FLIBS for exhibitors: how to get a year of content out of a five-day boat show

Last year I filmed MTN's booth at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. This is the recap we made:

MTN at FLIBS 2025 · 1:44

Most of my work is with marine and lifestyle brands, and I see the same thing at almost every show. A company spends months and serious money on a booth, the team works five long days, the right people walk in, and afterwards there's nothing to show for it but a few phone clips. The show is the most valuable week of the year for content, and most exhibitors don't plan for it.

1. Decide what the film has to do after the show

"A video of our booth" isn't a goal. Pick the two jobs that matter most, because each one changes what we film:

• Sales follow-up. A short film you send to every lead you met at the show, while they're still deciding.
• Your website. Customers and your team explaining what you make, for product pages and the home page.
• Social through the winter. Short vertical clips that keep your feed alive between shows.
• Next year's pitch. Proof for dealers, partners and the show itself that your booth draws people.

2. Book your interviews before the show

This is the part almost everyone skips, and it's the most valuable. Your customers, owners, dealers and partners are all coming to the show anyway. People who would never drive across town to sit for a testimonial will happily talk for five minutes at your booth.

• Who: two or three happy customers or owners, a dealer or partner, the person who knows the product best, and your CEO or founder.
• When: book specific times. Preview Day and weekday mornings are usually calmer than the weekend crowds.
• What to ask: three questions are enough. Why did you choose them? What changed after? What would you tell someone who's deciding?

3. Plan the shot list around your boats and your people

• The hero product: the wide shot that shows it at its best, plus the details that make it different.
• People with the product: visitors stepping aboard, your team walking someone through a feature.
• A busy booth: nothing sells a booth like a crowd in it. Film it at its busiest hour.
• The docks and the water: in morning or late-afternoon light. Midday sun on white hulls is harsh.

4. The logistics that ruin boat show footage

• Sound. Wind, generators and crowds are everywhere on the docks. Every interview needs its own lavalier mic, not a camera mic.
• Light and heat. Interview in shade. Lenses fog when they go from air conditioning into Florida humidity, so plan a few minutes for gear to adjust, and water for anyone on camera.
• Access. Add your crew to your exhibitor badges like any booth staff, and check your exhibitor manual for any rules about filming on the docks.
• Timing. Film setup and booth details before the doors open, when nothing is in the way.

5. What to make from one day, and when to post it

• The first week after the show: a 1–2 minute recap with interviews, in horizontal and vertical versions. Send it to every lead from the show.
• Weeks two to eight: customer clips and product clips, one or two a week.
• Through the winter: team moments and behind-the-scenes clips to keep your channels warm.
• February and March: reuse the footage around the Miami and Palm Beach boat shows.
• Next fall: a short teaser that tells people where to find you at FLIBS.

6. What to ask your video crew before you book

• "Have you filmed at a boat show before?" Docks, crowds and sun are their own skill.
• "Who books the interviews?" You want a plan made before the show, not "we'll grab people."
• "Will every interview have its own mic?" If the answer is no, the interviews are lost.
• "When do we get the recap?" Within a week, while your leads are still warm.
• "Who owns the footage?" You should own the final videos.

Questions exhibitors ask