Coeur d’Alene Boat Expo Opens Thursday at Hagadone Marine Center, Free Admission

The Coeur d’Alene Boat Expo opened Thursday at the Hagadone Marine Center, bringing hundreds of boats, manufacturer incentives and free admission to South Marina Drive. Organizers expect thousands of visitors over the 10-day run, a draw for local buyers and a short-term boost to retail and service businesses around Lake Coeur d’Alene.

The expo features an on-site inventory of 128 new and used boats ranging from 20 to 40 feet in length, with prices listed between $50,000 and $1 million. That range implies an aggregate retail value of roughly $6.4 million at the low end to as much as $128 million if each hull carried a seven-figure price. Hagadone Marine Group also highlighted its custom boat-building operations at the show, which can attract higher-margin sales and after-market service work for local marine contractors and marinas.

“If you’re looking for a boat, this is the place to be," said Craig Brosenne, president of Hagadone Marine Group, noting that the expo brings special incentives from suppliers that allow dealers to offer discounts not available at other times of year. Those supplier incentives tend to concentrate demand during short sales windows, increasing the likelihood of immediate purchases and follow-on spending on registration, outfitting and maintenance in Kootenai County.

The Marine Center itself marks a local milestone this year. Built in 1946 and known as the Yacht Club in its early days, the facility is celebrating its 80th anniversary. “They called it the Yacht Club back then,” Brosenne said. The Hagadone family purchased the center in 2003 and has positioned it as a regional retail and service hub for recreational boating.

For local businesses, the expo’s mix of mid-range and premium inventory presents multiple opportunities. Dealers selling boats in the $50,000 to $200,000 range are likely to capture sales from traditional lake buyers, while six-figure vessels and custom builds can draw buyers from a broader geographic area and support local marinas, outfitters and hospitality venues. Even without exact sale tallies, the concentration of high-ticket inventory over a 10-day period is notable for a county economy that benefits from seasonal tourism and marine recreation.

The Coeur d’Alene Boat Expo runs through Feb. 7, open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Hagadone Marine Center is located at 1000 S. Marina Drive; additional information is available at cdaboatexpo.com. For readers considering a purchase, the event is a clear chance to compare models, capture manufacturer incentives and connect with local builders and service providers as boat season approaches.