MRAA Awards Three Technical Scholarships

Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College, Broward College and WyoTech Daytona were selected as recipients of the 2014 MRAA Technical Scholarships. Scholarship winners were announced by MRAA Educational Foundation board member Jeff Siems of Blue Springs Marine on Wednesday morning, Nov. 19, during the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo Awards Breakfast at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla.

Each of the three schools received a $3,000 scholarship to help train students for technical careers in the recreational boating industry.

“Developing new talent is of the utmost importance for our retail marine businesses to grow and thrive,” says Liz Walz, MRAA director of education and executive director of the MRAA Educational Foundation. “As we recover from the country’s recent economic downturn, we see a growing demand for marine service — and we need qualified technicians to fill those open service positions. The aim of these scholarships is to help bring newcomers into the fold and educate them to become the outstanding service employees of tomorrow.”

For the first time this year, MRAA reached out to nearly 40 marine technical programs across North America, inviting them to apply for the 2014 scholarships. After reviewing the applications, the MRAA Educational Foundation decided to award not two, but three scholarships to technical colleges firmly committed to expanding their marine technical offerings and graduating an impressive number of qualified marine technicians annually.

Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College offers a one-and-a-half-year program that trains students to repair marine engines and boat systems. Not only does the school’s training take place on running motors, but the curriculum also makes a point of having students work with local marine businesses to provide real-world experience. Wisconsin Indianhead is a member of the American Boat & Yacht Council and Association of Marine Technicians, and its program graduates between 11 and 20 students each year.

Florida’s Broward College provides students with a 24-month Marine Engineering Management degree to prepare graduates for a career in large yacht maintenance, repair and retrofit. Students typically are employed in boatyards working on multi-million-dollar vessels using the latest equipment and technology. The curriculum was developed in cooperation with ABYC and the Marine Industries Association of South Florida and graduates 20-plus students per year.

WyoTech Daytona offers students a nine-month program designed to help graduates enter the marine repair industry as entry-level technicians. The program focuses on propulsion systems but also covers electrical, electronic and mechanical systems, and typically graduates 20-plus students annually.

The MRAA Technical Scholarship Fund was founded to offer financial assistance for technical training of dealership personnel and was initially underwritten by the OMC Foundation. Any educational institution that provides recreational marine industry technical training is eligible to apply.

For more information, contact Liz Walz at 315-692-4533 or liz@mraa.com.

About MRAA Educational Foundation
As part of its mission to create a strong and healthy boating industry, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is committed to offering training, education and professional development opportunities to its members and the entire marine dealer community. In 2004, the association launched the MRAA Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 corporation, to provide financial support for education, training and professional development in the recreational marine trades. For more information, visit MRAA.com/foundation.

About 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. Those businesses determine the boater’s experience and are the leading factor in the industry’s success. The 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.

Mary Jo Goettling Selected as Duane Spader Scholarship Recipient

Mary Jo Goettling, sales manager of Blue Springs Marine in Blue Springs, Mo. has been selected as the recipient of the second annual Duane Spader Leadership Development Scholarship. The scholarship was presented to Goettling Wednesday morning, Nov. 19, during the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo Awards Breakfast at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla.

During the scholarship presentation, MRAA Educational Foundation Board President Ed Lofgren of 3A Marine Service Inc. shared with audience members that while Goettling may not have grown up in the boating industry, she quickly fell in love with the boating business when she started at Blue Springs Marine back in 2005 and wasted no time ingratiating her family into the boating lifestyle.

“Ultimately, her passion for people — customers and team members alike, combined with her skills and experience — have brought her much success; and with that success, she has become a leader and manager for her dealership,” Lofgren said during the award presentation.

The Duane Spader Leadership Development Scholarship was founded by Spader Business Management and the MRAA Educational Foundation in 2013 to honor the marine industry service of Spader founder Duane Spader, as well as his leadership philosophy of lifelong learning. The recipient receives full tuition to attend the Spader Leadership Development Program, valued at $14,875. Applicants must be employees of a Marine Retailers Association of the Americas retail member.

“While every applicant this year was very worthy, Mary Jo stood out because of her strong desire to continuously improve herself, her dealership and the industry as a whole,” says David Spader, the program’s principal trainer.

