OHIO'S BOAT SHOW SEASON GETS UNDERWAY
Shows this weekend set for Toledo and Columbus

	DATE	BOAT SHOW	LOCATION
	Jan 4-6	Toledo Boat Show	Seagate Center
	Jan 5-13	Central Ohio Marine Dealers Association Boat & RV Show	Ohio Expo Center (state fairgrounds)
	Jan 11-20	Cleveland Boat and Waterfront Lifestyle Expo	I-X Center Brook Park
	Jan 18-27	Cincinnati Travel, Sports and Boat Show	Duke Energy Center
	Feb 1-3	Canton Boat & RV Show	Stark County Fairgrounds, 305 Wertz Ave, Canton
	Feb 7-10	Columbus Sports, Vacation and Boat Show	Ohio Expo Center (state fairgrounds)
	Feb 15-17	Dayton Boat Super Show	Dayton Airport Expo Center, Vandalia
	Feb 22-24	Dayton Boat Super Show	Dayton Airport Expo Center, Vandalia
	Feb 22-24	Ashland Boat & RV Show	Ashland County Fairgrounds
	Mar 12-16	Cleveland Sport, Travel and Outdoor Show	I-X Center Brook Park

COLUMBUS, OH - Ohio's winter boat show season opens this weekend with events at Toledo's Seagate Center and the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus.

Hours of the Toledo Boat Super Show are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The Central Ohio Marine Dealers Association Boat & RV Show is open weekdays noon to 9 p.m. through January 11. Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, January 5 and 12; noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, January 6 and 13.

In addition, the Cleveland Boat and Waterfront Lifestyle Expo begins at the I-X Center in Brook Park on Friday, January 11.

Ohio's marine dealers agree that as much as 40 percent of their sales in a single year result from boat shows and related exhibitions. Despite some bad economic news in 2007, the marine industry says that boating remains affordable and offers a wide array of recreational opportunities well suited to families.

Recreational boating generates an estimated $3.5 billion for Ohio's economy each year, according to a Michigan State University study released in 2007. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Watercraft reports Ohio ranked ninth nationally in 2007 with more than 414,000 registered watercraft.

"We have excellent boating destinations for paddlers, power boaters and sailors in addition to improved public boating access facilities which are free and open to the boating public every day," said Pamela Dillon, chief of the ODNR Division of Watercraft.

State watercraft officers will be staffing Division of Watercraft displays at upcoming in-state shows. They will be available to answer any questions on agency programs, boating rules and education programs and offer advice on top boating destination sites.

For Further Information Contact:
John Wisse, ODNR Division of Watercraft
(614) 265-6695
-or-
Jane Beathard, ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6860