Newport Beach International Boat Show: Behind the Scenes with Co-Producer Bernard Kida
What does it take to produce one of the most anticipated luxury events in Newport Beach?
In this episode of Duffy Chats, we sit down with Bernard Kida, co-producer of the Newport Beach International Boat Show (https://www.nbibs.com/), to go behind the scenes of this large-scale, on-water and on-land experience.
The Newport Beach International Boat Show is produced by Revel Republic, a firm focused on curated luxury experiences, with key leadership including Anthony Trimino, Hany Ghabour, and Bernard Kida. Revel Republic plays a key role in elevating the show into an inclusive, lifestyle-focused festival centered around elevated experiences.
Bernard shares how the Newport Beach International Boat Show was reimagined after the original show paused around COVID, and how his team transformed it into a modern, lifestyle-driven event featuring luxury yachts, premium brand activations, and immersive experiences.
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Bernard, welcome to Duffy Chats. We’re so excited to have you here today. We know you’re super busy with the Newport Beach International Boat Show coming up April 16th through the 19th, so we really appreciate you taking the time.
Give us a little bit of your background and what led you to producing the Newport Beach International Boat Show.
Bernard: I come from the movie premiere business — we did red carpets in Hollywood. When COVID happened, our industry got hit really hard.
We had to find a new path forward, and a lot of premieres shifted into drive-ins for social distancing. Being in Newport and having friends with yachts, we came up with the idea to do an on-the-water concert.
In Five Points — the free anchorage where flotilla takes place — we did a sunset concert with the city permitting it. It went really well, and that led to an introduction to Lido Marina Village.
From there, we were asked to take over the boat show.
Can you tell us a little about the history of the show before you took it over?
Bernard: From what I understand, it started in 1973. So it’s been around for over 50 years.
But honestly, a lot of people in town didn’t even know it was happening. What we’ve done is bring it into the modern era and expand what a boat show can be.
We’ve added aviation, cars, culinary experiences, and music. Now influencers from LA and beyond are coming down, and it’s becoming a pillar event for the city.
What makes Newport such a great location for a show like this?
Bernard: Newport is one of the biggest recreational harbors on the West Coast, if not the country.
But beyond that, it feels like a big city that operates like a small town. Everyone kind of knows each other, and people show up for events like this — just like the Christmas Walk or the Hoag Classic.
This has become one of those “must-attend” events.
There’s also a lot of support from the city, the harbor master, and Visit Newport Beach, which is huge.
What goes into putting on something of this scale?
Bernard: A lot of logistics and compliance.
We’re working with the city, the Coastal Commission, the Army Corps of Engineers. We even have to send divers down to check for eelgrass and caulerpa.
If those are present, you can’t do the show.
Then there’s coordinating all the brokerages, vendors, load-ins, load-outs — and Lido Marina Village isn’t that big, so space is tight.
It’s a lot of moving parts.
Has the community embraced the evolution of the show?
Bernard: Yes, and we can see it in the data.
We’ve brought in digital marketing, which wasn’t really used before, so now we can track where people are coming from and how they’re engaging.
It’s definitely grown locally and beyond.
Are all events held in one location?
Bernard: Mostly at Lido Marina Village, but we’re expanding.
We always have our closing party at Topside, but this year we’re adding a “Driven to Inspire” car-focused event at Lido House.
It’s more curated, invitation-based for now, but we may open it up more in the future.
What’s new this year?
Bernard: New brands and experiences.
We have Drenched OC doing yacht yoga. Jeff Brown is unveiling a brand-new Axopar 38 on the West Coast.
And after just three years, we were named the #1 boat show by USA Today, which is huge.
Would you say it’s the biggest show?
Bernard: Not the biggest — that would be Fort Lauderdale. We don’t have the space.
But we’re more of a boutique show, and we’ve been innovating in ways that other shows are starting to follow.
What are some behind-the-scenes elements people wouldn’t realize?
Bernard: Building the floating docks is a huge one.
We started with 36 piles and now we’re transitioning to a helical system, which is better for the harbor. We have about 400 docks total.
It takes about a month to install everything — and another month to take it all out.
That alone requires around 40 trucks each way.
That’s wild.
How far in advance are you planning the next one?
Bernard: We’re always planning multiple things at once.
For example, we built a floating venue called “Watercrest” for a wedding last year, and now we’re turning that into an event platform.
We’re planning wellness events, yoga programs, potentially pickleball, and more.
We’re also working on the San Diego Boat Show and just secured a five-year contract in Santa Monica tied to World Cup and Olympic activations.
It’s a lot happening at once.
If someone wanted to use Watercrest, how would they do that?
Bernard: They can go to our website, rebel-republic.com, and reach out.
It’s not something you can book quickly — we usually need at least six months, sometimes a year, because of all the permitting involved.
For someone who’s never been, what does a day at the boat show look like?
Bernard: We start with a pre-show on Thursday — more exclusive, limited tickets.
Then Friday through Sunday is the main event.
My biggest tip: don’t drive. Uber if you can.
There’s general admission and VIP tickets. VIP gives access to a lounge with complimentary drinks, food, and music.
We also have afterparties each night with headliners performing.
Any add-ons this year?
Bernard: Yes — a sailing experience with Sail America and SailTime.
It’s a limited add-on where you get a 20-minute intro and a 90-minute sail. Only about 18 spots per day, so it’s pretty exclusive.
We also partner with the Coast Guard Foundation, so there’s an option to donate.
Any sponsors you want to highlight?
Bernard: Definitely.
Lido Marina Village and Redwood West have been huge partners, along with the City of Newport Beach and Visit Newport Beach.
We also have Yaamava’ Resort & Casino as our VIP sponsor, Bentley and Porsche Newport Beach, JP Morgan Private Bank, Chubb Insurance, and Whitehaven Wines as our official wine sponsor.
There are a lot of great partners involved.
What’s the future vision for the show?
Bernard: Continuing to evolve — upgrading infrastructure like docks, bringing in new brands, and expanding into new markets.
We’re limited in Newport, but San Diego and potentially indoor shows in LA or Anaheim could grow much bigger.
Final question — if you had a Duffy boat, what would you name it?
Bernard: I’d probably go with something electric-themed… maybe Alternating Current.
Feels fitting.
Perfect.
Bernard, thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate you taking the time and giving everyone an inside look at the show.
Bernard: Thanks for having me. And come to the boat show — tickets are still available April 16th through the 19th.