Trade Only Joins Partnership to Produce Monthly Pulse Reports

Soundings Trade Only, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and Baird Research have expanded a partnership to compile, analyze and deliver the most detailed insights into retail boating’s economic health.

First launched by MRAA and Baird in December 2013 as the first report of its kind compiled specifically for marine retailers, the Marine Retail Pulse Reports are designed to provide industry professionals with a regular, timely look into retail trends at the dealership level. Soundings Trade Only, a B2B print and digital magazine reporting on marine industry news since 1963, joins the partnership this month to participate in distribution of the survey and reporting of results.

“The information contained in each Pulse Report simply can’t be found anywhere else, and we strongly believe our print and online audiences will find them extremely useful,” says Trade Only Editor-in-Chief Bill Sisson. “Joining MRAA and Baird in gathering data and distributing the Pulse Report results each month was an easy choice for us, and we’re pleased to partner with these two organizations.”

While the Pulse Reports analyze an array of industry data points such as new boat demand, inventory levels,  access to credit and other indicators, the Marine Retail Sentiment Index, a sort of confidence index for retailers, was one of the chief reasons the reports were created. Providing a glimpse into how dealers are feeling about current and future market conditions, the current conditions sentiment index rebounded to near-record highs in December and January after dipping early in the fourth quarter of 2016. The 3-5 year sentiment index remains at record highs.

“Regularly monitoring the economic vitality of retail boating not only plays a key role in how MRAA members plan their year, but identifying key trends allows marine retailers to adjust their long-range plans as well,” MRAA President Matt Gruhn said. “Offering the industry access to the Pulse Reports provides an important baseline off which dealerships can make decisions.”

In addition to raw numbers, Baird provides an analyst’s report to accompany each survey. This expert analysis of the most recent data available adds valuable context to detailed analytics and allows the information to be applied with confidence at dealerships.

“Our goal is to make participation in the survey a quick and easy exercise,” Craig Kennison, senior research analyst and director of research operations at Baird, said. “We’re interested in gathering data from dealerships of all sizes, and confidentially sharing a few important metrics can have a major benefit for the entire marine industry.”

Access to the monthly Pulse Reports is free for MRAA members; all others can view the report by either participating in the survey or by visiting www.rwBaird.com and creating an account.

 

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About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA), we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the companies that interact with the boater in their community must thrive. Those businesses determine the boater’s experience and are the leading factor in the industry’s success. MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those businesses, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com.

About Baird Research 
Baird offers internationally recognized equity research, sales and corporate access to institutional clients around the world and a full suite of equity trading services. As a privately held, employee-owned firm, we have a long-term focus on client relationships and associate development. Our exceptionally low turnover rate ensures continuity and quality in client coverage. And as one of the nation’s best places to work, we are able to attract and retain top talent.  Our client relationships are built on:

About Soundings Trade Only
Soundings Trade Only is the B2B print magazine marine industry professionals count on for all the news that is relevant and important to them in their jobs. Trade Only monthly magazine breaks news and explores it in depth, through features and columns that help the industry understand the news and put it into context. It is available in a printed or digital format.

SeaDek becomes MRAA Platinum Partner

MINNEAPOLIS, March 1, 2017 — SeaDek Marine Products, a manufacturer of non-skid, closed-cell EVA traction products, has joined the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas as a Platinum Partner — the MRAA’s highest level of corporate partnership.

SeaDek, which recently also sponsored and contributed to the success of MRAA’s 2017 Compensation Study, has demonstrated a deep commitment to supporting the marine dealer body with this membership with the MRAA as well as its participation in last month’s Marine Dealer Conference & Expo.

“We realize that the dealers are the direct connection between builders and their customers,” says Jason Gardner, VP of Marketing for SeaDek Marine Products. “By supporting the dealers we understand that we are better serving our customers and doing our part to help the OEMs grow their business. We are all in this together.”

SeaDek says its product can be tailored to fit a wide variety of applications on just about any type of boat, including additional applications such as swim platforms, cockpit pads, step kits, footwells, gunnels and trailers.

“We know that the SeaDek team has long enjoyed excellent relationships with its boat builder partners,” explains Matt Gruhn, President of MRAA. “We’re thrilled to see that they’re continuing to expand their reach to nurture those same types of relationships with the dealers who are servicing boats and customers on a daily basis. It’s an honor to welcome them onboard.”

