The 2026 Seattle Boat Show, which wrapped up on February 7 this year, featured 283 exhibitors and dealers and drew boating enthusiast crowds in excess of 15% above the previous year’s attendance, according to the latest figures released by the Northwest Marine Trade Association (NMTA).
With 800 boats on display and 150 seminars held over the weeklong event, the show attracted 33,199 total attendees. The 32,521 who came to the Lumen Field Events Center were a 15.5% increase and the 6,902 who visited the Bell Harbor Marina were a 12.7% spike over the 2025 totals at both locations, NMTA said. Measured over the three-year average for the Boat Show, this year’s gathering represented a 3.3% rise based on redeemed tickets.
The Seattle Boat Show is considered the largest such event on the West Coast, but it has been steadily raising interest from across the country, said show director Katie McPhail. “This year, we sold tickets to attendees from 45 different states, so we’re pretty proud of ourselves for being a true destination show,” she said. All states except for Alabama, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and West Virginia had visitors in the crowds.
“Attendance is just one of many metrics we use to measure show performance,” said NMTA President George Harris. “The most important metric, of course, is the sales and leads generated for our members and their overall return on investment.”
In addition, NMTA also received good feedback on their first-ever “After Dark” evening cocktail hours at the show, held on January 30 and February 6, featuring atmospheric lighting, pour stations, and live music in four different halls at Lumen Field Events Center.
Based on recent exit surveys from attendees, McPhail said the show achieved very high Net Promoter Scores, which measures customer loyalty, reaching nearly 80%. “That’s a big deal when we were competing against the Seahawks going to the Super Bowl that same week,” she added. “Those who wanted to buy boats were definitely showing up in a strong way.”
