Carlos Vidueira

MIASF Exec. Director

Carlos Vidueira

New leader working on
promotion programs
to benefit marine industry

When Carlos Vidueira replaced Frank Herhold in July as Executive Director for the Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF), he had the proverbial big shoes to fill. Herhold had held the position since 1990, and his stewardship led South Florida through the explosion of the megayacht market in the 1990s and 2000s.  

But Vidueira, 45, has plenty of ideas and initiatives of his own. The MIASF, which is comprised of marinas, boat builders, brokers, marine craftsman, service providers and retailers located in the South Florida area, owns the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS), and there are major plans for the renovation and expansion of the show and its main location, the Bahia Mar Beach Resort and Yachting Center. Southern Boating magazine’s Doug Thompson interviewed Vidueira about his new position and his plans for the future of the MIASF.  

SB: The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show is extremely important to South Florida, boaters and the marine industry. What are the new improvements you see for the 2011 show and in the future?
CV: The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show is so much more than just a boat show where boats are bought and sold. It is also an annual opportunity to celebrate the South Florida boating lifestyle. New Orleans has Mardi Gras week and South Florida should have boat show week. It is my hope that there will be more activities consistent with a celebration of boating and that there will be greater participation by the general public. The goal is to provide existing boaters with a more enjoyable show experience while providing non-boaters with a glimpse into the South Florida boating lifestyle. Simply stated, we need to thank existing boaters for boating while we invite non-boaters to join in the fun.  

SB: Does the MIASF plan to expand FLIBS to other locations?
CV: It is our hope that the Boat Show is so successful that we have to expand beyond our current limitations. We have not yet needed to develop those expansion plans but we hope to have that need soon.  

SB: How does the role of the MIASF help Southern Boating readers who do their boating or have their boats serviced in the South Florida region?
CV: Everything that the MIASF does should help the average Southern Boating magazine reader. The MIASF is an industry association of 800 marine-related organizations that have come together to make the business of boating more successful. As such, we have three primary functions. First, we exist to jointly promote boating and all of the associated activities and their participants. Second, we exist to establish and ensure a standard of professionalism from all of our members for the benefit of their customers. Third, we exist to ensure that governmental regulations support the long-term viability of boating in South Florida waters. These three roles in Promotion, Professionalism and Regulation were designed with the benefit of your reader in mind.  

SB: The recession has hurt all economic segments, and probably hurt the marine industry worse than most. How can the MIASF help its members in these tough financial times?
CV: First of all, I am happy to report that the marine industry is back on the rise again. It hit bottom in early 2010 and has been improving steadily ever since. Secondly, I am embarrassed to report that our industry decline actually started in 2006, or a full two years before the recession. The truth is that our industry difficulties were, in many ways, self-inflicted. We simply took the average boater for granted and stopped working diligently to improve all aspects of the boating experience. Boating is a truly special leisure activity that provides true value to the boater but we cannot compromise their experience through our action or our inaction. To answer your question, the MIASF can best help its members through a leadership role in ensuring a high-value boating experience.  

SB: You are vice president of Rybovich Super Yacht Marina & Refit in West Palm Beach—have there been conflicts between that job and your role at MIASF? If yes, how have your resolved them?
CV: The MIASF is an industry association made up of 800 company members within the marine industry. We have no individual members but only company representatives that are asked to put aside company interests when acting on behalf of the association. Rybovich is no different and I am expected to put aside Rybovich interests when I am acting in my capacity with the MIASF. Any breach in my responsibility to act in that manner should result in my immediate termination by the Board of Directors.  

SB: Are you a boat owner yourself, and where do you enjoy boating?
CV: I am embarrassed to say that although I have water-skied in hundreds of U.S. locations, sportfished off three continents, cruised superyachts in the U.S. and the Mediterranean and dove all over the world including my favorite Galapagos Islands, I have done so mostly on other people’s investments. Charter is an excellent introduction to boating, but there is nothing quite like ownership. It may be time for me to step it up!

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