• 4-Day Marine Event In Orlando Features Largest Expo Hall Ever
MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 19 – More than 1,400 marine industry professionals participated in the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) 2024 Dealer Week Conference and Expo, held Dec. 8-11 in Orlando, Fla., through either in-person attendance or Dealer Week Online. The in-person event featured the largest Expo Hall in event history with four education classrooms and 170 Expo Hall booths, including 55 first-time exhibitors and 34 boat manufacturers. The conference welcomed more than 500 dealer attendees. For those who missed the in-person event, Dealer Week Online registration is still open and will be available through March 1.
“This year many of our attendees, both exhibitors and dealers, used the phrase ‘the best Dealer Week yet’ to describe the conference. We had fantastic turnout and the biggest expo hall we’ve ever had, even in a challenging year,” said Mike Davin, VP of Industry Relations at MRAA. “Our team annually works to create an impactful event and evolve our attendee experience. It’s our mission to always provide connections, business opportunities and implementable solutions to benefit dealers and the industry.”
Centurion & Supreme again held its annual dealer meetings in conjunction with Dealer Week, providing its network with access to the event’s world-class education. Additionally, a pre-event Service Department Special Event, hosted by Valerie Ziebron and Bernie DeGraw, included 50 dealership personnel in the special one-day training designed to share data, teachings and insight to help dealers navigate service issues, reduce team stress and boost dealership success.
“Dealer Week 2024 was a remarkable event, with its expansive Expo Hall and record number of exhibitors, showcasing the marine industry’s most recent innovative offerings,” said Jeff Strong, MRAA Board Chair and President of Strong’s Marine. “This year’s event truly captured the essence of progress and collaboration. The MRAA staff, with its extreme dedication and remarkable passion for supporting its dealers, has helped make Dealer Week the MUST-ATTEND event for marine dealerships, offering unmatched educational and networking experiences for advancement.”
Save the date for the 2025 Dealer Week Conference and Expo, scheduled for Dec. 7-10 in Tampa. For those seeking to continue their Dealer Week educational opportunities for business growth, Dealer Week Online is available from Tuesday, Dec. 17 to March 1, 2025 at MRAATraining.com. Registered dealers can access up to 20 Dealer Week education sessions — five unique sessions from four separate pathways: Leadership, Marketing, Sales and Service & Parts.
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.
