MDCE Launches Special VIP Kit Promotion

Register your team for MDCE before Aug. 31 and receive an exclusive planning guide

Register for the 2016 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo before Aug. 31 and receive a comprehensive VIP Event Planning Kit, offering numerous opportunities to maximize your team’s success while in Orlando.

 

Designed to help marine retailers customize their MDCE experience, the VIP Kit will guide attendees through every aspect of the show, from its Expo Hall and networking events to its speakers and educational offerings. That includes three Keynote Presentations, 11 Pre-Conference Workshops, four Educational Tracks (Leadership, Sales, Marketing and Service Plus), the MDCE Learning Lab, Dealer-to-Dealer Roundtable Discussions, Dealer Case Studies, numerous special events, networking receptions and meals, and more than 100 exhibits. It also will offer special discounts on local attractions, books, virtual training and other speaker resources.

 

“Each year, we add to the value we offer MDCE attendees, and the VIP Event Planning Kit helps marine retailers plug into the show features that will be most impactful for their business,” MRAA Vice President Liz Walz said. “With so many options to choose from at MDCE, this package of resources will help attendees spend their time on the offerings that will get them to their education and networking goals the fastest.”

 

The VIP Event Planning Kit will be delivered to attendees electronically the week prior to the 2016 MDCE, which will take place Dec. 5-8 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.

 

“We’re focused on making the VIP Event Planning Kit a valuable, intuitive guide to the entire MDCE experience,” Jonathan Sweet, editor of Boating Industry, said. “It’s the only way to get insider tips and tricks to help your team maximize their time at this year’s show.”

 

Those registering before Aug. 31 will enjoy:

·       An advance copy of the MDCE On-Site Directory, featuring the most comprehensive MDCE details available, such as the Floor Plan & Exhibitor Guide

·       A detailed overview of the educational schedule, content and speakers to assist in show planning;

·       Exclusive discounts on books, virtual training and other MDCE speaker resources;

·       An “Experience Orlando” package crammed with savings on attractions throughout the Orlando area;

·       A trade show handbook to help you make the most of your time on the Expo Hall floor;

·       Expert strategies for networking so you won’t miss out on any new connections; and

·       A comprehensive guide to MDCE, including everything that’s new, session descriptions, speaker profiles and so much more.

MDCE attracted a total of 1,147 marine industry professionals in 2015, one of its largest audiences to date. Building on that momentum, early retail registrations for the 2016 conference have already set a new record. This, coupled with its December date range – three weeks later than the event’s traditional time frame – has put MDCE 2016 on track to see its highest attendance to date.

 

Retailers who register for MDCE 2016 before the Sept. 23 Early Bird Deadline save $25 off standard rates; MRAA members save an additional $75. Learn more and register at MarineDealerConference.com.

 

MRAA Recommended Reading: The Founder’s Mentality

What’s YOUR team’s mentality? 

In the case of nearly every successful small business, there’s a story of a visionary founder with big dreams of making a difference. Those stories are the epitome of the American dream. Find a niche. Start a business. Become successful. And live happily ever after.

Your business likely has that story. But there are also the stories we don’t like to tell. The stories of how, somewhere between start-up and happily ever after, our growth complicated our businesses and caused challenges that weren’t quite so fun.

All businesses that survive start-up phase face these challenges. They’re inevitable. They’re predictable. And, in the thick of it, they can feel insurmountable.

But they’re not.

In their new book, The Founder’s Mentality, authors Chris Zook and James Allen explain this phenomenon quite succinctly. They say that growth leads to complexity, and that complexity stifles the very growth businesses are seeking. This, in turn, can lead to overload, stall-out, or worse, free fall for the business.

Depending on the maturity level of your business, you’ve either already experienced one of these symptoms, or it could be waiting for you around the next corner. The point of the book, however, is that while external forces like competition, recessions, or technological advancements can certainly exacerbate business woes, most headwinds we face are due to internal challenges that can be predicted, prevented and overcome.

How? By staying true to the founder’s mentality — the moral of your story of the American dream.

In this book, the authors create a compelling case for reinvigorating your business by fostering the mentality of the founder. They explain the dangers that business complexity creates: overload, stall-out and free-fall. They provide practical tactics for overcoming each of these issues. And best of all, they provide a leader’s guide to “infusing the founder’s mentality at all levels of your organization.”

This book, which was just published earlier this year, can be a great tool for you and your business. No matter where your business is at in its lifecycle, there are solid principles you can apply to your everyday business.

