Coastal cities around the U.S. host boat shows to fuel the industry and generate interest among boaters. In November, the grand poobah of events occurs in our own backyard.

Organizers of the upcoming 56th Annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, taking place Nov. 5 to 9, promise an even bigger and better event.

Held a week later than usual, the show shifted dates to accommodate hurricane season, according to Brett Keating, vice-president of marketing for Show Management.

“We hoped there would be less rain with the move,” she said.

The show will continue to be held in the same multiple locations including Bahia Mar Marina, the Broward County Convention Center, the Fort Lauderdale Hilton Marina Hotel, Pier 66 Marina, The Sails Marina, the Hall of Fame Marina and Las Olas Marina.

Expect seminars on cruising the Florida Keys, captain and crew hiring procedures, underwater photography, and stand-up paddle boarding.

Don’t know what to wear on deck? Look for a bikini fashion show from Island Water Sports in the lobby of the Broward County Convention Center.

About 100,000 people attended the 2014 boat show. Keating expects to exceed that number this year. As of late September, ticket sales were up 25 percent over last year at this time, she said.

“The market has come back very healthy... This boat show is number one in the world in terms of the number of exhibitors, the types of products and the number of attendees.”

In tri-county South Florida, the marine industries generate $11.5 billion, providing 110,000 jobs, said Phil Purcell, executive director of the Marine Industries Association of South Florida. “This boat show has a Super Bowl size economic benefit,” he said. “We bring the world's greatest entrepreneurs.”

New events will be added to the show this year, including a V.I.P. Experience from Quint Events, which presents similar packages at high-profile venues like the Kentucky Derby, the Masters Golf Tournament, and National Football League games.

“There will be valet parking for a lounge, with premium drinks and five-star catering,” Keating said. It’s a nice way to introduce people to the boat show.”

Another fresh addition to the mix is the Blue Party with music and entertainment to be held at the Convention Center for exhibitors and members of the public who can get tickets from exhibitors. That group includes brokers, builders, designers and all service industries.

Throughout the show expect to see everything from super-yachts with extraordinary finishes, sport fishers, skiffs, bowriders, catamarans and canoes. It’s an apt fit for a city dubbed “the yachting capital of the world.”

Reaching out to children and teens is part of making the boat show a family experience and nurturing interest in future boaters. Kids’ fishing clinics for ages 5 to 16 will be held for free with paid entrance at noon and 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Other youth-geared activities include International Game and Fishing Association seminars on techniques, and the Blue Wild Dive Show with demonstrations on diving, snorkeling and videography with a GoPro camera.

“We’ll also have Aqua Zone, a huge pool with water sports toys being demonstrated outside the Convention Center,” Keating says. “It should be very entertaining.”

Social media is being used to attract customers who have never been to the boat show before. Keating has reached out to people based on demographics, focusing on waterfront residents in the U.S. and other countries.

“We’re seeing results from that,”' she said.

Purcell called the current health of area’s marine industry “very strong.

“I attribute that to decades of building the reputation of craftsmen, yards and businesses as well as the infrastructure. There is only one boat show like this in the whole world,” he said. “If you have a passion for boats, you'll be at the boat show.”

What: Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show
When: Thursday, Nov. 5 to Monday, Nov. 9.
Where: Bahia Mar Yachting Center, 801 Seabreeze Blvd.; Hall of Fame Marina, 1 Hall of Fame Drive; Las Olas Marina, 240 E. Las Olas Circle; Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center, 1950 Eisenhower Blvd.; Fort Lauderdale Hilton, 1881 SE 17th St.; Pier 66 Marina, 2301 SE 17th St., The Sails Marina, 2150 SE 17th St.
Tickets: $41-$43 Prime Time Preview on Nov. 5. General admission $25-$27; kids ages 6-15 $10-$12. Two day adult ticket: $43-$45. Parking $7.75 at War Memorial Auditorium.
For more information see: www.showmanagement.com/fort_lauderdale_international_boat_show/event.