Brain trust behind Boat Show

Lawrence Daly is a fanatical fisherman. He owns a boat and is an ideas man - an entrepreneur who, above all else, was looking for something to do. And so the 2018 Tauranga Fishing and Boat Show was born.

Lawrence is the one-man brains trust behind the show.

“I was working at Baypark in the business development events team and watching all the shows coming through,” he says.

“I thought I could run a fishing and boat show. I took some trusted advice and came to the conclusion that it was a no-brainer.”

If they can run a boat show in Auckland and in pull 30,000 people, then Lawrence knew he could do it here - albeit on a smaller scale to begin with.

Tauranga, says the TFABS director, is a rapidly growing city of jet skis, yachts, boats, swimming, surfing and paddle boards.

“Everything to do with the water is here,” says Lawrence, “but there’s nothing to bring it all together, and that’s where the opportunity lay - in bringing everyone and everything to do with leisure and the water industry together.”

Lawrence has the pedigree to fill that gap in the waterscape.

He was a competitive angler in the UK and Europe, fishing in lakes, canals and rivers for most freshwater species including perch, roach and gudgeon before arriving in New Zealand 11 years ago. “I knew nothing about fishing in the sea, and had to learn it all over again,” he admits, which he achieved from a kayak.

Lawrence originally had a tradie upbringing before developing a solid background in sales and marketing.

“I have been behind a number of start up ventures in various markets that I thought would do well,” he says. “I believe a moderate amount of insanity and calculated risk taking always helps.”

The man behind the first new TFABS is very excited and a little bit ‘nervy, but he’s already thinking ahead and thinking bigger and better. “Next year’s plans are already underway, with ideas to grow the brand.”


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