Top Safe Boating Tips: Refueling Best Practices

• Discover Boating and Progressive Insurance® Debut New Episode in Safe Boating Video Series

Discover Boating, powered by NMMA and MRAA, in collaboration with Progressive Insurance, launched its second safety video in the “Top Safe Boating Tips” series this week. The video titled, Fuel Up With Confidence: Top Tips for Responsible Refueling, covers essential practices, such as employing the sniff method to detect fuel leaks or spills, ensuring there are no open flames or smoking, disembarking passengers during refueling, selecting the appropriate fuel for your vessel, and more.

The second episode in the latest video series can be viewed below and on Discover Boating’s YouTube channel here.


The five-part series covers crucial safety topics that all boaters need to be aware of for a worry-free day on the water, including boating with pets, refueling, navigation lights usage, trailering and safe seating.

To further engage current boaters and the next generation, Discover Boating and Progressive strategically created these short-form videos (in addition to longer form versions) that can be shared on social channels, such as TikTok and Instagram — popular platforms Discover Boating’s target audiences use to consume digital content. Discover Boating will also be sharing the new videos via consumer email distributions and on its websites in the U.S. and Canada.

Industry stakeholders are encouraged to view and share these safety videos on your social media channels, consumer emails, brand website or play it on loop in showrooms, to provide valuable safe boating content for your customers.

Discover Boating, new safe boating video series



The five-video series in 2024 focuses on the following topics:


Similar to the 2023 video series (viewable/shareable here), a new video will be released each month, March-July, on YouTube. Discover Boating will also share shorter cutdown versions to engage target audiences across social media platforms and promoted on the Discover Boating blog, DB TV section, and b2b.discoverboating.com.

About Discover Boating: Powered by the National Marine Manufacturers Association and the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, Discover Boating connects boaters and future boaters with experiences, resources and community to enhance their boating journey and expand the industry in the U.S. and Canada. For nearly two decades, Discover Boating has led the North American recreational boating industry’s consumer outreach efforts, attracting millions of people to boating and helping them get on the water and become boaters. Industry stakeholders can follow along and share Discover Boating content from DiscoverBoating.com and @DiscoverBoating on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

About Progressive Insurance: Progressive Insurance® makes it easy to understand, buy and use car insurance, home insurance, and other protection needs. Progressive offers choices so consumers can reach us however it’s most convenient for them — online at progressive.com, by phone at 1-800-PROGRESSIVE, via the Progressive mobile app, or in-person with a local agent. Progressive provides insurance for personal and commercial autos and trucks, motorcycles, boats, recreational vehicles, and homes; it is the second largest personal auto insurer in the country, a leading seller of commercial auto, motorcycle, and boat insurance, and one of the top 15 homeowners insurance carriers. Founded in 1937, Progressive continues its long history of offering shopping tools and services that save customers time and money, like Name Your Price®, Snapshot®, and HomeQuote Explorer®. The Common Shares of The Progressive Corporation, the Mayfield Village, Ohio-based holding company, trade publicly at NYSE: PGR.

RBFF Staff & News

The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF), an MRAA Partner Member, has announced two new hires and a new award for its Find Your Best Self campaign.

Welcome JD Strong!
RBFF today announced JD Strong as its new Sr. Director of Industry Engagement. With 20 years of executive leadership experience, Strong will spearhead a new RBFF Board-driven charge to support the fishing and boating industries in reducing churn – an increasing concern for participation overall.

RBFF Update & Staff, Strong
JD Strong, RBFF Senior Director of Industry Engagement

“JD is a welcome addition to the RBFF team where his impressive accomplishments, progressive initiatives and deep passion for fishing and boating will help us better understand and improve fishing and boating churn,” said RBFF President & CEO Dave Chanda.

“I’m excited to join the team at RBFF and eager to tackle the challenges we’re facing around churn,” said Strong. “Increased participation supports critical aquatic conservation efforts and if we can stem the tide on lapsing anglers, we can ensure a healthy and thriving environment for fishing and boating.”

Prior to RBFF, Strong served as the Director of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) where he made significant improvements to the agency’s licensing system, developed strategic partnerships with country music star Blake Shelton and NBA star Paul George and formed important partnerships with Oklahoma fishing license retailers, Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s, Academy Sports and Outdoors, OKC Latina, and more.

Strong is the former Executive Director of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) and has held a number of leadership positions at both the state and national level with organizations including the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) and the Sport Fishing & Boating Partnership Council (SFBPC). He holds a bachelor’s degree in wildlife ecology from Oklahoma State University.

