What Is the American Boating Congress (ABC) and Why It Matters

If you’ve been in the recreational marine industry for a while you have probably heard of the American Boating Congress or ABC, an annual gathering in Washington D.C. typically held in May, but do you know what it actually is and why the event gets so much attention? Well, maybe you’ve also heard of the D.C. term “fly-in” but if you haven’t that’s ok, just like everything else in the world, political advocacy has its own long list of jargon. A fly-in is just a group of like-minded people gathering in D.C. to lobby the federal government on the issues that matter to them. ABC is just that, a fly-in for the recreational boating and fishing industry. A few hundred business leaders from our industry take time out of their schedule to gather in D.C., gain some insight into the current political landscape, then travel to Capitol Hill to meet with their elected officials and discuss the most pressing issues facing our industry and their businesses.

The reason why all kinds of organizations have fly-ins is simple, anyone can hire a lobbyist to meet with their elected officials on their behalf or on the behalf of their industry but at the end of the day, no one can speak to how those issues are impacting people in your own backyard better than you can. A lobbyist can tell an anecdote or present some data on the impact of a program, but you can connect it to people and places back in the elected official’s district.

That big lake where a ton of your customers use the boats they buy from you? The one with the crumbling boat ramp? You know the on-the-ground details better than anyone in D.C. and you can connect that failing boat ramp to unhappy boaters and fewer new boat sales, potentially leading to fewer jobs at your dealership if boaters can’t reliably access that lake. Now you can tell that elected official about a program that allows local governments to apply for grant money to repair and expand boating infrastructure and how that program needs the elected official’s support. You may think about it in terms of giving your customers a place to use their boats, but you just handed that elected official a win! If they listen to you, they can turn around and bring home a win for the people they represent in D.C. and give voters a reason to keep them in D.C.

That is why making the journey to D.C. matters, you can connect the dots to how industry priorities impact the people back home in the district. Not only that, but you can also build a relationship with that elected official and become a resource for them. The next time a boating-related issue comes across their desk, they know you can tell them why it matters.

First-Time Perspectives from MRAA Leadership at the American Boating Congress 2026

With all that in mind, a couple of MRAA’s newer staff, Chief of Staff Bob Stanke and Senior Director of Revenue Operations, Luke Fledbrugge joined Senior Director of Partnerships, Liz Keener and MRAA’s advocacy team, Chad Tokowicz and Mike Sayre for the 2026 American Boating Congress. Bob and Luke were first time attendees and have shared what they took away from their experiences at this year’s ABC. Check out Liz Keener’s write up of her first time at ABC in 2025 here.

Luke Feldbrugge’s Experience

After spending time at ABC, I thought it only fair to briefly share my rookie experience in our nation’s capital and inside our industry’s advocacy efforts. First and foremost, I want to share my appreciation and gratitude for Mr. Sayre and Tokowicz. They were great hosts. They introduced us to their network and shared their vast insights.

There was a moment where we were all in a room in Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office, sitting in a circle, when Chad calmly took the imaginary mic and started spewing knowledge. At some point during this barrage of intellect, my mind couldn’t help but think, “Yeah Chad, go with your bad self!” For me, the experience was eye-opening. Truth be told, I was a fish out of water. When we were presenting to the staff members on the Hill, there was NOT one person in the room looking at me and saying, “Hey, this guy is a natural at this!” The world of politics is one I choose not to delve into often. But, I was given the opportunity this week, so I planned to soak it up and take it in.

This week’s experience helped me realize…there’s a lot I take for granted. What it takes to build/maintain our country’s systems is incomprehensible, and I was only given a short peak through a small window this week. I was impressed on numerous levels:

• NMMA’s active role in policy creation and stewardship and their team’s involvement.
• The number of people who showed up for 3 days to help build awareness and drive industry supporting initiatives.
• The types of programs and funds this industry needs to flourish for current and upcoming generations, while also maintaining a healthy balance for the fresh and saltwater ecosystems the boating industry relies on.
• The work that goes into a small portion of the process required to bend the ear of a busy public official.
• How local business owners and citizens who take time to share how the policies directly impact their lives and livelihood does in fact help to provide a memorable connection.

After returning home from Washington D.C. and on the morning drive into work, I couldn’t help but take note of the ridiculous law-making process it likely took to establish many of the simple things such as where streets were built, where street signs were placed, the state vehicle license plate system, power-grid utilities, sewage systems, establishing local law enforcement, every building, parking lot, and sidewalk, etc, etc, etc!

Today I better understand the enormous amount of people and countless hours of work that go into moving a single piece of legislation through the gigantic U.S. political machine. And, how important the advocacy work we are doing truly is for the MRAA, our dealers, partners and the industry. So what was the outcome of this past week? I for one feel there were good conversations, deeper relations were built, we were heard on the Hill by staff members of important political leaders, and I also believe the time spent had a positive impact on the initiatives we were given.

Bob Stanke’s Perspective

Also being a first time ABC attendee, I second everything Luke said about the experience. Everything regarding the experience was amazing and really helped me understand a big part of why we do what we do.

Even though Luke took all the words out of my mouth about ABC, I want to double down on the personnel piece. What has surprised me since my first Dealer Week is how MRAA shows up to events. I mean, it is truly amazing. Our whole crew was so engaged and interactive. Mike and Chad were simply amazing to watch in their element. We are professional, personable, relatable, conversation-starters, active participants, etc., etc. Our reputation is so good in the industry, that it makes it so easy for someone new like me to have instant credibility walking into such an important event like ABC. So thank you to everyone on this team for everything you do to represent MRAA every day, but it really comes to life when we are at important events like ABC and some of us are pressing palms and slapping backs with industry partners. One key takeaway for me was just how important it is to for MRAA members to attend this kind of event, whether in Washington D.C. or a similar at their own state capital, getting involved is a must.

While my MRAA comrades headed home on Wednesday after the ABC Hill visits, I stuck around for an extra day to attend the “National Executive Forum on Health and Outdoor Recreation” put on by the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. Similar to how we treated invitations to the Industry Summit, this event was very exclusive, intimate, and invite-only. About 70 CEOs, political leaders, and academic scholars filled a dome-shaped rotunda room on the 8th floor of the Ronald Reagan Building. (I know, you are probably thinking the same thing I was… “why are they letting a guy like me in here?!?! ) The theme of the event was centered on the current state of declining public health (physical and mental) in our country, and the rising evidence that outdoor recreation is the cure instead of more medicines and reactive procedures. I am going to be completely honest here… days leading up to the event I was questioning what I would get out of the one-day conference as I was having a hard time relating it back to what we do here at the MRAA. Because like reading a book, if I am not taking something tangible away, I am walking away. Life’s too short and I have too much to do to engage in something that is not bringing me value!

ABC was cool, and I learned a ton, but the ORR event opened my eyes to what is really, really important, and how what we support ultimately supports our members and serves a much bigger “why” than just selling boats or helping service departments… it is about helping them get people outside, on a lake, in nature. Because, as I learned, that is what is going to change the public health in this country, and the scientific evidence and data is proving it. In a small way, my personal “why” for being here at the MRAA, and my perspective of the work we do here, has changed. The outdoors, and the role boating plays, is much bigger than I once thought.

My week started with a big theme of water access at ABC and ended with the end result of why access is so important: it can literally change the health of everyone in the world. Quite a week, and I am thankful for the experience.

Why Dealers Should Attend the American Boating Congress

We hope you’ve also gained an important perspective on why engaging in advocacy on behalf of your own business and the industry as a whole are so important and if your inevitably busy schedule next May allows for it, we hope you’ll join us at the 2027 American Boating Congress!