Re: Baja at Miami
 

Donzi and Fountian both reported record sales at this years boat show, I pretty much hung around the Donzi booth all weekend (have some freinds that are dealers) but i did visit the Fountian guys a couple of times. Both Boat manufactures were very well represented with dealers from all over the country. The booths were always crammed with people. Saying that, I went by the baja booth a few times through out the weekend and not much was ever going on. I am a Baja owner and I was pretty dissapointed in the display. I know it is very expensive to be their but, 2 of the manufactures put in aton of money in their display and in return they experienced record sales..... I guess you need to come to play hard or dont come at all. just my 2 cents...

Re: Baja at Miami
 

Let's not dismiss that Fountain and Cigarette are owned and driven by The Street. All those press releases are for investors to feel good about themselves buying those companies. Stock price is more important than anything else.

Plus, look at the venues. Fountain and Cigarette have to play big in those markets. If I was show management, i would be loving them, because they can never downsize.

Most Baja buyers, myself included, know what we want, and what we can afford. Go to a car show, tell me who has more glitz, Porsche or Pontiac. Same thing. And nobody is going to order a 35 with 1075's. That's $300K in Engine. Those guys buy Cig's, just like the buy Porsche's, not Vettes.

I know in Maryland, you can't find a dealer, but in New Hampshire, at least on Winnepausakee, that dealer is King. But the Fountains and Outerlimits are still at the dealer down the road.

Brunswick isn't Fountain. They are making money on cruisers, not Kilo Runs. Who can remember when Regal bought Velocity. You never saw 30's showcased, except for in Annapolis, at the shows.

Hey, and where do you think the cost of those shows ends up. I am thinking the 35 with the same power is less from Baja than it is from Fountain. Probably even less than an Executioner.

Re: Baja at Miami
 

Cigarette is a privately held company with no stockholdersto answer to. This is still no excuse for the half azz showing at the Miami show. If the show was worth doing it should have been worth putting 100% effort into or don't do it at all. The only thing they did was put 3or 4 boats on the floor and that was it , no literature no salesman or anything.

Re: Baja at Miami
 

I have to disagree.

We have been to the show the last three years and I think Baja does a good job.

Three years ago they had the new 30 Outlaw and that was all anyone was interested in. I don't think I even looked at another boat.

Last year they had the beautiful carbon fiber 40 OL poker run boat with 850's. WOW it got a LOT of attention by everyone that came by.

Then this year they had the new 35 Outlaw that have been really wanting to see up close and also the 405. Both attracted a lot of attention, especially the 405.

Baja has a great location at the show that costs a lot of money. It is always nice to met new Baja folks and see old friends like JR, Blane & Karen. This year they had the models and did the photo for TeamBajaMarine for the Baja Magazine with all the Baja owners that showed up which was very nice. They even got us free passes for six people for the show.

I have nothing but good to say about Baja at the Miami show.

Other then Cigarette no one really goes way over the top. Yes there are Outerlimits, NorTechs, MTI's Fountains, etc, but I cannot even get anyone to talk to me in the Outerlimits tent. Oh yeah, they are in a TENT. I was talking to Albert Haynesworth in the Outerlimits tent that had just bought a new boat and he tried to introduce me to Randy Hartman who interupted our conversation and I felt like a nobody real quick.

Look at Sonic, two boats and one cat which is actually a Mars. The 42 Sonic looks the same as it did 10 years ago. Even had dated colors. Black Thunder, WOW, last year only one boat outside in the sun, this year two boats outside in the sun.

Formula has taken over the spot where PowerPlay use to be. They had a 353, but Formula has not changed anything on their boats except for graphics in ten years. I miss Power Play, what a great boat, but they are gone, but Baja has TWO NEW models.

I can keep going on and on but Baja has a nice location, they treated me very nice as always, they had a good range of boats. They are doing "NEW" things, spending money on R & D and had the 35 and the 405 at the show.

We were more impressed with Baja then many of the companies there that are big names, with less boats and the boats they had were the same as years past with different paint jobs.

Re: Baja at Miami
 

I spent 3 days at the show and must have missedall the extra activity. my mistake I guess . I am a Baja fan and think the market is right for them to gain alot of ground on a whole bunch of other comanies but my take on the show was a very Plain booth with boats that were just plain . With a location like that in the show I feel they could have made a bigger SPLASH . Just my opinion

Re: Baja at Miami
 

Cig may be private, but it's also a company trying to over come some down years in the market. Boats are like bikes. You see HD doing shows, but not like OCC, Jesse James, Eddie Trotter etc.

I have never been down to Miami for the show, but I am sure that the "crowd" is typical Miami. Big $$ flying in so they can go home and tell their friends they bought their bought at the Miami show.

I know a local dealer her in MD told us that the line they carry, which is mentioned in this thread, sold more boats in Baltimore in January than in any other show they have ever dine in the mid Atlantic area.

Maybe what you expect from Baja isn't realistic. Mom and Pop America aren't running to Miami to buy boats. From other posts on this board, and from what I see, and I boat right by Red Eyes Dock Bar in the Kent Narrows, most guys I know, when they talk big power, aren't looking to throw it in a Baja. On the other hand, most guys I know who want to run their boat every week and not work on it, they buy Baja's

Re: Baja at Miami
 

Tha Miami show is like SEMA or the Detroit Auto show of the boating world. Lots of press and a place for companies to strut their stuff . If your only going to do it half hearted don't do it at all.