“RBFF’s Special Report on Fishing shows a large increase in the number of lost participants over the last several years,” added Chanda. “It’s a trend we can’t ignore, and we’re excited to have JD on board to help navigate this challenge.”

RBFF will soon release a research project that will help us better understand the psychology of churn. To view current resources related to fishing and boating retention, visit our YouTube channel Retention Playlist and our website for RBFF’s  our Retention Toolkit.

RBFF Update & Staff, Hornbrook
Kayla Hornbrook, RBFF Stakeholder Marketing Manager

Meet Kayla Hornbrook
We are pleased to announce that Kayla Hornbrook recently joined the RBFF team as the Stakeholder Marketing Manager. Kayla Hornbrook has nine years of experience in strategic communications, marketing and design within the nonprofit sector. She has led strategic communications initiatives, brand management, sponsorships/fundraising, digital marketing campaigns, and direct service programs. Kayla will work closely with Joanne Martonik to support stakeholder marketing programs and events such as our First Catch Centers, State Marketing Workshop, industry events and more.

Outside of work Kayla enjoys video and board games, comedy and travel. Through her childhood and teenage years, she enjoyed fishing with her grandfather in the Southeast and Midwest, connecting her to the mission of RBFF.

Best in Show – Midwest Addy Awards
As we move into the 2024 fishing and boating season, we’re proud to share our ‘Find Your Best Self on the Water’ campaign continues to reel in awards from its first year in-market. The campaign recently received a “Best in Show” designation at the Midwest Addy Awards.

Watch the judges comments.

About RBFF
RBFF is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase recreational angling and boating participation, thereby protecting and restoring the nation’s aquatic natural resources. To help recruit, retain, and reactivate participants, RBFF developed the award-winning Take Me Fishing™ and Vamos A Pescar™ campaigns to build awareness of boating, fishing, and conservation and educate people about the benefits of participation.
 
The campaign websites feature how-to-videos and an interactive state-by-state map that allows visitors to find local boating and fishing spots, helping boaters and anglers of all ages and experience levels learn, plan, and equip for a successful day on the water.
 
RBFF also offers its industry stakeholders many tools, including a Fishing License & Boat Registration Plugin to connect their customers with the information they need in just one click, as well as an embeddable Places to Fish & Boat Map to help their customers discover places to fish and boat near them.

Priority One Financial Services Launches Financing Texts with Kenect 

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. (April 29, 2024) – Priority One Financial Services, a full-service finance company for marine, RV, trailer and equipment dealers, recently announced a ground-breaking partnership with Kenect, a reputation management and business text messaging platform. The integration empowers dealers to send financing messages through text and connect the customer with an F&I manager at Priority One. 

PRIORITY ONE FINANCIAL SERVICES LAUNCHES FINANCING TEXTS WITH KENECT

Using Kenect, dealers can send financing texts based on the customer’s situational needs. The customer can receive a text with a secure link to apply for financing, get an insurance quote, learn about extended service contracts or ask a financing question.   

“Priority One’s partnership with Kenect will give the dealer one more tool to convert the customer from browsing to buying,” said Nicole Armstrong, Vice President of Corporate Initiatives at Priority One. “Through text, they can easily introduce the customer to a Priority One F&I manager and begin the process of securing competitive financing.” 

Priority One dealers who want to learn more about Kenect can join a webinar at 1 p.m. EST, on Thursday, May 9, 2024. To sign up or learn more, visit p1fs.com/kenect. 

About Priority One Financial Services, Inc. 
Founded in 1987, Priority One Financial Services, Inc. offers flexible, business-ready finance and insurance solutions for marine, RV, trailer, powersports, park model and equipment dealers. A division of Forest River, a Berkshire Hathaway company, Priority One provides full-service retail financing to customers through industry-leading technology and award-winning service. 

Headquartered in Saint Petersburg, Fla., the five-time Tampa Bay Business Journal “Best Place to Work”honoree also owns and operates Priority One Equipment Finance and Veritas Insurance Group.  

For more, visit p1fs.com. 

Learn more about becoming an MRAA Partner.

Yard Manager = Head Nurse

In an emergency room at the hospital, every second can count on making sure patient care is at the highest level possible.

