Amp Up Your Profit on Marine Accessories

Accessories sales can be a solid money-maker for today’s marine retailers. Yet sadly, many dealerships dismiss this opportunity due to big box competitors.

At the 2014 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, taking place Nov. 16-19 in Orlando, Fla., MDCE favorite Sam Dantzler will return to the conference to help dealers unpack the value that accessories sales hold for their businesses.

In his MDCE session, “Accessories Done Right,” Dantzler will host a dealer panel discussion designed to help attendees learn from peers who excel in this arena. Among the topics to be discussed are the differences between an up-sell and an add-on; the impact accessories have on the customer experience; strategies for avoiding obsolescence; and how to “buy right.”

Attendees will walk away from Dantzler’s session with an understanding of what turns on the dealership floor for maximum profitability, even with big-box competitors next door. The session takes place Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 8 to 9:15 a.m. ET as part of MDCE’s Service Plus Track.

“No dealer wants to leave profits on the table,” explains Liz Walz, director of education for the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, which produces the annual event in partnership with Boating Industry. “Sam will give attendees a great opportunity to boost their bottom line by learning from the strategies that are working for other dealers.”

Dantzler, a noted speaker and sales expert who works with companies like Harley-Davidson and Triumph Motorcycles, has been a retail sales trainer since 2000 and offers dealers in the marine and powersports industries valuable tips and advice through his popular training website, Sam’s Powersports Garage.

“Sam was voted one of the most highly rated speakers at the MDCE the last two years running,” says Boating Industry editor-in-chief Jonathan Sweet. “This year, he will present multiple times during the three-day event, but one of the most impactful presentations is sure to be his accessories panel.”

Each of the 2014 MDCE educational tracks — Sales, Marketing, Leadership and Service Plus — features five sessions. In addition to Dantzler’s advice on boosting marine accessories profits, Service Plus Track sessions include topics such as beefing up service department leadership skills, transforming customer conflicts into victories, boosting parts sales, and developing a Master Service Advisor, among others.

The 2014 MDCE will offer 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 is scheduled for Nov. 16-19 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. It has attracted an increasing number of dealers every year since 2007. In 2013, MDCE featured double-digit growth in dealer attendance, for a total of 615 marine retail professionals. 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 30 sessions in all. 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.

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MRAA Accepting Applications, Nominations for Young Leaders Advisory Council

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is currently accepting applications and nominations for its Young Leaders Advisory Council.

“YLAC has proven to be a major influence on the MRAA,” says MRAA president Matt Gruhn. “The energy and enthusiasm that the group brings to pushing the association forward has been extremely valuable, and many new programs and initiatives have been launched because of their passion. And we’re excited because YLAC has proven to be a great way to introduce young leadership into our board, with three of our current board members having once served on YLAC.”

The MRAA created YLAC as an advisory group to represent the needs and thinking of the next generation of marine retailers 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.

Since its inception, YLAC has successfully infused the MRAA with new ideas and insights. One initiative YLAC recently launched is the Young Professional Network and Event, which takes place annually at the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo. This event has grown over the last two years and is providing young leaders an avenue to connect with one other and discuss issues that are important to their growth, development and management of their careers.

In order to continue YLAC’s successful momentum, the association is looking to add new members to this vibrant group.Applications can be submitted by anyone interested in joining the group, and individual nominations of potential YLAC candidates can be submitted directly to the MRAA, who will then contact each nominee.

Applicants or nominees should be willing to meet face-to-face with the group twice a year and provide their ideas and insights, in addition to working jointly with other council and MRAA Board of Directors members on subcommittees. To apply or be nominated, candidates must be under 40 years of age, hold a position of significance in a dealership and have a minimum of five years of marine industry experience.

Click here to apply to YLAC, or click here to nominate a young professional for YLAC. Applications and nominations must be submitted by Sept. 30.

For more information, contact Matt Gruhn at 763-315-8043; matt@mraa.com or YLAC chairman Josh Vallely at 701-258-9223; josh@vallelymarine.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 ###

MDCE 2014 Brochure Available in Digital Format

Organizers of the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, the industry’s premier annual dealer educational event, have taken the conference’s information-packed print brochure and transformed it into a digital version, complete with easy-to-navigate tabs highlighting all the event’s sessions and workshops, individual speakers and day-to-day schedule.

