If there’s a boat show, a member of our Signal Connect division is there. That’s just what you do when you’re the No. 1 marine satellite TV provider in the nation. Dave Ross and Evan Weiss, both from our Signal Connect division, recently attended one of these events. It was the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Better known as F.L.I.B.S. Dave got to rub elbows with the who’s who of the marine industry. Since Dave makes plenty of waves in the boat world, he was a popular guy at the show. Here’s his report on what he saw, heard, and experienced at the marine industry’s biggest boat show.
The Boat Show of the Year!
Our Signal Connect division is the top satellite solutions provider to the marine industry. F.L.I.B.S. is considered an extremely important marine industry event. That’s why Evan Weiss, Signal Connect President, knew that he and Dave Ross had to be there. “It really is the best boat show out there!” he exclaimed. “It gathers all the top people in the marine industry and puts them all in one place.”
Dave readily agreed with Evan about the importance of this boat show. “We mostly work with yacht brokers, marine electronics installers, and cruise companies,” he explained. “All of these people are at this show, and so are all the top vendors; we couldn’t miss it!” With the show being so big, Dave and Evan put plenty of miles on their shoes. Both agree that the walking and networking was well worth it.
Networking on Land and at Sea
Dave was very popular at this year’s F.L.I.B.S. Many of the people he talks to over the phone each day wanted to meet up with him at the event. He wanted to meet with them too, and F.L.I.B.S. 2019 was the perfect place to do that. Dave added, “I was making appointments to meet people in the weeks leading up to the show. My phone kept blowing up while I was there!”
The highlight of the trip for Dave and Evan was getting tours of two yachts: the Motor Yacht Baba’s and Motor Yacht Cynthia. Dave provided satellite solutions to both of these vessels, so he asked for a tour. “We got a full tour and met the captains and crews of both vessels,” Evan recalled. “It never ceases to amaze me how amazing these vessels are; even the engine room was absolutely spotless.”
Making New Friends
Although Dave is very popular in the marine industry, there are a few people he hasn’t met yet. He saw F.L.I.B.S. as an opportunity to get in front of people who can benefit from Signal Connect’s services. On meeting new people in the marine world, Dave said, “We know we provide a great service that makes installer’s lives easier. I just wanted to get the word out to anyone we haven’t worked with before.” As a result, Dave came home from the show with a mountain of business cards.
Evan shared a funny story about one of Dave’s conversations at the show. “He was talking to a marine installer who kept saying, ‘I already got a guy.’ He pulled out his phone to prove this to Dave, and it was Dave’s phone number.” Evan, Dave, and the installer had a laugh when they found out that the person the installer had been working with all along was Dave. “He never met Dave in person so he didn’t know what he looked like,” Evan added.
A Brush with Marine Industry Celebrities
Like any industry trade event, F.L.I.B.S. 2019 attracted a few celebrities. João Franco and Ross Inia, both of Bravo TV’s Below Deck series, were at the show. Dave happened to run into them during the event and took a moment to introduce himself. He added, “We only talked for about 30 seconds, but they seemed like a couple of nice, down-to-earth guys.” Evan was kind enough to snap a photo of Dave with the two “Bravo-lebrities.”
After the Boat Show
At the end of the two-day event, Dave and Evan returned home to Michigan. While Evan and Dave were very happy with their experience at F.L.I.B.S., they have one small regret. Dave explained, “When we go to these shows, there always so much for us to do. Unfortunately, we never have enough time to do it all because the event is so big.” Since he’s been back, Dave has been following up with the contacts he made. You should hear him. He’s a real natural when it comes to discussing his area of expertise: marine satellite TV solutions.
