By Chad Tokowicz, MRAA Government Relations Manager The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has taken an important first step toward reexamining federal vessel regulations intended to protect the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale, and this development has meaningful implications for the
By Courtney Chalmers, Chief Brand & Communications Officer at Boats Group, an MRAA Strategic Partner For many marine dealers, used boats have traditionally been treated as opportunistic inventory – boats that arrive through trade-ins or brokerage agreements and are sold alongside new inventory. But today’s market is changing that equation. Economic
The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) will convene top marine industry leaders for the inaugural MRAA Industry Summit, taking place April 6–8, 2026, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
By Rob Grant, Associate Director of OEM Business Development, Lightspeed, an MRAA Strategic Partner The marine industry has always required balance between optimism and discipline, growth and cash flow, new and used inventory. But in today’s environment of margin pressure, fluctuating demand, and rising carrying costs, inventory strategy has become
• MRAA Certified Dealer Wins 2 Neptune Awards MINNEAPOLIS (Feb. 24, 2026) — MRAA Certified Dealer Marine Connection is the inaugural recipient of the Dealership Experiential Marketing Award for its launch of Aiata Boats into the North American market at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. The dealership also earned
The marine industry must rethink its outdated pricing system as transparency becomes a consumer expectation.
• Expands Spectrum Gel Training Programs By James Mitchell, Managing Director Spectrum Color Spectrum Color’s journey began with a strong focus on direct marketing to boat manufacturers, which helped us build valuable industry relationships and gain access to exclusive dealer meetings and detailed color data. These early advantages laid the
• New Tool Automatically Improves Boat Listing Photos to Help Dealers Attract Buyers and Sell Inventory Faster MRAA Partner Press Release FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (February 2, 2026) – Boatyard, a technology company known for modernizing marine service operations, has announced the launch of a new AI-powered photo enhancement feature as
Discover Boating, powered by NMMA and MRAA, is driving strong earned media coverage for winter boat shows that reinforces retail boating’s value at the local market level. Recent coverage positions boat shows as the most practical way for consumers to explore boating. Moreover, boat shows are a hands‑on, in-person and
• Award recognition highlights marine retailers committed to strong workplace culture and employee experience MINNEAPOLIS (Jan. 28, 2026) — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) recognized 21 2025 Great Dealerships to Work For and named its second annual MRAA Trailblazer Award recently at Dealer Week in Tampa, Fla.
