It started with a loud canon blast by Mike Duffy the NMMA Show Manager.

Despite some inclement weather predictions approximately 40,000 boaters, fisherman and water sport enthusiasts from the entire Northeast attended the event. Attendees demographics show that 59% have household earnings of $100,000 or more, 83% own a business or are professionals/executives, 76% own a boat, 63% plan on buying a boat soon. Attendees saw big luxury yachts, high power racing and fishing boats, a variety of sail boats and small boats.

For the 16th year the Photo Information Booth (PIB) has been at the same location just inside the main entrance. You can’t enter the show without walking right past the PIB.

People wondered why a camera booth was at a boat show. As soon as they realized that nothing was for sale both boat lovers and serious photographers stopped to look at the latest in cameras, lenses and binoculars or pick up a copy of Popular Photography or sponsors literature.

In addition to previous PIB sponsors 3 new sponsors Epson, Panasonic and Samsung joined the PIB and added their equipment to the display.

Many first time digital camera buyers stopped to ask basic questions about what to look for when buying a camera or fill out a registration form to win a sponsors daily or show prize while giving data on photographic buying trends. Many stopped to simply pick up a literature bag.

Others spent some serious time looking as some of the new and unique features of sponsors products so they could make the right buying decision for them.

As expected this season there was a lot of interest in digital SLR’s. It is obvious that many people have entered into digital photography with a point & shoot and now are very interested in upgrading to an SLR camera.

Lots of this years show attendees have been to the Norwalk Show and visited the PIB in the past. Some stop by just to see how cameras have changed and to say hello. Many continue to stop by and register for a drawing to win either a daily or show prize, but the main purpose of the PIB is to provide a manufacturing courtesy to let people see what is new in photographic equipment and let people see and answer questions about displayed equipment.

The PIB heads west in November to attend the Chicago and LA SkiDazzle.