“The surgeon doesn’t roll in his own patient,” said Jordon Schoolmeester, an MRAA Dealer Week Conference and Expo educator. “He doesn’t administer the anesthetics. He doesn’t stage the scalpels forceps or gauze …” 

Even when the emergency room is overrun with patients, you still see the nurses everywhere and the surgeons aren’t seen because they are focused on surgery. Somewhere in that chaos, a head nurse is directing, prioritizing what is most important, confirming the top-level patient care, ensuring that the surgeons remain in surgery and keeping things operating smoothly throughout the emergency room.

Service departments, our emergency rooms, are about to be overrun during peak season. Our yard managers are the head nurse in our business. They need to ensure that during peak season we keep our highly trained technicians, our surgeons, doing their jobs, so we can keep our customers and their boats on the water.

The yard manager maintains the balance of operations between service, sales, safety, customer care and facilities. Heading into busy season, we need to revisit the processes and role for the yard manager to raise efficiency and proficiency, lower repair event cycle times (RECT) and improve customer satisfaction throughout the dealership.

Practically everything from collaborating with sales and service departments to facility maintenance, equipment maintenance, boat handling and transportation are the responsibility of the yard personnel.

Common Questions for Yard Managers 

  • Is the next boat for repair ready to go in the shop or is it buried behind other boats?  
  • Does the sales manager need a boat launched and in the water for a demo?
  • Is there space to park a boat being dropped off for service? 
  • Is that new outboard set to be rigged on a pontoon accessible for the forklift or is it stuck under another engine?
  • The customer is here to pick up his boat, does anyone know where it is? 

These are only a few sample questions your manager needs to be able to answer with only a moment’s notice.

Yard Manger = Head Nurse; Yard Manager Planning Checklist

Yard Manger = Head Nurse
Every head nurse has a clipboard and checklists to make sure that patients are taken care of, surgeons can remain in surgery and the entire emergency room is working well. So, too, every yard manager should have their checklists for daily and overall tasks. To help you check your procedures and your yard manager’s role, use these checklists as you prepare your dealership for the approaching peak season.

We recognize that every situation is different, so we’ve created these checklists as Word documents to allow your team to adapt and customize the checklists based on your dealership’s specific needs and operations.

Download Yard Manager Daily Checklist

Download Yard Manager Planning Checklist

Have a question? Reach out to Bernie DeGraw, MRAA Senior Education Developer.

Regulatory Alert – FTC Approves Noncompete Ban

• This Alert is a special update regarding the Federal Trade Commission’s rule banning noncompete clauses

On Tuesday, April 23, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted 3-2 along party lines to approve its new rule on noncompete agreements. The new rule, which will take effect in 120 days, essentially bans noncompetes for all workers, finding them “an unfair method of competition – and therefore a violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act.” While the rule is final, legal challenges are expected to follow.

Notably, a noncompete clause is broadly defined by the new rule as a “contractual term or workplace policy that prohibits a worker from, penalizes a worker for, or functions to prevent a worker from seeking or accepting work in the United States with a different person where such work would begin after the conclusion of the employment or operating a business in the United States after the conclusion of the employment.”

The new rule applies retroactively to prior agreements, other than those for senior executives earning more than $151,164 a year in a “policy-making position.” Employers must provide notice to other workers subject to non-compete agreements that they are no longer enforceable.

Not limited to employees, the noncompete ban extends to independent contractors, externs, interns, volunteers, apprentices and sole proprietors who provide a service to a person. It does not include noncompetes entered into pursuant to a bona fide sale of a business entity or in a franchisor-franchisee relationship.

While employers’ protectable interests are often cited as a justification for noncompete clauses, it is important to note that this rule does not ban non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements.

Stay tuned for more information on the developing regulations for noncompetes and expected legal challenges. 

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to reach out to MRAA Government Relations Manager Chad Tokowicz at Chad@mraa.com or Government Relations Director Mike Sayre at Sayre@mraa.com.

Regulatory Alert – Changed Overtime Rule for Salaried Employees

• This MRAA Alert is a special update regarding the U.S. Department of Labor Final Rule on increased salary requirements for “White Collar Overtime Exemptions”

The U.S. Department of Labor on Tuesday, April 23 announced the release of a final rule raising the minimum annual salary threshold for overtime pay eligibility. This primarily applies to executive, administrative and professional employees, commonly referred to as the “White Collar Overtime Exemptions.” The 383-page final rule is briefly summarized below.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a federal law that regulates when employees must be paid minimum wage and overtime. Under the FLSA, overtime pay, which is due to all employees who do not fall within a specified exemption, is one and one-half times an employee’s regular pay rate for every hour that is worked beyond 40 hours in a work week. While hourly workers are generally entitled to overtime pay, salaried workers are not if they earn above a certain pay level and supervise other workers, use professional expertise or judgment, or hire and fire workers.