SeaDek Marine Products joins a continually growing roster of boat manufacturers, vendors and suppliers that have chosen to support the dealer community through partnership with the MRAA. Find a full menu of partner benefits here.

About MRAA
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the companies that interact with the boater in their community must thrive. Those businesses determine the boater’s experience and are the leading factor in the industry’s success. The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those businesses, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, please call 763-315-8043 or visit www.mraa.com.
 
About SeaDek Marine Products
SeaDek manufactures a wide range of EVA non-skid products for OEM boat builders, aftermarket customers, and dealers. In addition to custom products, SeaDek offers an extensive line of retail items, including DIY sheet material, anti-fatigue helm station pads, coaming bolsters, and more. As a safe and comfortable alternative to molded-in non-skid, paint-on textures and other marine traction products currently available, SeaDek provides exceptional traction and aesthetically pleasing stylistic options. Made from UV protected non-absorbent EVA foam, SeaDek utilizes an acrylic-based 3M™ pressure sensitive adhesive for a lasting bond and simple peel-and-stick application. In 2014, SeaDek became an employee owned company with the implementation of an ESOP profit sharing plan. With a wide array of colors, textures, and thicknesses available, there is a place for SeaDek on every boat. Learn more at http://www.seadek.com.

CRM: A look in the mirror

Whether you believe in coincidence or not, you’ve probably had an experience like this. A topic comes up. Maybe it’s in conversation, a video or a podcast. You might read it in a book or on a website. And then it comes up again and again and again in the following days and weeks.

In my case, that topic is CRM: Customer Relationship Management. Wikipedia defines it as: “An approach to managing a company’s interaction with current and potential future customers that tries to analyze data about customers’ history with a company and to improve business relationships with customers, specifically focusing on customer retention and ultimately driving sales growth.”

If you attended the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo in December, you may have heard Sam Dantzler talk about the relationship between CRM and Business Development Centers or BDCs. He believes that BDCs are unnecessary if your team is highly disciplined in its use of CRM technology. That means entering every person who walks in your door, calls your team or shoots you an email into the CRM – and then following up with them to gain the 20 touches it typically requires to convert a prospect to a customer. That kind of discipline is pretty rare, which is why he says most dealerships can benefit from a BDC.

Sam and his team at Garage Composites spoke about CRM in more depth during a powersports customer event in January. But they didn’t just emphasize putting 100% of prospects and customers into it – including the UPS delivery person. They also said failing to do so should be a serious violation of company policy, one with consequences.

CRM was a popular topic in MDCE’s Marketing Track as well. Today’s technology allows us to be highly targeted in our marketing, which tends to be more effective than messaging designed for the masses. Who doesn’t prefer to receive marketing messages that apply directly to our individual interests and preferences? But if you don’t have much prospect and customer data in your CRM, it’s nearly impossible to pull off targeted marketing campaigns.

CRM, CRM, CRM. I can’t escape. In my inbox, in my conversations with my team and with MDCE speakers. Everywhere. I started looking in the mirror. How disciplined have I been in using the MRAA CRM? The answer wasn’t pretty. So, I’m opening up a conversation with the rest of my team about how we all can improve our use of it. Here are the questions we’re asking ourselves – and you may want to ask yourselves too:

    • How does our CRM work? I thought I knew the answer, but it turns out there are several new features that make it much better than it used to be, which will help me use it more. If you haven’t checked in a while, make sure you do.
    • When should I use it? If you believe Sam, the answer is all the time. Not just the sales department, but the service department too. And the marina and boat rental, if you have it. Maybe instead the question should be: When shouldn’t I use it?
    • How do I get my team to use it consistently? If you believe it’s important – and I haven’t found a dealer or expert yet who doesn’t – you have to hold yourself and your employees accountable for using it. That means finding ways to incorporate it into your processes, tracking adherence to those processes, praising those who use it, and introducing coaching and eventually consequences for those who don’t.
    • What information do I include in the CRM? Many dealers focus their CRM notes on products the prospect is interested in or the boat they own right now. However, dealers have the opportunity to strengthen their relationship with the customer by including personal information. How many kids or pets do they have, and what are their names? What do they do for work? What are their hobbies and passions? Use this type of information to transform your follow-up calls in the best possible way.
    • How should I use data from my CRM? The short answer is sales, marketing and coaching. If you’re serious about improving and growing your people and your business, I can’t think of a more powerful tool.

