The Hosts will serve as guides throughout the event’s educational sessions
Dealer Week, the MRAA’s all-new annual conference and expo, announced today that it will divide its education into three main classrooms, or Education Pathways: The Dealership, The Customer and The Employee. Each of these Pathways will feature sessions, case studies, workshops, dealer-to-dealer interaction — and a top marine industry trainer as host.
These dedicated “Education Hosts” will act as guides throughout the week to help draw connections, provide deeper context and ultimately move dealers toward implementation.
The 2019 Dealer Week Education Hosts are:
- The Customer Pathway: Sam Dantzler, Wheelhouse College
- The Dealership Pathway: David Spader, Spader Business Management
- The Employee Pathway: Jim Million, Million Learning
“We are thrilled that three of the most requested trainers from previous MRAA events have agreed to take on this expanded role with Dealer Week,” said Mike Davin, Director of Education at MRAA. “Not only will each of these experts present material during the conference, they will be like personal guides for the dealers and ensure that our educational programming builds toward a greater whole.”
The Education Pathways were selected because they represent the three pillars of MRAA’s education strategy. They were also designed to engage a cross-section of dealership employees.
“Our hope is that representatives from departments across the dealership will attend these sessions together,” Davin said. “We’ve built in additional time for discussion to give attendees time to process and discuss what they’re learning with the help of their peers and the Education Hosts.”
Sam Dantzler is a sought-after keynote speaker, 20-Club moderator and workshop trainer throughout in the U.S. and abroad for the marine, powersports and bicycle industries.
David Spader has served as a lead trainer and consultant for Spader Business Management for 18 years. He specializes in leadership development, succession planning, strategic development, company culture and effective hiring practices.
Jim Million has worked with dealerships for the past four decades as a salesperson, service writer, sales manager, facilitator, developer, writer, speaker and consultant. He has experience in both automotive and marine and works closely with MRAA as a Certification Consultant.
Also announced was the Dealer Week schedule, which can be viewed at DealerWeek.com/schedule. In addition to the new education pathways, the event will kick off with an optional field trip and feature an evening Dealer Week Industry Celebration. Additional details on both of these new events will be available in the near future.
For a video introduction to Education Hosts from MRAA Vice President Liz Walz, check out the MRAA’s latest Facebook Live video.
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 MRAA, our team believes that for the marine industry to thrive, the dealers on the front lines of the industry must first find success. With that in mind, we work to create a strong and healthy boating industry by providing dealers with tools, resources and educational programs — such as MRAATraining.com, the Marine Industry Certified Dealership Program, and Dealer Week, The MRAA Conference & Expo — and by representing those businesses with a powerful voice. For more information, visit mraa.com.