The Spader Leadership Development Program is a 15- to 18-month program for current and future leaders that involves five, three-day sessions in Sioux Falls, S.D. In between sessions, participants are tasked with putting what they’ve learned to work in their dealership and tracking the results of those efforts.
“It’s absolutely thrilling to present this unique learning and growth opportunity to a rising female star in the marine industry,” says Liz Walz, MRAA director of education and executive director of the MRAA Educational Foundation. “Mary Jo is at a pivotal point in her career, where’s she’s on track to keep advancing to the highest levels of management and leadership. This scholarship to attend Spader Business Management’s Leader Development Program is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for her to further develop her current skill sets, learn new ones, and continue elevating to the most elite ranks of the retail marine industry.”

In her scholarship application, Goettling says she’s anxious to learn and grow within the marine industry and looks forward to contributing to a bright future for Blue Springs Marine.

“Forging my own path as a rookie and a woman in this industry has not been easy, but I work hard, persevere, and endure the trials to improve not only myself as a person, but also to further our dealership’s reputation, profitability and growth potential,” Goettling writes. “I am confident this scholarship program will equip me with the tools to achieve many of my goals.”

For more information, contact Liz Walz at 315-692-4533 or liz@mraa.com.

About MRAA Educational Foundation
As part of its mission to create a strong and healthy boating industry, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is committed to offering training, education and professional development opportunities to its members and the entire marine dealer community. In 2004, the association launched the MRAA Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 corporation, to provide financial support for education, training and professional development in the recreational marine trades. For more information, visit MRAA.com/foundation.

About 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. Those businesses determine the boater’s experience and are the leading factor in the industry’s success. The 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.

Martin Boyer and Kathy Bense Receive 2014 Kevin Lodder Scholarship

Martin Boyer, vice president and general manager of Austin Boats & Motors in Lakeway, Texas, and Kathy Bense, co-owner of Superior Boat Repair & Sales in Rancho Cordova, Calif., each were selected as recipients of the 2014 Kevin Lodder Scholarship. The scholarships were presented to Boyer and Bense by MRAA Educational Foundation board member Matt Lodder of Lodder’s Marine Wednesday morning, Nov. 19, during the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo Awards Breakfast at the Rosen Centre Hotel, Fla.

The Kevin Lodder Scholarship Fund, which was founded in memory of Kevin Lodder of Lodder’s Marine in Fairfield, Ohio, provides a full scholarship to attend a weeklong Spader Business Management Total Management 1 Workshop to an employee of a MRAA Retail Member.

“Congratulations to both Martin and Kathy on earning this incredible opportunity to learn and grow even more in their already-successful marine industry careers,” says Liz Walz, MRAA director of education and executive director of the MRAA Educational Foundation. “The skills they’ll take away from Spader’s Total Management 1 Workshop will serve to benefit their dealerships tremendously, not to mention what it will do for them each personally, as managers in their individual organizations.”

Boyer began his career with Austin Boats & Motors at age 15, working the wash rack and detailing boats. While still in high school, he transitioned into the service side of the business, repairing personal watercraft and continuing to manage the dealership’s lot porter duties. From service he made the leap into sales, and at just 21 years old he became a record-setting salesman; he still holds the dealership’s all-time record for selling 37 boats in one month. After college, Boyer decided to stay on at the dealership, eventually talking over as general manager at just 24 years old.

“Martin’s commitment to the marine industry is evident in several ways,” writes Austin Boats & Motors’ Donna Parker, in her application nominating Boyer for the scholarship. “Today, as vice president and partial owner of the corporation, his knowledge and expertise in marketing and finance has aided our company in being successful. Martin’s youthful leadership has moved us into internet markets and social media years ahead of our competitors. His knowledge of all areas of the marine business is invaluable for our company.”

