The Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF) is the largest marine trade organization in the Southeast United States dedicated to promoting, protecting, and growing the 142,000 middle class jobs regionally in marine businesses promoting boating lifestyles from family cruising and fishing to yachts and the goods and services that sustain them, driving the economic output to $9.9 billion in Broward County and $18.5 billion regionally. Created in 1961, the not-for-profit trade group is focused on the sound growth of the marine industry in the South Florida Region to benefit its members, their customers, communities and the environment. The Association has over 400 members in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties and is the owner of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Through the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, advocacy efforts, programs and services of MIASF have combined to raise the professionalism of the industry and awareness of its impact and contributions by the public, elected, and regulatory officials at the local, state, and federal levels. Members have fostered a reputation for the region to be known as the goods and service center of the world for the yachting and marine community.