• More than 1,300 Dealers and Industry Members Gathered for 4-Day Marine Event, Hosted Dec. 5-8, at Austin Convention Center in Texas
AUSTIN, TEXAS – December 15 – After two years that were affected to varying degrees by Covid, Dealer Week 2022 broke both overall and dealer attendance records this month in Austin, Texas. More than 1,300 attendees joined the event at the Austin Convention Center. That is the highest number of attendees ever at a conference hosted by MRAA, which celebrated its 50th anniversary at this year’s event. Dealer attendance was up more than 20 percent over 2021 and up 5 percent over the all-time high at an in-person MRAA conference of 650 dealers in 2017. Additionally, the event had 125 exhibitors, again a record and a 24 percent increase over 2021.
The event featured opening and closing keynotes, three tracks of education, multiple networking receptions, an expo hall, an awards luncheon and more.
“Thank you to all the dealers and industry partners who made Dealer Week a success this year,” said Mike Davin, VP of Business Planning, MRAA. “We work hard to make the conference a valuable event every year, but with this being the association’s 50th anniversary, we wanted to do something special. From the reactions we’ve heard, it sounds like most of the participants feel that it was as rewarding as it was memorable.”
MRAA was founded in 1972 and Dealer Week included a celebration of its 50th anniversary at a special 1970s-themed industry event. Many attendees embraced the ’70s spirit with period appropriate clothes, accessories and even hairstyles and facial hair.
For those who missed the in-person event, Dealer Week Online is available now. The online version of the event features 15 on-demand versions of the education sessions that were featured in the event’s three classrooms and three exclusive presentations. Registration is available at DealerWeek.com and courses will be streaming through March 1. After that time, all content will remain available to MRAA Silver and Gold members at MRAATraining.com.
Save the date for Dealer Week 2023, which will be hosted Dec. 4-7, in Tampa, Florida.
About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.
About Dealer Week
For 50 years, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas has delivered world-class educational programming to dealers, retailers and service operations that power the boating industry and serve today’s boaters. Dealer Week exists to engage, energize and empower the dealer community. The MRAA envisions a brighter future for marine retail, and Dealer Week is the preeminent means for bringing that vision to life. Learn more at DealerWeek.com.