Bense and her husband, Bob, have had a love affair — literally — with the marine industry. The couple’s first date in 1982 was to the Sacramento Boat Show (for which Bob’s then-boss gave him free tickets), and for the next 31 years, the pair has been firmly rooted in the business of boat sales and service. After decades working with Correct Craft, Bob lost his job in the 2009 downturn, and as a result of their unexpected life change, Bob and Kathy decided to open up a dealership of their very own; a partnership in life and work. That year, the Benses christened what would eventually become Superior Boat Repair & Sales, first as a service center and boat storage facility, and graduating to become the region’s major Nautique dealer — a full-circle return to Bob’s Correct Craft roots. Today, Kathy and Bob work side-by-side in the business, and their efforts and determination have paid off; Superior has been a Boating Industry Top 100 Dealer for the last two years running, and Kathy seeks to further her knowledge of and commitment to the industry by exploring educational opportunities like that afforded by the Lodder Scholarship.

“Over the last few years, I’ve learned a lot about managing a boat dealership and all that it entails, but I have so much more to learn,” writes Bense in her scholarship application. “I will take what I learn during the workshop and use that knowledge to improve the quality of our dealership and the lives of all who work here. Ultimately, it’s our goal to get more people out on the water on their own boat; we hope the information I obtain at the Spader Total Management 1 Workshop will help me achieve this goal.”

The Total Management Workshop details skills that will increase profits, stability and growth for the dealership. Attendees leave the workshop with a clear set of principles, processes and tools to take their company to new levels of performance and profitability.

Any employee of an MRAA dealership member is eligible to apply for the Kevin Lodder Scholarship, which is valued at nearly $3,800. The scholarship includes the registration fee for the workshop ($2,995) and a travel allowance of $800.

For more information, contact Liz Walz at 315-692-4533 or liz@mraa.com.

About MRAA Educational Foundation
As part of its mission to create a strong and healthy boating industry, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is committed to offering training, education and professional development opportunities to its members and the entire marine dealer community. In 2004, the association launched the MRAA Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 corporation, to provide financial support for education, training and professional development in the recreational marine trades. For more information, visit MRAA.com/foundation.

About 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. Those businesses determine the boater’s experience and are the leading factor in the industry’s success. The 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.

Ethan Vorchheimer and Frank Didonato Receive ABYC Technical Scholarships

Ethan Vorchheimer from Ess-Kay Yards Inc. in Brewerton, N.Y., and Frank Didonato from Port Harbor Marine in South Portland, Maine, were selected as recipients of a pair of scholarships sponsored by the MRAA Educational Foundation and American Boat & Yacht Council. The scholarships were presented to Vorchheimer and Didonato by MRAA Educational Foundation President Ed Lofgren of 3A Marine Service Inc. Nov. 19, during the annual Marine Dealer Conference & Expo Awards Breakfast at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla.

Vorchheimer received the ABYC Basic Scholarship, which provides complimentary access to ABYC’s Introduction to Basic Marine Electric & Corrosion Protection, a four-day course that addresses fundamental electrical theory. It is valued at $985.

Didonato took home the ABYC Advanced Scholarship, which grants him complimentary access to one of ABYC’s Marine Certifications, which include Marine Systems, Marine Electrical, Marine Corrosion, ABYC Standards, Marine Diesel Engines, Marine Gasoline Engines, Marine Composites, and Marine A/C-Refrigeration Certification. These also are four-day courses, valued at up to $1,170 each.

“ABYC believes that boat owners should have access to the best service possible,” says John Adey, ABYC president. “Offering scholarships to dealership employees is one way of enhancing the customers’ service experience, one ABYC Certified technician at a time. Congratulations to Ethan and Frank; we wish them both well as they start their courses and continue providing exemplary service to their respective dealerships’ customer base.”

The ABYC Scholarships were founded to offer financial assistance for technical training and certification of dealership personnel. Employees of MRAA Retail Members are eligible to apply for the ABYC Basic and Advanced scholarships.

For more information, contact Liz Walz at 315-692-4533 or liz@mraa.com.

About MRAA Educational Foundation
As part of its mission to create a strong and healthy boating industry, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is committed to offering training, education and professional development opportunities to its members and the entire marine dealer community. In 2004, the association launched the MRAA Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 corporation, to provide financial support for education, training and professional development in the recreational marine trades. For more information, visit MRAA.com/foundation.