It’s the founding mission of your business and the blood, sweat and tears to support it that have led you to great success. Use this book to help your employees tune into that same passion so they can be motivated by the same insurgent mindset that helped you become successful in the first place.

Your start-up story is a great one. The story of how you overcame the challenges of growth can be, as well. This book will show you how.

The Newest Class of Certified Dealers

The only standardized training curriculum dedicated exclusively to marine retailers, boat dealerships enrolled in the Marine Industry Certified Dealership Program unlock access to a variety of preferred benefits — including a dynamic library of interactive training materials and a personalized consultant to help navigate the process.

outpace those of their non-Certified peers, and customers repeatedly report better buying experiences at Certified dealerships.

Most boat dealers completing the MICD program will tell you earning Five Star Certified status can be challenging.  Just ask Tom Whowell of Gordy’s Marine — named the No. 1 dealer in North America two years running by Boating Industry magazine.

A pair of marketing partnerships with Boating magazine and Discover Boating recently advertised the MICD Program to more than 250,000 print , online and social media consumers, and an ongoing series of case studies are being produced during 2016 to illustrate the program’s effectiveness. One such case study highlighted Oak Hill Marina and owners Jake Jostand and Tim Sather — two of the youngest principals in the industry today.

Marine dealerships not enrolled in the MICD Program are, they say, missing a potential opportunity to standardize their processes, create accountability mechanisms and modernize their sales departments.

“The Certification process gives us a basis point to judge ourselves against — and it keeps us on the right track,” Jake said.

Marine retailers interested in learning more about the MICD Program can visit www.MRAA.com/Dealer_Certification or email Liz Marsha at LizM@mraa.com

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Reed’s Marine: The Art of Succession Planning

The lunch crowd’s last stragglers offer a wave and nod as Bill Gage walks swiftly through his restaurant and selects a seat inside a plush corner booth with a picture window view of Lake Geneva. He sits down, inspects the silverware for spots (there were none) and jokes about how he inherited an eye for detail from his dad.

Bill’s first job was scrubbing boats and pumping gas at Gage Marine. As a teenager he diversified to learn other areas of the family business — all under the watchful, tutoring eye of his father. After earning a business degree and spending more than a decade in the corporate world working in New York, LA and London, Bill returned to eastern Wisconsin for what he insists was a life opportunity — not money.

“I told my dad I hope it’s the best pay cut I ever take,” Bill laughed. “I’m kidding, of course. Wisconsin is a great place, and the Midwest values are something wholesome and simple and I’m glad to be from here.”

Unexpectedly losing his dad to cancer soon after taking the reins of Gage Marine suddenly left Bill with more questions than answers, but a well-trained staff, support from fellow dealers (even “competitors”) and a drive to carry on the family legacy provided the three-legged stool he needed to succeed. 

“There were responsibilities I didn’t have my dad’s mentorship, guidance and leadership for,” Bill said. “Joining a 20 Group was helpful, and as MRAA came along I found it useful to help with processes and to make things that aren’t just forgotten — but can be repeated.” 

Today, business at Gage Marine remains strong: boat sales are up north of 12 percent year-over-year, and Bill’s outlook for 2016 and beyond is “very optimistic.”

But Bill stresses Gage Marine does far more than “just” sell boats. The sprawling lakefront property boasts an award-winning restaurant, modern service center, inviting gift shop and complete pier services. Slip vacancy has been extremely limited, and the Pier 290 Restaurant has become one of the area’s best places to find a fresh meal and welcoming company.

Oh, and lest we forget the USPS mail boat moored at Gage Marine and which this year celebrates a century of delivering parcels and packages to lake residents — 75 of which still rely on the The Walworth for their “snail mail.” 

Gage Marine recently hosted a 100th birthday party for the historic vessel, and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo visited Gage Marine after the celebration for a special celebrity jump. (click here to see more)

Gage Marine has been a member of MRAA since 1988, and Bill stressed the online resources, professional network and “having someone answer the phone when you call” make the annual decision to renew one of the easiest he makes during the course of a year.

“Joining MRAA may not guarantee your success, but I believe it’s a great part of it,” Bill said. “We find, through MRAA, resources that we can fall back on and help train our staff, stay in business and ultimately being as successful as we can be.”

