The Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County (MIAPBC) celebrated its 40th anniversary in style on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at Valhalla Yacht Sales in Riviera Beach, Florida. MIAPBC members networked with fellow marine professionals and enjoyed light bites and an open bar in celebration of the association reaching 40 years of existence. MIAPBC is a nonprofit trade organization that supports and promotes the marine industry in Palm Beach County by advocating for marine businesses and fostering industry growth. “Last month we had a nice awards dinner for our members and so this month we really wanted to focus on celebrating 40 years being around in Palm Beach County,” said Alyssa Freeman, the executive director of MIAPBC. Freeman has been executive director of MIAPBC since 2019, but a part of the organization since 2008. From advocating on behalf of the marine industry, voters, and businesses, to developing the workforce and helping grow the talent pipeline, Freeman is celebrating her 18th year of involvement in MIAPBC. Over those 18 years she recalls memories of the annual fight for access to the water, working to pass Amendment six on the ballot, and seeing the younger generations now enter the family businesses. “When I first started it was the grandfathers and the dads, and now it’s the grandkids. It’s been cool to see that shift with the different generations taking the helm at some of these family businesses,” Freeman said. “That’s what most of the marine industry is — family businesses — and this is one of them.” MIAPBC’s President Austin Burkett has served in the position since 2021 and has been on the association’s board since 2019. Burkett was thankful for all the members that attended the 40th anniversary and urged the need for the community to continue to stay connected. “I think we have to stay tight. There’s a lot of legislation that happens in Florida that our association spends a lot of time and energy on to make sure that it doesn’t happen, like blocking voting that makes it harder for marine businesses,” Burkett said. “Advocating and sticking together, we have one voice, and it’s a little more powerful.” Burkett’s biggest highlight during his time in MIAPBC is the rise of the Palm Beach International Boat Show. MIAPBC owns the show that has an estimated total statewide economic impact of more than $1.05 billion and attracts more than 55,000 visitors annually. “In the past 10 years that boat show has definitely doubled, if not tripled, in size,” Burkett said. “It’s a beautiful show because it’s not too big, not too small, and it’s just the right vendors. Keeping those vendors here and not having people that are not marine industry related, that’s really important for me and something I fight for all the time.” The right vendors include Valhalla Yacht Sales, which hosted MIAPBC’s 40th anniversary at its Riviera Beach location. As a part of the Viking Marine Group, Valhalla’s vessels are a staple during the Palm Beach Boat Show. Ryan Higgins, general manager of Valhalla Yacht Sales and Southeast sales manager for Viking Yachts, was excited to host the event to promote the growth of the industry in the Palm Beach area. “It’s a great network of people throughout the membership and I think it’s very important to be able to network together and grow the marine industry in this area — just this strip in Riviera Beach has changed drastically in the last 10 years,” Higgins said. “Palm Beach is in the mecca of the marine industry, between here and Lauderdale, so having the network of people and all the different services everybody brings to the industry, it’s great.” As MIAPBC celebrated 40 years and looked back at a history of highlights, Higgins believes the future of the association and the industry in Palm Beach is just as bright. “The Healey family strategically placed Viking Yachts after our research found about 85 to 90 percent of our customers at one point throughout the year traveled through South Florida, and Palm Beach was just the ideal spot,” Higgins said. “It’s just a phenomenal location, and you don’t see that many inlets to have an industrial area like this. I do think that Palm Beach and Riviera Beach is very unique, and there’s so many aspects that make it very desirable for people to come service their boats, purchase boats, and things of that nature” View event photos below!