The MDCE digital brochure contains all the same key information that’s included in the print version, but made it conveniently available online and easily viewable from a desktop or laptop computer, smartphone or tablet.

“Today there’s a strong trend towards offering digital documents, considering how much time people spend on computers and mobile technology, and we wanted to take all the great details about MDCE and make them available in the way people are consuming most of their information,” says Boating Industry editor-in-chief Jonathan Sweet, a co-producer of MDCE. “The digital brochure is a time saver and condenses all the important 2014 MDCE offerings in a convenient, easy-to-read package.”

The MDCE online brochure tabs feature a complete schedule of events; conference highlights, including Opening and Closing keynote presentations; complete descriptions of all seven Pre-Conference Workshops; a tab for each of the Educational Tracks, including Leadership, Sales, Marketing and Service Plus; and a registration form to attend the conference.

“The digital brochure is a perfect way to learn about all the incredible educational content and offerings we are bringing to conference attendees at this year’s event,” says Liz Walz, director of education for the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, which produces the annual event in partnership with Boating Industry. “This online brochure is an excellent complement to all the content we have been publishing about the conference thus far.”

The 2014 MDCE will offer 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 is scheduled for Nov. 16-19 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. It has attracted an increasing number of dealers every year since 2007. In 2013, MDCE featured double-digit growth in dealer attendance, for a total of 615 marine retail professionals. 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 30 sessions in all. 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.

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Sell More to Tech-Savvy Boat Buyers

Today’s hyper-informed, tech-savvy boat buyers aren’t merely looking to buy products; they’re looking to buy experiences. If you’re not prepared to engage this new wave of Internet-junkie “researchaholics,” who are more informed than ever about your products and services when they first step foot inside your showroom, then you’re likely missing out on a plethora of potential sales.

At the 2014 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, taking place Nov. 16-19 in Orlando, Fla., Mar-Kee Group co-founder and president David Martin will help attendees ready themselves for the coming influx of Gen X and Millennial buyers, as well as older generations increasingly taking advantage of new technologies, and find ways to appeal to them in today’s retail marketplace.

In his MDCE session, “Sales Strategies for the Hyper-Informed Customer,” Martin will help dealers understand who these hyper-informed boat buyers are, how they shop, what they want, and how to ultimately make them happy.

Attendees will walk away from Martin’s session with insight into how Gen Xers and Millennial buyers differ from previous generations and specific strategies for selling to them and other tech-savvy buyers. The session takes place Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 1 to 2:15 p.m. ET as part of MDCE’s Sales Track.

“During the past year, I’ve received several e-mails from dealers who are being challenged to successfully sell to today’s highly informed prospects,” explains Liz Walz, director of education for the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, which produces the annual event in partnership with Boating Industry. “Learning how to appeal to this growing group of boat buyers is key to dealership success and the future of the industry. That’s why we asked David to dig deep into the motivations behind their buying decisions during this session.”

Each of the 2014 MDCE educational tracks — Sales, Marketing, Leadership and Service Plus — features five sessions. The Sales Track includes Martin’s advice on appealing to buyers, as well as strategies on maximizing the profitability of trade-ins; influencing customers’ buying decisions; reaching women in the boat-buying process; and turning F&I objections into opportunities.

“In this day and age, it’s more important than ever to be able to relate to tech-savvy shoppers,” says Boating Industry editor-in-chief Jonathan Sweet. “David’s session outlines for dealers how best to approach these sales prospects and communicate with them on the level that they are most comfortable. The end result: Increased sales and repeat business.”

The 2014 MDCE will offer 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 is scheduled for Nov. 16-19 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. It has attracted an increasing number of dealers every year since 2007. In 2013, MDCE featured double-digit growth in dealer attendance, for a total of 615 marine retail professionals. 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 30 sessions in all. 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.

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How Do I Best Communicate to My Customers Through E-mail Marketing?

