Marco Island Boat Show Curated by Marine Industry Experts

Boating has always been a way of life on Marco Island and what better way to showcase this prowess than the 2025 Marco Island Boat Show, held from Friday, October 10, to Sunday, October 12, for the first year at both the Marco Island Yacht Club and Marco Island Marina Association, with the assistance of Rose Marina for parking and trolley rides. 

This year’s event was coordinated by three talented women in the local marine industry: Tiffany Sawyer-Schank, executive director of Marine Industries Association of Collier County(MIACC);Missy Milanese Duffy, general manager of the Marco Island Yacht Club;and Captain Amanda Wentworth, dockmaster of the Marco Island Marina Association. Clean, organized, and displaying an array of new and beautiful powerboats, this boat show was the ideal intimate event for any attendee, no matter their level of experience in boating. 

Numbers crossed 3,000, counting attendees, vendors, staff, and volunteers. Sawyer-Schank, who is not only MIACC’s executive director but also treasurer for Marine Industries Association of Florida, mentioned that “…organizing this boat show at this beautiful, newly renovated facility was so rewarding!” She stated further that “boat shows require significant logistical coordination and financial investment, but the far-reaching and transformative role they play within the marine industry is superior … [as] … boat shows offer an unmatched platform to spotlight the vitality of the marine industry, fostering public interest, educating new generations, and … influencing policy on sustainability and waterway access.” 

This magnificently managed powerhouse show could not have been complete without vendors who worked strenuously through the weekend, showcasing the true excellence that the Marco Island and Collier County marine life business industry has to offer. There was space for attendees to have deeper conversations than what one might experience at larger boat shows. Some companies present were Summit Pools, Inc., Fast-Flag, LLC, Poseidon Marine, and Sea Tow Services International, Inc. These offered not only their products and services but helpful tips on boating and connections to the local and greater Florida community. Patricia Arcoleo, CEO of Fast Flag and Naples resident, remarked on the success of the weekend, expressing that she was “privileged to show [Fast Flag’s] wares” and that this show “represented an opportunity for [Fast Flag] to identify with the local businesses and organizations that are part of the fabric and make up of Southwest Florida.” 

Though Marine Industries Association of Collier County and for-profit vendors present and advocate for safety and proper protocol while on water, one non-profit vendor, Freedom Waters Foundation, Inc., well-connected with the local marine life industry and its community, was available for an extensive talk on the joys of offshore adventure for all. According to their website, Freedom Waters Foundation’s mission is “to enhance the well-being of children and adults with disabilities and veterans through therapeutic boating experiences.” The value that this organization and those who support it bring to the life of those who benefit is invaluable. 

The land on which today is Marco Island has come a long way from boats of cypress or pine to those with a fiber glass hull, like Galati Yacht Sales’s Prestige F4.9, a large motor yacht present at the show. However, despite design and material changes through centuries and year-to-year, life on water beckons residents on land—and a boat, no matter how grand, is not complete without its community. What better way to come together and continue the collaboration of three strong to three thousand and more than a Marco Island Boat Show next year!