Currently, salaried workers making less than $35,568 annually qualify for overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours in a week. Starting July 1, the threshold will increase from $35,568 to $43,888 per year. It will then increase again to $58,656 on Jan. 1, 2025.

The change will be most critical for employers who are now claiming an overtime exemption for employees earning more than $35,568 annually, but less than $58,656 annually. Upon enactment, these employees, occupying this $23,088 band, would lose their current status as overtime-exempt.

The new standard will likely be challenged in court by affected industry groups that have argued that excessively raising the standard exceeds the Labor Department’s authority. Unless and until there is court intervention, employers should prepare as follows:

  • Review salaried employee classifications to confirm compliance with new salary thresholds to remain exempt.
  • Review salaried employee classifications to determine whether employees should be reclassified as nonexempt.
  • For employees reclassified as nonexempt, ensure all hours worked are properly recorded.
  • For employees reclassified as nonexempt, review budgets, set hours expectations and development policies for approval of overtime.

The MRAA will continue to work with the Small Business Legislative Council and other partners to keep our members in the loop. Please do not hesitate to reach out the MRAA Government Relations Team with any questions or if this stands to be a major issue for your business. Contact Government Relations Manager Chad Tokowicz at Chad@mraa.com or Government Relations Director Mike Sayre at Sayre@mraa.com.

What is the MRAA? Let Me Show You

People get fed up repeatedly hearing the same common question: “What do you do?” We have all heard it and asked it ourselves as a conversational icebreaker. We ask it because we want to know what people do for a living (i.e.: What’s your day job?). However, after a Google search, I found dozens of articles about why this question is dull.

I bring this up because I’ve had to explain the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, aka the MRAA, to friends, family members and others within the industry. I tell them the MRAA is for dealers by dealers. I tell them our staff size, my role and briefly share our vision and mission. I say our association is the leading training and education organization for the marine dealer body. We help fuel the success of the boating industry by building and delivering dealerships the tools, resources and educational programs they need to strengthen their business.

Let me show you. 2023 MRAA Impact Report

Perhaps a better answer is to give them the 2023 MRAA Impact Report, which tells the story of the MRAA, its mission and who it serves, and showcases the association’s objectives. This report not only shares the accomplishments MRAA made last year in the form of wins, milestones and continuing opportunities, but also helps to answer the mundane question “What do you do?” It answers it with “Let me show you.”  

Download a copy of the 2023 MRAA Impact Report to learn more about who we are, what we do and how we stand in your corner as your No. 1 advocate and guide.

DealersCircle & Lightspeed Announce Integration Partnership

Jacksonville, FL (April 16, 2024) — DealersCircle, Inc. — the innovative, web-based manufacturing industry provider that conveniently links the manufacturer, dealer and customer together with its state-of-the-art software application — and Lightspeed — a leading Dealer Management Solution (DMS) company with uniquely-tailored software solutions for dealers in recreational industries — are integrating their respective platforms to provide a more robust, all-inclusive solution for dealer networks in various industries.

“After working with our now 1,800 strong dealer network over the past two decades, we’ve identified a few of the pain points that the dealers experience with their current DMS systems,” said DealersCircle President Scott Davis. “That drove us to find a reputable, forward-thinking DMS solution that we could effectively integrate with, and we found that partner in Lightspeed.”

“We are excited to bring industry-leading OEM integrations to our dealer partners through this partnership with the DealersCircle,” said Brian Provost, CEO of Lightspeed DMS. “With our continued focus on creating efficient processes for our dealers, this collaboration is yet another way we can help Lightspeed dealers streamline their operations and improve their profitability.”

The DealersCircle and Lightspeed integrations will be rolled out in phases and include high points such as:

Unit Inventory Management – Saving time and preventing manual entry errors.

  • Unit Ordering – Processing unit orders in DealersCircle; automatically update the unit information in Lightspeed.
  • Unit Receiving – Import unit invoice information for new and existing units directly from DealersCircle with a single keystroke; Changes to invoices and the unit will be updated.
  • Unit Configurator – Easily connect to DealersCircle from Lightspeed and build a unit that will update in Lightspeed for quoting; Once the customer agrees to purchase, and the dealer processes the order in DealersCircle, it will update the unit information in Lightspeed.

