Informa plans yacht collection on Collins Avenue Feb. 11–15, 2026; company pledges $250,000 annually for waterways

Informa Markets plans to return the yacht collection of the Discover Boating Miami National Boat Show to Indian Creek along Collins Avenue Feb. 11–15, 2026, with a smaller footprint than past editions and a $250,000 annual donation to the City of Miami Beach to support waterway cleanup and related environmental work, city and show representatives said at a public Zoom briefing on Tuesday.

At the briefing, Larry Berryman, vice president at Informa, said, “We will not be shutting down Collins Avenue for move in, for show days, or move out. Collins Avenue will remain open throughout the time that we're building the show, opening the show, and dismantling the show.” Berryman said the yacht collection will colocate with exhibits at the Miami Beach Convention Center and that the show dates fall Wednesday through Sunday over Presidents' Day weekend, Feb. 11–15, 2026.

Why it matters: the Discover Boating Miami National Boat Show is a long-running Florida event with international exhibitors and visitors; returning the yacht collection to Collins Avenue is intended to reconnect the beachfront display with the convention campus while limiting the footprint and local disruptions. Organizers emphasized traffic and mobility planning, resident access, and environmental commitments as central to the proposal.

Organizers said the yacht collection will occupy roughly half the 2018 waterfront footprint, running from the Fontainebleau property on the south to the Blue and Green Diamond condominium on the north, and that the show will use five venues: the Miami Beach Convention Center and Pride Park, the yacht collection on Indian Creek/Collins Avenue, Venetian Marina/Museum Park Marina for sailboats, and Yacht Haven for mega- and superyachts. Berryman said the 2026 yacht collection will display “the finest boats in the world” but that the overall footprint and boat volume will be much smaller than the 2018 show.

On traffic and staging, Berryman said Informa commissioned a mobility and traffic plan and hired a traffic engineering firm. He said the show will use a shuttle bus and parking hub at the Miami Beach Convention Center and restrict load-in/load-out on Collins Avenue and 40th Street during weekday morning and afternoon rush hours to minimize disruption. He added that the “dynamic move in plan” will break float mobilizations into segments so that bridges do not remain open for extended periods.

Kevin Pulido, neighborhood affairs division director for the City of Miami Beach, opened and closed the briefing and directed participants to the city's recording and contact email. Pulido said attendees will receive the presentation and that organizers will share a finalized mobilization schedule later in the planning process. He gave his contact as kevinpalito@miamibeachfl.gov for follow-up questions.

Residents raised specific concerns during public comment. Alicia Casanova, president of the Blue and Green Diamond Master Association, asked how many days before the show staging would begin and requested advance schedules for bridge openings. Berryman answered that the land-based build window would be “roughly a 14 day window in advance of the show to build and a 7 day window on the breakdown,” and that float mobilization could start earlier, yielding an approximate 21–24 day presence along Indian Creek and Collins Avenue. He said organizers will follow Coast Guard-recommended bridge opening and closing times and will coordinate with the U.S. Coast Guard, city officials and Miami Beach police.

Anna Marie Ferreira de Melo, speaking for the Mid Beach Neighborhood Association, asked about impacts to vessels moored at adjacent properties (Fontainebleau, Eden Roc, Mimosa, Blue and Green Diamond). Berryman said Informa will negotiate directly with property owners and tenants: “Some of them can remain in place depending on the footprint. The majority of them will have to vacate for the duration of the license agreement,” he said, adding the final layout and one-on-one meetings will determine individual arrangements.

On community benefits, Berryman said Informa has “pledged every year a $250,000 annual donation to the city of Miami Beach” to be used “strictly at the discretion of the city Miami Beach officials for waterway cleanup, spoil island cleanups, water improvement studies, really in anything towards water and environmental stewardship.” He also said Informa intends to offer a resident discount for tickets; specifics will be announced when ticketing is released. The company cited prior community partnerships such as work with the Miami Beach Rowing Club and a local group called Cupid Splash.

No formal city action or council vote was taken at the briefing. Organizers said further operational details — including an updated mobilization schedule, final layout, tenant arrangements and parking/shuttle logistics — will be shared as plans are finalized and in follow-up meetings with neighborhood groups.

For more information or to submit questions, Pulido invited attendees to contact him at kevinpalito@miamibeachfl.gov or watch the recorded briefing on the City of Miami Beach YouTube page.