About 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. Those businesses determine the boater’s experience and are the leading factor in the industry’s success. The 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.

BoatUS President Margaret Podlich Named 2014 Darlene Briggs Woman of the Year

Margaret Podlich, president of the Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), the nation’s largest boat owners’ association with more than 500,000 members, was named the 2014 Darlene Briggs Woman of the Year. Podlich was honored Wednesday morning, Nov. 19, during the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo Awards Breakfast at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla. The Darlene Briggs Woman of the Year Award is presented annually to an outstanding woman in the marine industry.

For the past 20 years, Podlich has served in various capacities for BoatUS, working her way up to the presidency in 2011. She began her two-decades-long career with the association back in 1994, when she was recruited by BoatUS to run its then-new, non-profit BoatUS Clean Water Trust. In 2005, Podlich was promoted to the position of vice president of government affairs. She ascended to BoatUS’ top position more than three years ago, overseeing the group’s membership activities, recruitment and retention efforts, government affairs and lobbying responsibilities, and consumer and public affairs, among other responsibilities.

Podlich is active beyond her BoatUS duties with organizations such as the Recreational Boating Leadership Council and the American Boat & Yacht Council, where she currently sits on the ABYC Board of Directors. She also served one term on the U.S. Coast Guard’s Boating Safety Advisory Council, ending in 2011.

A lifelong boater, Podlich was raised in a sailing family. After racing in college while attending Tulane University, she competed in a wide range of national and international events, including finishing fourth in the 2011 Rolex Women’s International Keelboat Regatta. In 2006, she also was a member of the three-woman Yngling Team Cronin sailing crew that competed for a place on the U.S. Olympic Sailing Team for the 2008 Beijing Summer Games.

“To be in the select group of women who have received this award before me — who build, sell, service and provide ‘homes’ to the boats that are critical to our half-million members — is very humbling,” says Podlich. “Folks like Volvo’s Marcia Kull and Grady-White Boats’ Kris Carroll have shown great leadership and prove there are successful career paths for women in recreational boating. I hope the industry recognizes that today, women play a central and growing role, and can offer a valuable perspective when it comes to increasing our customer base.”

The recipient of the Darlene Briggs Woman of the Year Award demonstrates leadership and commitment to the boating business. Recipients also must show a willingness to volunteer their time and effort in their communities and social organizations.

The award was established in 1987 in honor of Darlene Briggs of Wayzata Marine in Wayzata, Minn., who exemplified these qualities, serving as the first retail marine saleswoman in Minnesota and the first female member of her state marine trades association. It is sponsored by the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and Boating Industry magazine.

At the event, Boating Industry’s national sales director Kathy Johnson introduced the 2007 Darlene Briggs Award winner, Marcia Kull, vice president of Volvo Penta of the Americas, who presented the award to Podlich. Podlich received a trophy furnished by Boating Industry, which will publicize the presentation and feature Podlich in an upcoming issue of the magazine following the event.

“Margaret’s passion for boating is evident in all she pursues, and she directly translates that passion into action that ensures safe and available boating access for all boaters,” says Kull. “She promotes and protects boating on both a national and regional basis, and works with a wide variety of stakeholders to solve issues facing the boating community tirelessly and enthusiastically. She is an incredible person and thoroughly deserving of the honor of being named the Darlene Briggs Woman of the Year.”

Past recipients include: Rallee Chupich of Gordy’s Lakefront Marine; Debbie Meigs of Cobalt Boats; Jewell “Julie” Crowe of Crowe Marine; Barbara Woodard of Woodard Marine; Nancy Smith of Colorado Boat Center; Ann Baldree of Marine Products Corp.; Marcia Kull of Volvo Penta; Joan Maxwell of Regulator Marine Inc.; Kris Carroll of Grady-White Boats; Lynn Fiorenzano of Silver Spring Marine; and Maureen Dickson of Cap Sante Marine.

For more information, contact Liz Walz at 315-692-4533 or liz@mraa.com.

About MRAA Educational Foundation
As part of its mission to create a strong and healthy boating industry, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is committed to offering training, education and professional development opportunities to its members and the entire marine dealer community. In 2004, the association launched the MRAA Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 corporation, to provide financial support for education, training and professional development in the recreational marine trades. For more information, visit MRAA.com/foundation.