HIN (Hull ID Number) Decoding – The HIN Decoding integration enables users to import vital unit information by simply entering a HIN. Once the HIN is entered, Lightspeed automatically populates the vehicle details and specifications, which the dealer can access from within the system, eliminating the need for manual entry. This not only saves time but also enhances the overall customer experience.

Warranty Dates – Unit warranty dates will automatically update and be visible on the unit when writing up a service repair order. Helps reduce time lost jumping cross platform to look up or calling the manufacturer to confirm warranty status.

Bulletins – Quickly view technical bulletins and recall information within a Repair Order and be notified of stop sale notices in a sales deal. Users will be notified of new technical and safety bulletins when accessing the Repair Order. Save time by adding jobs from the bulletin right to the repair order.

Part Price Updates – Receive master parts file for easier parts inventory ordering, receiving and price updates directly from the manufacturer.

About DealersCircle
DealersCircle has provided product manufacturers and their dealers a convenient way to simplify custom product ordering, product lifecycle tracking, service communications, warranty claims management, parts ordering, reporting, integration with external systems and much more with its revolutionary web-based application for two decades. For more information on DealersCircle, visit www.dealerscircle.com; or contact Mark Jerkins at Tinsley Creative, email: mark@tinsleycreative.com; phone: 863-583-0081. 

About Lightspeed
Lightspeed is a leading provider of cloud-based software for dealerships and Original Equipment Manufacturers (“OEMs”), serving the Marine, Trailer, Powersport, RV, Outdoor Power Equipment and Golf Car industries. Lightspeed’s Dealer Management Solution (DMS) enables dealerships to optimize their end-to-end business operations, including sales, parts, service, rental, accounting, and CRM. When implemented into their daily operations, Lightspeed helps dealers increase their profitability by selling more units, service, and parts, all while creating a more streamlined experience for customers. For nearly 40 years, Lightspeed has been empowering 3,800+ dealers across North America with the tools and technology they need to manage their dealerships. For more information, visit www.lightspeeddms.com; or contact Diana Wilberscheid, email: diana.wilberscheid@lightspeeddms.com; phone: 701-371-7508.

MRAA Sponsors, Attends 2024 International Boating and Water Safety Summit

By Chad Tokowicz, MRAA Government Relations Manager

The MRAA recently sponsored the 2024 International Boating and Water Safety Summit (IBWSS), where the association’s government relations team presented insights from both the motorcycle and recreational boating industries. The event took place April 8-11 in Albuquerque, N.M.

Hosted by the National Safe Boating Council (NSBC) in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard, IBWSS is focused on bringing stakeholders in the recreational boating safety space together to network, learn and share, all with the focus of keeping recreational boaters safe on the water.

Founded in 1958, the NSBC serves as a national catalyst for developing a safe boating culture by providing education, programming and training for industry partners and the boating community to influence safe, secure and responsible boating. As MRAA Government Relations Manager, I serve as an at-large board member to provide a retail perspective and ensure that boating safety tenets permeate the recreational boating industry.

MRAA Sponsors, Attends 2024 International Boating and Water Safety Summit; Mike Sayre, MRAA Director of Government Relations presented
Mike Sayre

This year, the MRAA supported the event as a break sponsor to highlight our commitment to recreational boating safety while simultaneously educating attendees about our mission and opportunities for further collaboration. Additionally, Mike Sayre, MRAA Director of Government Relations, and I were selected to present as keynote and breakout speakers respectively. We leveraged our respective expertise in motorcycle and recreational boating safety to share important lessons with the audience while highlighting further collaboration opportunities with the MRAA.

In Sayre’s keynote, titled “The Safe Systems Approach: Lessons from the Motorcycle Industry,” he shared his experience with different approaches to roadway safety and the challenges of applying them to a user group like motorcyclists. He presented on the principles and components of the Safe System Approach adopted by the U.S. Department of Transportation to address the pandemic era surge in roadway fatalities, how motorcyclist safety does and does not fit in that approach and how recreational boating safety faces similar challenges. Sayre challenged the audience to consider how different roadway safety strategies and countermeasures could be adapted to address recreational boating safety.

MRAA Sponsors, Attends 2024 International Boating and Water Safety Summit; Chad Tokowicz, MRAA Government Relations Manager, presented
Chad Tokowicz

As a breakout speaker, I focused on educating the crowd about how the MRAA and other partners in the recreational marine industry work to support mandatory boater education legislation and efforts throughout the country. In my presentation, “Cycle of Safety Legislation,” I gave an overview of recent efforts to expand mandatory boater education legislation and the successes and failures of those efforts. Throughout the presentation, I updated attendees on what the MRAA and industry partners are currently tracking and supporting in various states during our 2024 legislative sessions.