MRAA Releases 2017 Compensation Study Results

MINNEAPOLIS, February 27, 2017 — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced today that it has released its 2017 MRAA Compensation Study results, which detail the compensation ranges for 35 common job descriptions in the retail sector of the marine industry.

 

More than 2,600 position-level responses were collected from a total of 292 retail locations for this in-depth report, which was created in response to an industry-driven desire to identify staffing and compensation trends for retail employees across North America. The results of the study are being shared with the industry through an Executive Summary, a Full Report and a Dynamic Online Compensation Calculator.

 

“After completing a comprehensive workforce assessment in 2016, we heard the message loud and clear that dealers believed that they could not compete with compensation packages from other industries,” explains Matt Gruhn, President of MRAA. “With no comprehensive compensation-related information or resources in our industry, MRAA set out to define compensation levels, benefits packages and more, to provide a baseline for understanding and acting on the workforce challenges we face.”

 

The Full 30-page Compensation Study Report boasts insights into salary and hourly compensation ranges for 35 common marine retail job descriptions. It dives into benefits offered at retail operations, year-over-year compensation increases, additional cash compensation packages, and much more. The study’s Dynamic Online Calculator allows dealers, then, to customize their own compensation research by narrowing their criteria by geographic region, geographic location, revenue size, and more. It also breaks down compensation by 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th percentiles, whereas the full printed report only highlights the 10th, 50th and 90th.

 

“We wanted to ensure that we not only captured relevant data to help MRAA continue to address workforce needs,” Gruhn explains, “but also that the data was useful to the dealer body in identifying and reacting to compensation and benefit trends so they can remain competitive in today’s workforce environment. This calculator provides them an incredible tool along those lines.”

 

You can learn more about the 2017 MRAA Compensation Study here.

 

Those businesses that participated in the survey were emailed a copy of the Executive Summary, a high-level overview of the study, including salary information on the most common dealership positions, as well as a link to the Full Report and Online Calculator and a promo code for a $50 discount on the package.

 

The entire compensation study package can be purchased for just $299, and it includes the Executive Summary, the Full Report and full access to the Online Compensation Calculator, including unlimited searches and reports on unlimited job descriptions and comparisons. MRAA Retail and Partner Members receive a $50 discount if they are logged in upon purchase. The reports can be purchased here.

 

This research was made possible in part by the contributions of SeaDek Marine Products and the ABYC Foundation, who sponsored the effort financially.

 

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.

MDCE 2017 Issues Call for Presentations

MINNEAPOLIS, February 22, 2017 — Organizers of the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo are seeking educational session proposals from potential speakers for the 2017 conference, which will take place Dec. 10-13 in Orlando, Fla.

The information being presented must be applicable to those involved in every facet of marine retailing. The goal is to provide an educational event that gives dealership owners, managers and employees the tools and insight to improve their performance in areas such as sales, leadership, service, marketing, parts, accessories, finance and insurance. The deadline for submissions is March 15.

“The secret to the success of our conference is that we listen to the marine retail community,” says Liz Walz, vice president of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas — which along with Boating Industry magazine co-hosts the annual event. “Our pre-MDCE survey gives us insight into the education that will most impact dealer results in the year ahead, which we use to seek out the leading experts on those topics.”

Conference organizers are looking for presentations and workshops on business topics that are not only timely and informative to the marine sector, but also offer concrete takeaways the audience can bring back and implement into their business.

“To maximize the learning opportunity for attendees, we seek out presenters from a diverse range of backgrounds,” says Jonathan Sweet, editor-in-chief of Boating Industry magazine. “That includes experts from inside and outside the industry whose roles range from consultants, 20 Group moderators and professional speakers to seasoned trainers and marine business owners.”