About 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. Those businesses determine the boater’s experience and are the leading factor in the industry’s success. The 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.

MDCE Scores Home Run With 2014 Pre-Conference Workshops

More than 200 dealers signed up to participate in yesterday’s MDCE Pre-Conference Workshops, the unofficial kick-off of the 2014 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, which runs Nov. 16-19 at the Orange County Convention Center and Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla.

The seven morning sessions were well attended by 213 dealers eager to learn about everything from sales and marketing strategies to social media and video editing.

After a successful initial launch in 2013, MDCE organizers decided to bring back the Pre-Conference Workshops for the 2014 event. The workshops give marine retailers access to hands-on training with leading experts in areas that have the biggest impact on their future success.

“In 2013, dealers rated the workshops higher than any other aspect of the MDCE education,” says Liz Walz, director of education for the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, which produces the annual event in partnership with Boating Industry. “When the results are tallied, I expect this year’s workshops to be just as powerful for attendees, if not more so.”

This year’s workshop topics included leadership, sales, marketing, social media, succession planning, video production and editing, and the service department. Each workshop featured takeaways (job descriptions, workbooks/guidebooks, report cards, tip sheets, etc.) to help attendees implement what they learned in the pre-conference sessions without delay upon returning to their respective dealerships.

“The Pre-Conference Workshops give MDCE attendees a chance to dig deeper into several subject areas they have previously identified as being critical to their business success,” says Boating Industry editor-in-chief Jonathan Sweet. “It’s an educational opportunity unlike any other we offer here at the conference, and attendees that chose to take advantage of the Pre-Conference Workshops report satisfaction and enthusiasm for implementing and sharing what they learned back at the dealership upon their return home from the conference.”

The 2014 MDCE feature more than 30 educational sessions in all, the most the event has ever offered, including seven Pre-Conference Workshops. The conference has traditionally included three educational tracks, but in 2014, it has expanded to four tracks: Leadership, Sales, Marketing and Service Plus. A Closing Keynote address also has been added this year.

The MDCE has attracted an increasing number of dealers every year since 2007. MRAA’s goal is to grow the event to more than 1,000 dealer attendees. To learn more, visit MRAA.com/MDCE.

About the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo
The Marine Dealer Conference & Expo is the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas’ annual conference and member meeting. As the marine industry’s only dealer-specific educational conference, the 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. The MDCE is co-produced by MRAA and Boating Industry, and it features Pre-Conference Workshops, Opening and Closing Keynote presentations, four tracks of educational content and more than 30 sessions. It will be held Nov. 16-19 at the Orange County Convention Center and Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit MRAA.com/MDCE.

MRAA Introduces MRAA Rewards Career Center

The Marine Retailers Association of the America, in partnership with the American Boat & Yacht Council, announced today the launch of an all-new marine industry career center, an online resource that seeks to connect job seekers with marine industry businesses.

Found at www.mraa.com/careercenter, this new resource will provide the opportunity for businesses to post job openings and find a number of tools to help them do a better job of hiring and managing employees. Simultaneously, it will allow job seekers to look through open positions and post resumes to the resume bank.

“Our members have asked us repeatedly for a place they can go to help them find qualified job seekers, and we expect that this resource will deliver that for them,” says Matt Gruhn, president of MRAA. “We believe that the partnership with ABYC will be very valuable in that they will bring qualified, and oftentimes ABYC-Certified job seekers into the conversation, giving us the ability to create a match between leading candidates and leading businesses.”

The MRAA Rewards Career Center currently includes a link for employers to post jobs and view resumes; connect with marine schools that are educating future industry employees; and a database of job descriptions that MRAA members can tap into and use for their own operations. It also includes links that enable job seekers to view job postings and find resources that will help them do a better job of presenting themselves to potential employers.

MRAA has plans to build out the tools and resources available through the career center to offer employers more opportunities to find success with hiring and managing employees. The job listings and resume bank will remain the focal point of the career center as MRAA builds up and around those tools.