E-communications have become a critical component of any dealership’s content marketing strategy. It’s a fast, direct and cost-effective means of connecting with current and potential customers about everything you have going on at the dealership year-round, from sales and special events, to preferred pricing, boat show participation, customer appreciation days, and more.

Despite all the wonderful benefits of communicating electronically, however, the medium isn’t without its drawbacks; namely, the tendency to over- or ineffectively communicate. Since it’s fairly simple nowadays to overload custom templates in Constant Contact, MailChimp, or similar e-mail marketing services with everything but the kitchen sink content-wise and click “send,” we forget that we need a filter. Remember: Peoples’ inboxes are cluttered with materials each and every day, and you don’t want to become food for the “junk” or “spam” folders.

You need to create e-communications that are relevant and stand out among the pack, and choose to send e-mails only when you have something to say — not just because “it seems like it’s time to send something out…”

The thing to keep in mind about e-newsletters and e-blasts is that often, less is more. And with a few basic tips under your belt, you can create interesting and engaging communications for your customers and prospects.

The first thing you want to do when strategizing e-mail marketing communications is decide what you want to tell people. Do you have a big event coming up that you’d like customers to attend? Are you having a fabulous sale and want to let customers know about reduced pricing on current inventory? Have you planned a summer rendezvous that you’d like to assemble all the buyers of one of your boat brands to sign up to attend?

Once you decide what you want to communicate, the key is to air on the side of brevity. People often don’t have the time or attention span to scroll through a long, text-heavy e-mail to ferret out what you’re trying to telling them. You want to stay on point; try and see if you can say what you need to say in just a few short sentences, ending the write-up with a link to “more information” where the reader can go if he or she would like to learn more. This give you a better shot at having the whole blurb read and absorbed, as peoples’ patience for long-windedness in e-communications has worn thin.

Short, sweet and succinct — great buzzwords for your e-mail marketing efforts!

Photos also are important. If you can, try and include an image with most of the text blurbs you write. If you don’t have an image for each and every write-up, that’s perfectly okay (heck, even this newsletter doesn’t have images for everything!). There’s literature online that likewise cautions about using too many photos, for fear your e-mails will be gobbled up by spam filters.

Just use your best judgment when it comes to photography; if your newsletter looks too text-y, it probably is. So toss in an image or two to pique readers’ interest and offset some of those words with fun, exciting depictions to get them excited about what you’re telling them.

When it comes to actually mailing out e-communications, you want to try and hit the sweet spot; don’t send something every day, but don’t wait and do it every other month because you’re too busy, either. A short, weekly announcement about available inventory might be a good place to start; you can pick a particular day of the week and routinely send on that day. That way, people will come to expect your e-mail.

You also may want to create a monthly e-newsletter that comes out the first or last day of the month, highlighting things you have been doing, special offers you are touting, etc. Definitely send special announcements as you have them, as some are time sensitive: Newsflash about a weekend boat show or sale, information about an important local meeting on topics that impact boaters in your community; weather and beach advisories; etc.

Monitor your e-mail open rates through the above-mentioned services through which you send them to gauge how you’re doing. An open rate of about 25 percent is considered quite good — meaning that one-quarter of all the people you sent the e-mail too actually opened it up. Also monitor click-through rates and see how many people clicked through to other websites through the links provided in your e-mail.

Following these rudimentary guidelines are sure to keep your e-communications effective and your current and future customers engaged.

DB Website Numbers Continue to Grow

With the campaign just past its mid-summer point, in Fiscal Year 2014 (Oct. 2013 through June 2014), visits to DiscoverBoating.com have increased significantly (48 percent) over the same period last year.

Search engine marketing efforts continue to drive a steady stream of boating enthusiasts to the site, particularly to boat buying-related content, which includes the boat selector tool, financing information, boat brands’ search pages, etc. Potential buyers have moved on from DiscoverBoating.com to visit boat, engine and trailer manufacturer websites more than 1.3 million times through July 2014.

Demographic analytics report that visitors between the ages of 35 and 54 are well represented, with 35 percent of website traffic coming from this group. The majority of DiscoverBoating.com audience is male (70 percent); however, the newly added “Stories of Discovery” videos are helping bridge this gender gap, resonating more strongly with women compared to other content on the website (females make up 39 percent of the “Stories” video views).