In total, 640 marine dealers thoughout North America attended MDCE in 2016, which represents an increase of more than 5 percent compared to last year and a new record for the event. The 2016 MDCE featured 36 presenters providing 30-plus educational sessions, including four Educational Tracks: Leadership, Sales, Marketing and Service Plus, and 11 Pre-Conference Workshops. In addition, it offered a Learning Lab, Dealer-to-Dealer Roundtable Discussions, an Innovation Spotlight, numerous networking opportunities and a large Expo Hall with more than 100 exhibitors.

If you have an idea for an educational seminar that would make a meaningful contribution to MDCE 2017 and the presentation skills to entertain and engage the conference’s audience, please submit a proposal or email Liz Walz for additional information. The 2017 conference takes place at the Orlando County Convention Center and will be hosted by the Rosen Centre Hotel and Rosen Plaza Hotel.

About the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo

The marine industry’s only dealer-specific educational conference, MDCE offers an in-depth lineup of educational topics, a full-featured expo hall and a series of fixed networking opportunities, all of which are designed to help marine dealers connect with and learn from others who can foster their success. MDCE is co-produced by MRAA and Boating Industry, and it features Educational Tracks, Pre-Conference Workshops, multiple keynote presentations, the Learning Lab, and Dealer-to-Dealer Roundtable Discussions. The 2017 event will be held Dec. 10-13 at the Orange County Convention Center, Rosen Centre Hotel, and Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit marinedealerconference.com.

About Boating Industry
Boating Industry is the leading trade magazine serving the marine industry. For more than 85 years, boating professionals have turned to Boating Industry for market intelligence, product updates, best practices and industry news. For more information, visit BoatingIndustry.com.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting marine retail businesses, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com.

Industry Invited to Help Shape MDCE 2017

MINNEAPOLIS – Organizers of the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo have begun the planning process for the 2017 agenda, and are looking for input from boating industry professionals to create an educational experience that offers fresh value to all marine retailers.

Take the Pre-MDCE 2017 Attendee Survey Now

2016 was a record setting year for the MDCE, attracting 640 marine retailers, and the goal is to continue to grow by offering education that delivers results for attendees across every department in their business. By taking this survey, you can do your part to shape a brand new program that is engaging, informational and high impact.

Each year, the process of building the MDCE educational lineup begins with a thorough review of the session evaluations from the prior year, post-event CSI surveys and feedback from attendees and the dealers who make up the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas Education Committee.

Organizers then create a pre-event survey designed to identify topics most relevant to and desired by the dealer community. Those results are paired with speaker research and input from MDCE’s annual Call for Presentations to develop each year’s educational lineup.

“What attendees have in common is a desire to improve and grow their businesses,” says Liz Walz, vice president of MRAA, which co-hosts MDCE alongside Boating Industry magazine. “The survey ensures that as marine retailing changes, the education at MDCE changes with it, offering new strategies that dealers can put to work to reach and exceed those goals.”

With educational tracks concentrating on sales, marketing, leadership and service, MDCE serves the entire marine retail community. All are encouraged to take just five minutes to complete the Pre-MDCE 2017 Attendee Survey.

“One of the great things about our industry is that each business is unique,” says Boating Industry Editor-In-Chief Jonathan Sweet. “We want MDCE to provide value to every single attendee, which is why we encourage all to participate.”

The 2017 MDCE will take place from Sunday, Dec. 10 through Wednesday, Dec. 13 at the Orange County Convention Center, Rosen Centre Hotel, and Rosen Plaza Hotel.

About the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo
The marine industry’s only dealer-specific educational conference, MDCE offers an in-depth lineup of educational sessions, a full-featured expo hall and a series of fixed networking opportunities, all of which are designed to help marine dealers connect with and learn from others who can foster their success. MDCE is co-produced by MRAA and Boating Industry, and it features four Educational Tracks, Pre-Conference Workshops, Keynote Presentations, a Learning Lab, Dealer-to-Dealer Roundtable Discussions, and an Innovation Spotlight. For more information, visit MarineDealerConference.com.

About Boating Industry
Boating Industry is the leading trade magazine serving the marine industry. For more than 85 years, boating professionals have turned to for market intelligence, product updates, best practices and industry news. For more information, visit BoatingIndustry.com.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting marine retail businesses, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com.