“We plan to be able to offer HR-related training opportunities, insight into career paths and salary expectations, as well as to partner with other workforce development options to give our industry more options for qualified employees,” Gruhn explains. “This is one of our members’ greatest needs, and we plan to help them in any way we can.”

To learn more about MRAA membership or to join, contact MRAA membership coordinator Hannah Muerhoff at 763-333-2420 or hannah@mraa.com.

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.

MRAA to Host Young Professionals Comedy Event at MDCE 2014

Bringing the marine retail industry’s leaders of tomorrow together for an evening of levity, laughs and networking is the core aim of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas’ Young Professionals Comedy Event. MRAA will host the third-annual gathering Tuesday, Nov. 18 in conjunction with the 2014 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, taking place Nov. 16-19 at the Orange County Convention Center and Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla.

The Young Professionals Comedy Event will kick off at 8 p.m. in Salon 20/21 at the Rosen Centre Hotel, immediately following the MDCE Networking Reception on the Expo Hall Floor. The event will feature a night of improv comedy provided by SAK Comedy Lab in Orlando.

“This is a great opportunity for MDCE attendees to socialize with other young leaders, exchange ideas and make new contacts,” says Mike Alleva, vice president of national accounts and account management at Lighthouse Media Solutions LLC and a member of the MRAA Young Leaders Advisory Council who helped organize the event. “After a full day of education and learning, what better way to close things out than to kick back, relax and enjoy a few laughs?”

The Young Professionals Comedy Event is the brainchild of MRAA’s YLAC, a group of marine industry professionals all under the age of 40 that represent the next generation of marine retail leadership/ownership. MRAA created YLAC as an advisory group to represent the needs and the thinking of this generation of industry professionals and to provide additional insight and direction to the MRAA Board of Directors. The council’s creation was based on a desire to help develop future leaders to aid in the progress and growth of the boating industry.

The event is free to all MDCE attendees, but interested parties must register prior to start of the event. There are a total of 100 seats available on a first come, first served basis. Click here to register.

To learn more about MRAA membership or to join, contact MRAA membership coordinator Hannah Muerhoff at 763-333-2420 or hannah@mraa.com.

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.

Chester Elton Delivers Energized 2014 MDCE Keynote Address

To succeed as a manager, you need to get your people to fully commit to you and your business; to go “all in.” Whether you manage the smallest of teams or a big, multi-location marine dealership, you are the owner of a work culture — and few things will have a bigger impact on your performance than getting your employees to buy into your ideas and believe that what they do truly matters.

This was the message New York Times best-selling author and world-renowned leadership guru Chester Elton delivered Monday night, Nov. 17, to a packed conference room of marine retailers, manufacturers and suppliers during his Opening Keynote address at the 2014 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo. MDCE runs through Wednesday, Nov. 19 at the Orange County Convention Center and Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla.

“The happiest and most productive people have aligned their work with their motivators,” Elton said during his address. “Everyone deserves a great place to work.”

During his interactive and entertaining Opening Keynote address, entitled “All In: How the Best Managers Create a Culture that Drives Big Results,” Elton talked to MDCE attendees about how to engage, enable and energize their employees. Elton shared in-depth research about how the most successful organizations — and those who lead them — deliver extraordinary results.

“Ask your people what you can do better,” Elton urged managers and principals in the room. “Rooting for each other is the secret sauce of a great culture.”

Elton provided keynote attendees with ideas to excite and motivate dealership employees — ideas that are intended to boost employee morale and translate into a more productive workplace. His methods have been put to good use in his role as leadership consultant to firms such as American Express, Avis Budget Group, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Cigna.

“General praise has no impact on people,” Elton said. “You can’t just come to work and say ‘Great job!’ Specific has all kinds of power.”

Key take-aways from Elton’s Monday evening address include: The three characteristics of the world’s most profitable, productive team cultures; seven steps today’s most successful managers use to generate employee buy-in; and ways any manager can build a culture in which employees give that extra push of effort.

“In the pre-MDCE surveys, leadership was the topic in highest demand by marine dealers,” explains Liz Walz, director of education for the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, which produces the annual event in partnership with Boating Industry. “Chester Elton not only provided insight that will help MDCE attendees better lead their businesses, but by giving them tools to improve employee satisfaction, his advice also will likely result in a better customer experience.”