Protective Asset Protection Attains Platinum Partnership Status with MRAA

Offering protection for stern drive, inboard, outboard, diesel and personal watercraft such as Jet Skis, Protective Asset Protection serves thousands of marine, automotive, power sports and RV dealerships throughout the United States. The company was recently recognized with a 2016 Dealers’ Choice Award by Auto Trader Today, and hosts a full menu of interactive training.

With more than 30 years of providing customized F&I solutions for marine retailers, Protective Asset Protection has paid out more than $2 billion in claims and has 3.3 million active customer contracts. Currently carrying a dynamic portfolio of marine protection plans, guranteed asset protection and tire and wheel protection, Protective Asset Protection is focused on helping marine dealers’ customers enjoy greater peace of mind. 

Protective Asset Protection 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.

Boaterz ‘n Bikerz Hull of a Tour3 is Revving Up for 2016 “Pacific Coast Rush”

 

Boaterz ‘n Bikerz Hull of a Tour3 is

Revving Up for 2016 “Pacific Coast Rush”

 

June 30, 2016, Venice, FL – Boating industry bikers are throttling up for the upcoming “Pacific Coast Rush,” a week-long escorted motorcycle tour from Seattle, WA to San Francisco, CA, including a two-day swing down to Big Sur and Monterey.

As part of the “Boaterz n Bikerz of America Hull of a Tour” series originally launched in 2011, this summer’s event kicks off July 23 and features a full week of scenic mountain and waterway riding including stretches along the famed Pacific Coast Highway. This year’s tour brings together boating industry and motorcycle enthusiasts confirmed to date from Florida, Ohio, Washington State and California. It is sponsored for the second year by Freedom Boat Club, along with marine media sponsor Soundings Trade Only, platinum sponsor Regal Boats, event, producer/publicist Kenton Smith Marketing, and boating host/marine retailer Alexander Marine USA.    

 “Pacific Coast Rush is going to be awesome, launching amid the spectacular mountains of the great Northwest, then traveling south via the most stunning coastal roads of California, with rides along the rim of Crater Lake in Oregon and winding through the majestic Redwoods, encompassing multiple beach and iconic west coast destinations,” said Hull of a Tour Event Organizer Wanda Kenton Smith. “Our first tour in 2011 traveled 3000 miles from Destin, Florida to San Diego, CA, while last year’s Freedom Ride covered 2000 miles from Sarasota, Florida to Washington DC. This year, our road captain Jim Krueger of Regal Marine has planned another 2000-mile boating and motorcycling extravaganza that covers some of the most breathtaking geography and terrain in all of North America.”

As is tradition, boating activity is an integral part of the tour agenda.

”Previous tours have included a sunset ride aboard a 90-ft. party boat in Texas, San Diego bay cruises aboard a new Beneteau sailboat and new power yacht, and last year, one of the highlights was watching a command performance of the Blue Angels aboard deckboats in Annapolis, courtesy of Freedom Boat Club. This year, the tour is pleased to partner with and welcome both Regal Marine and its Northwest retailer, Alexander Marine USA. They are hosting our group for a scenic brunch cruise and tour launch in Seattle. We’re working to finalize one or two more boating stops along the route and welcome West Coast opportunities.”

The Boaterz ‘n Bikerz Hull of a Tour3 “Pacific Coast Rush” is designed for seasoned motorcyclists with group riding experience. The tour is restricted to those gainfully employed or retired from the boating industry, and their sponsored guests; friends are welcome to join so long as an industry rider is participating.  

“It’s no too late … we welcome any boating industry folks who would like to join us for a day, or for the entire tour,” said Kenton Smith. “Half the fun is making new friends who share our love of boating and motorcycling, so we welcome all who would like to be part of this year’s very exciting adventure.”

Hull of a Tour offers nationally discounted group rental rates through Eagle Rider, along with pre-negotiated round trip Florida-Seattle-San Francisco transport/courier options for motorcycle hauling. A dozen motorcycles have already been booked for the Florida transport.

Previous tour events have attracted national media attention with coverage in boating, motorcycle and general media, along with regional TV and local news. Kenton Smith, national marketing columnist for Soundings Trade Only since 1998, will post daily tour blogs throughout the event and has been commissioned to write a major feature story for Born to Ride Magazine.  

For tour/hotel information along with required ride waiver, email Kenton Smith – wanda@freedomboatclub.com and/or request membership in the exclusive Hull of a Tour Facebook Group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/HullofaTour/ 

 

Contact: Wanda Kenton Smith
wanda@kentonsmithmarketing.com
(407) 697-8055

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Meet MRAA’s New Membership and Benefits Specialist