ARI, MRAA Schedule Digital Marketing Masters Series Webinars

MINNEAPOLIS, February 15, 2017 — ARI and the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced today the winter schedule for their annual Digital Marketing Master Series webinars.

The Digital Marketing Master Series is made up of complimentary, educational webinars available exclusively to MRAA Retail Members. These offerings – which take place monthly throughout the winter and fall – are designed to offer marine dealers a clear ROI for their digital marketing efforts by de-mystifying today’s technology tools to help them sell more boats.

“Given how fast the world of digital marketing is changing, there is great need for insight into what’s working and not working for marine dealers in their outreach to customers and prospects,” says Liz Walz, MRAA Vice President and Director of Education. “The marketing expertise of the ARI team paired with their focus on providing real-world application helps our members do a better job of promoting their businesses, products and services. We’re grateful for their partnership.”

“We are excited to partner with the MRAA as we launch our fourth year of the  Digital Marketing Master Series,” says Justin Di Vilio, ARI Director of Business Development – Marine division “With the ever-changing, ever expanding, world of digital marketing, boat dealers, marinas and service shops often don’t have the internal resources to keep up. A monthly resource like this opens up that digital world to these dealers to help them improve their online presence and sell more boats.”

MRAA Retail Members are notified via email when they can register for upcoming webinars, the recordings of which are made available to members for free within the MRAA Interactive Virtual Training System at MRAATraining.com.

The 2017 Digital Marketing Master Series kicked off on January 31st at 10 a.m. CT, 11 a.m ET with the topic, “Local Search: How to Win at Google’s Game.” Additional webinars, for which topics are still being determined, are scheduled for Feb. 21, Mar. 28, and Apr. 25. Want to suggest a topic? Email your idea to liz@mraa.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 companies that interact with the boater in their community must thrive. MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those businesses, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com.

About ARI
ARI Network Services, Inc. (ARI) (NASDAQ: ARIS) offers an award-winning suite of SaaS, software tools, and marketing services to help dealers, equipment manufacturers and distributors in selected vertical markets Sell More Stuff!™ – online and in-store. Our innovative products are powered by a proprietary data repository of enriched original equipment and aftermarket electronic content spanning more than 17 million active part and accessory SKUs and 750, 000 equipment models. Business is complicated, but we believe our customers’ technology tools don’t have to be. We remove the complexity of selling and servicing new and used vehicle inventory, parts, garments and accessories (PG&A) for customers in the automotive tire and wheel aftermarket, powersports, outdoor power equipment, marine, home medical equipment, recreational vehicles and appliance industries. More than 23, 500 equipment dealers, 195 distributors and 3, 360 brands worldwide leverage our web and eCatalog platforms to Sell More Stuff!™  For more information on ARI, visit investor.arinet.com.

MRAA names new Program Marketing Coordinator

MINNEAPOLIS, February 15, 2017 — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas would like to announce the hiring of Mickaela Giese as the association’s new Program Marketing Coordinator.

After graduating from South Dakota State University with a degree in Consumer Affairs, Mickaela accepted a position within the marketing department at Tige Boats. For the last year, she has been immersed in the marine industry and witnessed firsthand the opportunities and challenges that marine retailers face across the world. She says the time spent with Tige Boats has prepared her for her new position with the association because she now has the necessary skill set needed to support and contribute to the success of marine retailers.

“Mickaela’s past experience and knowledge of the marine industry will be a great asset to the MRAA,” said Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “She not only has inside knowledge of the boating industry, but she has also already proven a knack for working with and supporting dealers on a daily basis. Her eye for details and fresh perspective will be a great benefit to the MRAA team.”

In her previous position, one of Mickaela’s main responsibilities was to connect with marine dealerships in order to learn how to best reach their ideal customers. She intends to take this knowledge and implement it throughout the marketing efforts produced by the MRAA.

“I am ready to become a strong voice for the MRAA and the marine industry,” she says. “I understand that providing a solid platform of information will allow those within the industry to have the opportunity to grow and connect — and sell more boats.”

Mickaela has recently relocated from Abilene, Texas, to the Twin Cities and is looking forward to exploring her new neighborhood with her friends, family and puppy.

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.