CLICK HERE find out how you can add these powerful videos to your website.

MICD Unveils Guide to MDCE

Navigate your way through the diverse educational offerings on tap at this year’s Marine Dealer Conference & Expo with “The MICD Guide to MDCE 2014,” a special e-booklet available exclusively for Certified Dealers that’s designed to take the guesswork out of fulfilling your MICD continuing education requirements.

As you know, Certified Dealerships are required to complete a certain number of hours of ongoing education credits that escalate for each step of the MICD Program: Step 1 requires 10 hours of leadership and management training; Step 2 requires an additional 10 hours of sales and marketing courses; and Five Star MICD requires yet another 10 hours of HR and succession planning.

If that sounds like an overwhelming amount of work, don’t fret. The good news is that you can meet nearly ALL those required hours at MDCE 2014, and the “MICD Guide to MDCE” will show you how.

The guide, which is available to all levels of Certified Dealers in the MICD Portal under the header “Continuing Education,” breaks down each of the more than 30 MDCE Pre-Conference Workshops and educational track sessions and lays out how every individual workshop or session meets one of the three categories of educational requirements: Leadership and management, sales and marketing, and HR and succession planning.

Since workshops and sessions range from one to three hours long, attending MDCE and planning your schedule specifically with meeting education requirements in mind means you and your team can knock out your mandated 10 to 30 hours in one place over the course of just a few days (Nov. 16-19); not weeks, months or even over an entire year.

It’s the simplest, most cost-effective means of getting the credits you need to stay Certified and keep your dealership personnel on the cutting-edge of what’s happening in the marine retail field.

CLICK HERE to access the guide today, and start plotting your course for success at MDCE 2014!

Marine Retail University Returns to Texas

Dominion Marine Media and the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced today that the Boating Trades Association of Texas has signed on to host the Norman-Spencer Marine Retail University for the third year in a row.

The event, which will be held Oct. 14 at the Courtyard Marriott Austin Downtown, also known as the Austin Downtown Convention Center, includes a full day of education and networking, as well as the option to register for a networking dinner the night before the conference.

“Each year, the Marine Retail University provides data, ideas and best practices that help Texas dealers explore new opportunities and tackle their biggest challenges,” says Rick Smith, president of BTAT and Marine Outlet. “The event also gives us a chance to connect with and learn from each other in a relaxed and enjoyable setting.”

The Austin Marine Retail University will feature six educational sessions, providing market specific boat sales data, consumer research, dealer best practices, trends in finance and insurance, strategies for selling at higher margins, and a keynote presentation from a foremost expert on succession planning. For more information and to register, visit www.mraa.com/event/BTATmru.

“We are thrilled to work with BTAT to serve the state’s dealer community once again,” says Courtney Chalmers, director of marketing for Dominion Marine Media. “The Texas boat market is a huge contributor to the success of the U.S. boating business, and we’re honored to be invited back to support it with a brand new Marine Retail University educational lineup.”

Designed to take fresh professional development opportunities to marine retailers in regions throughout the country, the MRU series stops in seven or more locations each season, which runs from September through April. Since the launch of this event series in November 2011, it has attracted more than 700 attendees.

“One unique feature of the Marine Retail University series is that the educational content is customized to meet the needs of the local market,” says Liz Walz, director of education for the MRAA. “Our number-one priority is providing the information, tools and resources marine retailers need to improve and grow.”

About Marine Retail University

The Norman-Spencer Marine Retail University is a series of regional dealer educational conferences. Launched in 2012 as a partnership between the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and Dominion Marine Media, these regional events seek to provide attendees with in-depth market knowledge and the tactics to capitalize on those insights. The partners work closely with regional and state associations to deliver additional value to their members. Norman-Spencer Marine Insurance Services supports MRU as the title sponsor of the event series. For more information about an MRU event, please contact Liz Walz at 315-692-4533 or liz@mraa.com. To sponsor or exhibit at an MRU event, please contact Bart Zienda at 763-333-2419 or bart@mraa.com.

