CIBS is the longest-running comprehensive boat show in Asia, and it covers the leisure marine chain rather than boats alone: motor yachts, sailing yachts, sport fishers and official boats; engines, marine electronics, fittings, safety gear and interior equipment behind them; and marinas, licensing, brokerage and charter services around them.

Watersports have grown into a section of their own — lure fishing, kayaks, inflatables, paddleboards and diving — which brings in the wider water-leisure audience the show sits within. Buyers come from dealerships, marinas, yacht clubs, resorts and marine trade alongside private owners, and CIBS is a platinum member of IFBSO, the international federation of boat show organisers.