companies within the leisure marine sector, offering a platform to display their products, technologies and services to an international industry audience.
Applications for the Start-Up Pavilion are currently open and will be assessed on a rolling basis. The final date for submissions is 14 July 2025. Applications can be submitted via the event website.
The Start-Up Pavilion will accommodate 12 selected leisure marine startups, with access to original equipment manufacturers, boatbuilders and industry decision-makers. Exhibitors will also gain exposure to media and potential investors. The pavilion will be located just outside the main exhibition hall.
The three-day programme also includes a live pitch event, where five companies will present to a panel of investors and marine sector stakeholders.
“We’re excited to be back at IBEX for 2025,” says Gabriella Richardson, founder of Yachting Ventures. “Last year confirmed the appetite in the US for marine innovation, and Tampa is proving to be a fantastic gateway for leisure marine startups looking to break into the American market.”
“IBEX is all about driving marine innovation forward, embracing new technologies, fresh thinking, and the next generation of ideas,” says Mary Velline, show director of IBEX.
“The Start-Up Pavilion and Pitching Competition reflect our Fast Forward theme by spotlighting the entrepreneurs and breakthroughs that will shape the future of boating.”
Yachting Ventures has previously implemented this pavilion format at other marine trade shows such as Metstrade. The company supports startups and scale-ups in the leisure marine sector with business development, branding, marketing, PR, and investor access.
IBEX is owned and produced by the National Marine Manufacturers Association and RAI Amsterdam. It is the largest technical trade event for the marine industry in North America.
IBEX recently confirmed it will adopt a new event schedule beginning in 2027, shifting from its traditional October dates to a December timeframe, to avoid the increasingly destructive Florida hurricane season.