Co-author of several successful leadership books including “All In,” “The Carrot Principle,” and “The Orange Revolution,” Elton is considered an expert in the field of company culture and employee engagement. His research shows that the most successful businesses deliver extraordinary results by developing a team culture in which employees believe that they are valuable contributors to the business.

Elton’s collection of books, which are both New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers, have been translated into more than 30 languages and sold more than a million copies worldwide. His work has been called a “must read for managers” by Larry King of CNN, and he earned the clever moniker “Apostle of Appreciation” by Canada’s largest newspaper, the Globe and Mail.

“Chester did an amazing job firing up the dealer base and getting MDCE attendees excited for the next few days of educational opportunities,” says Boating Industry editor-in-chief Jonathan Sweet. “A huge thank-you to our longtime Opening Keynote sponsor, Smoker Craft, for allowing us to bring a talent like Chester to MDCE.”

The 2014 MDCE features more than 30 educational sessions in all, the most the event has ever offered, including seven Pre-Conference Workshops. The conference has traditionally included three educational tracks, but in 2014, it has expanded to four tracks: Leadership, Sales, Marketing and Service Plus. A Closing Keynote address also has been added this year.

The MDCE has attracted an increasing number of dealers every year since 2007. MRAA’s goal is to grow the event to more than 1,000 dealer attendees. To learn more, visit MRAA.com/MDCE.

About the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo
The Marine Dealer Conference & Expo is the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas’ annual conference and member meeting. As the marine industry’s only dealer-specific educational conference, the 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. The MDCE is co-produced by MRAA and Boating Industry, and it features Pre-Conference Workshops, Opening and Closing Keynote presentations, four tracks of educational content and more than 30 sessions. It will be held Nov. 16-19 at the Orange County Convention Center and Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit MRAA.com/MDCE.

Dealers: Save 200 of Certification Program Costs at MDCE 2014

Marine retailers looking to renew their Marine Industry Certified Dealership status or get through the next step of the MICD Program in the most affordable way possible will have a golden opportunity to do so at the 2014 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, taking place Nov. 16-19 at the Orange County Convention Center and Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla.

Dealerships that swing by the MICD Booth #302 on the MDCE Expo Hall Floor to register for the next step of the program or to Recertify will receive $200 off the total cost of their Certification or Recertification.

To begin the path towards completing Certification, dealers start with Step 1, which focuses on outstanding customer service, for an entry point of less than $600. Dealers can then move on to Step 2, focusing on operational excellence, for $949. Finally, to achieve superior performance, the third and final step, Five Star Certification, the cost for dealers is $1,330, keeping the total fee for program participation under $3,000.

There’s also a Fast Track option that allows dealers to follow a more streamlined route to Certification at a total cost of $2,499, which represents a $380 savings over completing the program one step at a time. Recertification takes place every other year at a total cost of $1,699 (to Recertify at the Five Star level).

Members of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas receive additional discounts for each step of the MICD Program (a $50 savings per step and $100 off the Fast Track).

“The $200 MICD Program savings available exclusively to dealers that sign up to participate at MDCE is a great incentive to either get enrolled, continue on with, or stay involved in Certification,” says Sonja Moseley, MICD Program director. “We know how important it is to monitor costs and expenditures for marine retailers, and in order to help them save the most money possible, we wanted to offer this valuable, cost-saving opportunity to dealerships that make it a priority to attend the industry’s premier annual dealer educational event.”

For more information about the MICD Program or to enroll, contact Sonja Moseley at 763-333-2424 or sonja@mraa.com.

About the Marine Industry Certified Dealership Program
Managed by the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA), the Marine Industry Certified Dealership Program (MICD) is dedicated to improving the customer experience at the retail level. The first step in the Certification process focuses on establishing a high level of customer satisfaction through communication, appearance and quality. The second tier of Certification continues to enhance the customer experience by implementing processes for overall dealership functionality. At the program’s Five Star level, established organizational procedures are implemented to ensure smooth operations and happy customers. To learn more about the MICD Program, visit MRAA.com/certification.