The Field Trip, guided by industry trainer Valerie Ziebron, will highlight lessons in great operations, employee relations and customer experience from three Tampa-area businesses. And include some fun surprises.
Dealer Week, the newly reimagined MRAA Conference & Expo, has announced the final locations of the Dealer Week Field Trip, a new all-day interactive learning opportunity. Led by industry trainer Valerie Ziebron, the Field Trip will take Dealer Week attendees on a tour of three Tampa-area businesses that exemplify great operations, employee relations and customer experience. The three businesses are Amalie Arena, home of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning; The Columbia, the oldest continuously operated restaurant in Florida as well as the oldest Spanish restaurant in the United States and one of the largest restaurants in the world; and Lazydays RV, which operates the world’s largest recreational dealership on 126 acres outside Tampa.
The Field Trip takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8. Attendees will be transported by bus to each location, and lunch will be provided at The Columbia. During the visits, attendees will be given a workbook to guide their learning. Later that evening, attendees are welcome to attend the Dealer Week Opening Celebration from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Conference and Expo kicks off the following morning.
“When you’re in a business where customer experience and loyalty are paramount for success, it’s wise to look for inspiration from other businesses, both in and outside of the marine industry,” Ziebron said in a video announcing the Field Trip. “What are they doing, or not doing, to find and keep great talent? How do they train and motivate their teams, and create the sort of culture that drives success? What are they doing to set themselves apart from the competition and to carve out their future for the next decade and beyond?”
The cost to attend the Field Trip is $229 for MRAA Members and $249 for Non-Members. Attendance at the Field Trip is limited to 100 participants due to space constraints.
Dealer Week will be hosted Dec. 8-11 at the Tampa Convention Center. For more information and to register, go to DealerWeek.com. To add the Field Trip to a pre-existing conference registration, follow the instructions in your confirmation email or contact Michele Rosacker at 763-333-2425.
About Dealer Week
For more than 40 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 evolves as MRAA’s rebranded and reimagined annual conference and expo, a profoundly new event experience designed 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, contact us at 763-315-8043.
