Marine retailers need to adapt to the radical transformation taking place in their employees, customers and retailing itself. That’s according to Sam Dantzler of Sam’s Watersports Dock and Garage Composites, who will share exactly how dealers can make those changes during his Closing Keynote Presentation at the 2016 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, Dec. 5-8 in Orlando.

 

“When you look at the recent sales growth, it’s easy to be fooled into thinking you can keep doing things the same way,” said Dantzler, whose clients have included some of North America’s premier marine and powersports companies. “But it’s simply not true. I’m honored to be able to issue a call for change and share strategies for grabbing more than their fair share of today’s rebounding boat market with attendees as this year’s Closing Keynote Speaker.”

Dantzler is a dealership consultant who moderates several 20 Groups and is the founder of Sam’s Watersports Dock — a virtual training portal for marine retailers. His keynote address, titled “Change: It’s the Only Option” and scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8, will end MDCE 2016 on a high note, offering concrete takeaways dealers can use to outperform the industry.

“One of the dangers of growth is a tendency for leaders to work more in the business and less on the business,” explained Liz Walz, vice president of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas. “That makes it harder to stay on top of and adapt to changes in our market, which is critical to long-term success. MDCE will provide the strategies retailers need to get back on track, and Sam’s Closing Keynote Presentation will be the perfect way to tie it all together, providing a final set of tools attendees can use to lead their teams and dealerships to outstanding results.”  

MDCE, hosted jointly by Boating Industry magazine and the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, attracted a total of 1,147 marine industry professionals in 2015 — one of its largest audiences to date. Building on that momentum, early retail registrations for the 2016 conference have already set a new record. This, coupled with its December 5-8 date range, which is three weeks later than the event’s traditional time frame, puts MDCE 2016 on track to see the highest attendance to date.

“Decisions like this one are a direct result of listening to our audience,” Jonathan Sweet, editor-in-chief of Boating Industry magazine, said. “Dealers have told us time and time again that Sam’s presentations are the highlight of their MDCE education, so we’re thrilled to be able to share his insight with our entire audience during this Closing Keynote Presentation.”

 

Retailers who register for MDCE 2016 before the September 23 Early Bird Deadline save $25 off standard rates; MRAA members save an additional $75. Learn more and register at MarineDealerConference.com.