With the mission of providing marine retailers with education, tools and resources to apply with in their businesses, Grow Boating Inc. has expanded its support of the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo in 2018.

Through this educational partnership, attendees will have the chance to expand their learning experiences at MDCE through the Pre-Conference Workshops, the MRAA Special Presentation, and the MDCE conference app. The event – which is co-produced by the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and Boating Industry magazine – will be held December 9-12, 2018, in Orlando, Fla.

“For years, MDCE has been the leading conference for marine dealer education,” says Carl Blackwell, president of Grow Boating. “Our support of these workshops, presentations and the app that delivers the show’s educational resources is one way we are fulfilling our mission to provide industry education.”

One of the most powerful aspects of Grow Boating’s MDCE partnership is the MDCE Pre-Conference Workshops. They are the highest-rated education sessions by dealers each year, as they allow the event’s leading trainers and educators to take a deep dive into the everyday pain points marine retailers are facing to help them build solutions.

Featured in both the Pre-Conference Workshops and the MRAA Special Presentation is marketing and sales expert Marcus Sheridan, who was first introduced to the MDCE team by Grow Boating. During the workshop, Sheridan – who received top scores from attendees in 2017 – will be providing insight into how to master video marketing. However, in the MRAA Special Presentation, his focus will be much broader, as he gives dealers a window into how they can adapt their sales, marketing and customer service efforts to the changing needs of today’s prospects and customers.

Finally, Grow Boating’s partnership is also making it possible for conference attendees to have access to a robust event app. This educational tool provides a platform for attendees to download session resources and better connect with MDCE speakers, manufacturers and suppliers, and their industry peers.

“This partnership with Grow Boating has enabled the MDCE team to build a much more powerful educational event for our dealer attendees,” says Liz Walz, Vice President of the MRAA. “Not only does that make for a better experience on-site, but more importantly, it will allow dealers to achieve higher levels of improvement and growth in their businesses as a result.”