The Dreaded Job Description

We rarely get pushback from dealers on the need for job descriptions. However, this one requirement often slows down a dealer’s completion of their Certification checklist. For some reason, creating and updating job descriptions ranks right up there with cleaning out the head — except when it comes to the person whose job description is in question.

You might be one of the many dealers who doesn’t have job descriptions already created, in which case you’re likely thinking to yourself: “Where do I start?” Simple. If you’re an MRAA member, you have free access to 50-plus job descriptions in the MRAA Rewards Career Center. These descriptions are available as Word files for easy editing. For instance, if you have a Parts & Service Manager, we have separate descriptions for a Parts Manager and a Service Manage that you can merge. Just copy and paste them into one document to build a unique job description. Once you have reviewed and edited the document, share it with the employee and have them help you finalize the details.

One of the dealer best practices we have identified is to get your employees involved in the creation of their own job description. How? Incorporate it into their performance review, which, of course, is an important part of employee development and retention.

Updating job descriptions during a performance review is a surprisingly effective way to get productive conversation moving between the employee and their supervisor. Simply share the employee’s current job description or one just conceived for them and ask them to review the duties. Have them let you know if they are responsible for tasks that aren’t accounted for in your description, or if they aren’t responsible for certain functions listed in the document. This should lead to useful conversation, and the job description can be updated on the spot. Bonus: It’s much more pleasant than cleaning out the head, and gets your employees more involved in the coaching process.

Don’t forget to co-sign the description with your employee, and date it so you don’t confuse it with older versions.

Lastly, if you haven’t bought in to the idea of job descriptions already, here are several additional areas where they can move the needle for your business:

·       Interviewing/hiring

·       Onboarding

·       Goal setting

·       Career path development

·       Employee training/development plans

·       Cross-training

·       Performance improvement

·       Employee satisfaction and retention

 

As always, if you still have questions, concerns or get stuck with anything boat dealer-related, contact us at the MRAA, and we’ll do our best to get you the help you need.

MDCE Sets Dealer Attendance Record

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 10, 2017 — The final attendance numbers are in, and organizers of the 2016 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo – which took place Dec. 5-8 at the Orange County Convention Center and Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando – are thrilled with their results.

In total, 640 marine dealers attended MDCE 2016, which represents an increase of more than 5 percent compared to last year and a new record for the event. The 2016 MDCE featured 30-plus educational sessions, including four Educational Tracks: Leadership, Sales, Marketing and Service Plus, and 11 Pre-Conference Workshops. Organizers also added a Breakfast Keynote speech to the traditional Opening and Closing Keynote addresses, more than two-dozen Dealer-to-Dealer Roundtable Discussions, an Innovation Spotlight and more Learning Lab experts than ever before to this year’s event. Taking the stage to present this education were 36 presenters, including experts in nearly every facet of marine retailing.

“While we are delighted that the show attracted record numbers of retailers, the real measurement of MDCE’s success is in the results dealers achieve in the year ahead,” said Liz Walz, vice president and director of education for the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, which co-produces the annual event with Boating Industry magazine. “We are optimistic about those results as attendees’ session evaluations – which ask about the usability of what they learned – also hit a record high this year.”

In addition to its educational offerings, the 2016 MDCE featured more than 100 booths in its Expo Hall, staffed by more than 436 manufacturer and supplier representatives.  

“What dealers, exhibitors and speakers are telling us,” said Boating Industry Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Sweet, “is that MDCE 2016 brought them together to learn and build connections like never before.”

About the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo
The marine industry’s only dealer-specific educational conference, MDCE offers an in-depth lineup of educational sessions, a full-featured expo hall and a series of fixed networking opportunities, all of which are designed to help marine dealers connect with and learn from others who can foster their success. MDCE is co-produced by MRAA and Boating Industry, and it features four Educational Tracks, 11 Pre-Conference Workshops, three Keynote Presentations, a Learning Lab, Dealer-to-Dealer Roundtable Discussions, and an Innovation Spotlight. For more information, visit MarineDealerConference.com.

About Boating Industry
Boating Industry is the leading trade magazine serving the marine industry. For more than 85 years, boating professionals have turned to Boating Industry for market intelligence, product updates, best practices and industry news. For more information, visit BoatingIndustry.com.

About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting marine retail businesses, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com.