Three-day event in Austin, Texas, promises to deliver dealers solutions and opportunities for the year ahead
MINNEAPOLIS, July 14, 2022 — As marine dealership teams navigate continual disruption in the market place, switching from an environment where boat pre-orders were stacking up to one where inflation, interest rates and fuel prices are causing boat sales to slow, it’s critical that dealership leaders re-establish a strong foundation for their business to find success in the uncertainty ahead. To help dealerships formulate these plans, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced today that dealer registration for the 2022 MRAA Dealer Week Conference & Expo, to be held Dec. 5-8 in Austin, Texas, is now open.
Under the theme of Discipline Amidst Disruption, Dealer Week 2022 will offer dealers access to the latest training and educational programs, an expansive expo hall featuring the industry’s leading manufacturers and suppliers, and connectivity and networking where they can learn directly from other dealers.
“There’s no doubt that the economy is shifting back to put the power in the hands of today’s consumers. With more objections and obstacles to overcome, closing business and generating profits is becoming more challenging in almost every department of the dealership,” explains Liz Walz, MRAA’s Vice President of Education. “With that in mind, it’s critically important that dealership leaders get ahead of the curve and evolve the operations of their businesses for a changing market place. Dealer Week 2022 and its educational programs have been designed to help them do just that.”
Dealer Week features more than 20 educational sessions that will showcase the latest trends, strategies and best practices that dealerships should be aware of to prepare themselves for 2023. Organized into three pathways — Leadership, Sales & Marketing and Service & Parts — the training sessions will provide dealers expert advice as well as critical tools to help them walk away with significant value they are prepared to implement when they return.
The 2022 Dealer Week educational line-up focuses its efforts on helping dealerships discover the discipline they’ll need to find success in a disruptive, uncertain market. It will help dealership teams reinforce and update the fundamentals of their sales processes, strengthen their service departments and reduce their Repair Event Cycle Times. They’ll leave knowing how to lead and manage their businesses to success no matter what the marine market throws at them.
View the 2022 Dealer Week Educational Line-Up here
Throughout the event’s programming, the Dealer Week Expo Hall will feature more than 100 exhibitors displaying boats, engines, software solutions, financing and insurance options in addition to many other types of products and services from industry-leading suppliers. Several networking events will provide for easy connections throughout the event, including cocktail receptions, luncheons, and the MRAA 50th Anniversary Industry Celebration.
View the list of 2022 Dealer Week Exhibitors here
“Dealer Week is the boating industry’s only event focused on dealer success,” Walz says. “It is the one-stop program to learn, connect and grow your dealership to new heights. Our proven approach to delivering this education has helped dealers through the downturn of the Great Recession, through the growth cycle of the 2010s, and through the severe ups and downs of the Covid pandemic. We are well-prepared to provide the guidance to help dealers through what’s next. Dealer Week 2022 is where it all comes to life.”
Dealer Week 2022 opens with a networking reception the evening of Monday, Dec. 5, followed by a keynote and a robust line-up of educational sessions Dec. 6-8.
Dealer Week registration is now open and the MRAA is excited to see you this December! With registration opening, you can save up to $900 if you are a member and register in the month of July! The earliest-bird gets the worm. See your options for registration.
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.
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.