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Nominations and Applications Sought for 2014 Darlene Briggs Award

The MRAA Educational Foundation is currently seeking nominations and applications for the 2014 Darlene Briggs Woman of the Year Award.

The late Darlene Briggs, of Wayzata, Minn., was admired for her tireless dedication to the marine industry. To honor her memory, the Darlene Briggs Woman of the Year Award was founded in 1987. It is presented annually to an outstanding woman who is actively involved in the marine industry at any level. It recognizes “long and devoted service, untiring commitment and the advancement of women in the marine business.”

“I do see a lot more women boaters now than we did 10 years ago,” said Rallee Chupich, the 2013 Darlene Briggs Award recipient and director of service at Gordy’s Lakefront Marine, in an interview with Boating Industry magazine. “As I look forward, I see my role to encourage, coach, hire and train more young women in the marine industry and even more throughout our company in all roles.”

The 2014 recipient will be presented with the award at the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, taking place Nov. 16-19 in Orlando, Fla., by the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and Boating Industry magazine. The recipient receives a trophy furnished by Boating Industry, which will publicize the presentation and feature the successful candidate in an issue of the magazine following the event.

For more information, or to apply or nominate someone, please visit the Darlene Briggs Award page of the MRAA website: MRAA.com/DarleneBriggsAward. The deadline for nominations is August 31, and the deadline for applications is September 30.

For additional questions, please contact Liz Walz at 315-692-4533 or liz@mraa.com. You need not be nominated to apply for award consideration.

About MRAA Educational Foundation

The MRAA Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation, was founded in 2004 to provide financial support for education, training and professional development in the recreational marine trades. MRAA recognizes the need to provide for the growth of our dealerships and the professional development of their employees. MRAA and the MRAA Educational Foundation are dedicated to the growth of the recreational marine industry through workforce development. For more information, visit 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

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Learn to Shoot and Edit Boat Videos at MDCE 2014

Video has become one of the most powerful marketing tools available to today’s dealers. By learning to use this tool more effectively, dealerships are likely to see a much bigger payoff, both in terms of increased online traffic and boots through the door.

At the 2014 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, taking place Nov. 16-19 in Orlando, Fla., participants in Lenny Rudow’s workshop, “Shooting and Editing Boat Walk-Through Videos,” will learn the ins and outs of filming video and how to use it to sell more boats. First, dealers will discover the best ways to shoot a walk-through video on a trailerable boat, including a live camera equipment demonstration. Then, workshop attendees will glean the latest video editing tips and tricks, including how to use YouTube’s built-in editor, to make videos more effective and impactful.

Dealers will walk away from Rudow’s workshop with tip sheets they can take back to their businesses to help them film and edit boat walk-through videos that will attract more consumer attention and win more sales. The workshop takes place Monday, Nov. 17 from 9:45 to 11:15 a.m. ET as part of MDCE’s Pre-Conference Workshops.

“Statistics show that website visitors who view video spend more time on the retailer’s website and are far more likely to purchase than other site visitors,” explains Liz Walz, director of education for the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, which produces the annual event in partnership with Boating Industry. “The more professional the video, the better the results. That’s why we’re convinced this workshop will be so valuable to attendees.”

In 2014, other workshop topics will include leadership, sales, marketing, social media, succession planning, and the service department. Each workshop will feature 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.

“With more than two decades of experience writing, editing and filming in the boating industry, Lenny is uniquely qualified to help MDCE attendees improve their video skills,” says Boating Industry editor-in-chief Jonathan Sweet. “Video has rapidly become a key marketing tool for dealers, and we are fortunate to have Lenny at the helm, guiding MDCE attendees towards the best strategies for creating and posting their own online videos.”

The 2014 MDCE will offer 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.

Pre-Conference Workshop seating is limited and is available on a first come, first served basis. Attendees can select the workshop(s) they wish to attend during the MDCE registration process and pay an additional fee. Discounts are available for MRAA retail members.

The MDCE is scheduled for Nov. 16-19 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. It has attracted an increasing number of dealers every year since 2007. In 2013, MDCE featured double-digit growth in dealer attendance, for a total of 615 marine retail professionals. 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 30 sessions in all. 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.

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