The presentation also highlighted opportunities to leverage marine retailers to ultimately share recreational boating safety messages with their customers and help create a safer community on the water overall. In my closing, I noted that solutions to recreational boating safety will not be solved with a silver bullet, and that instead a “silver buckshot” approach is necessary. I challenged the audience to think about how they can share boating safety messages and be part of the solution.

The MRAA will continue to support the NSBC and attend IBWSS as we believe that recreational boating safety is imperative to the ultimate success of marine retailers. We need boaters to have the best experiences on the water, ensuring they become lifelong participants.

If you have any questions about the topics covered by MRAA staff, want to learn more about IBWSS, or have general advocacy related questions, please do not hesitate to email me at Chad@mraa.com.

Photos courtesy of NSBC

Soundings Trade Only and Industry Leaders Collaborate on Groundbreaking Marine Workplace Research Study

Centerbrook, CT, March 25, 2024 – The Soundings Trade Only Group in collaboration with sponsors MarineMax, Volvo Penta, Yamaha, NMMA, MRAA and international industry partners ICOMIA and Marine Industry News, is proud to announce the launch of a groundbreaking research initiative aimed at understanding the needs and desires of today’s marine industry employees and fostering a stronger, more diverse, expansive, and multi-faceted marine workforce.

Take Workforce Survey

The 2024 global research study marks a significant milestone in the marine industry’s commitment to workforce development as a catalyst for progress and competitiveness. With a focus on attracting, retaining, and developing top talent within the sector, this pioneering endeavor seeks to provide invaluable insights for business leaders and owners.

“For years now we have recognized the pressing need for a more expansive and diverse talent pool within the marine industry. I am frequently approached by organizations seeking female candidates. If we want to attract women to a variety of positions and retain them, it is paramount that we understand their preferences, factors that impact job retention, and their career ambitions and goals,” said Michele Goldsmith, vice president and general manager of the Soundings Trade Only Group. “This study represents a crucial step toward understanding the aspirations, challenges, and opportunities for women and men in our industry. By gaining this knowledge, industry stakeholders can develop data-driven strategies to fulfill their personnel needs, foster a more diverse, inclusive environment and unlock the full potential of this talent pool.”

The research study, set to launch in early April, will encompass qualitative and quantitative methodologies, including a survey and interviews with professionals from diverse backgrounds across different segments of the marine industry.

“We encourage the global marine community to make their voices heard, take the survey and share it with marine industry colleagues,” added Goldsmith.

The findings of the research study are expected to provide valuable insights and actionable recommendations for marine industry stakeholders. By leveraging the findings of this study, organizations can implement targeted strategies to attract, retain and develop top talent, driving innovation and competitiveness in the global maritime community. The Soundings Trade Only Group with its industry partners will share the results of the survey in September of 2024.

For more information about the 2024 Marine Workplace Research Study or to receive the survey, please contact Michele Goldsmith at mgoldsmith@aimmedia.com or (+1) 847-373-0385.

Soundings Trade Only

Soundings Trade Only is a marine business-to-business information multi-media brand. It includes a monthly print publication, and digital entities including an e-newsletter, website, and social media sites. Soundings Trade Only offers the latest business news, and information about products, trends, statistics, management, marketing insights, and more to the marine industry. Each issue of Soundings Trade Only is designed to inform, reflect, and inspire. It is part of the AIM Marine Group, which includes the following publications: Yachts International, Power & Motoryacht, SAIL, Anglers Journal, Soundings, PassageMaker and Woodshop News. The AIM Marine Group is a division of Active Interest Media.

Active Interest Media, Inc.

One of the world’s leading enthusiast media companies, Active Interest Media (aimmedia.com) produces consumer and trade events, websites, magazines, podcasts, and TV shows that reach millions of readers, fans, and attendees across the globe. Our brands include Yachts International, Power & Motoryacht, Soundings, Passagemaker, Woodshop News, Log and Timber Home Living, Fine Homebuilding, Woodsmith, Garden Gate, Cuisine at Home, Writer’s Digest, Horticulture, Fine Woodworking, Numismatic News, Kovels Antique Trader, and more. The company’s two groups, Marine and Home, are divided into five divisions — Collectibles, Home Arts, Home Building, Marine, and Writer’s Digest —also operate thriving B2B platforms, online universities, events and offer marketing services. Active Interest Media’s customers are smart, engaged, and loyal, and they look to our brands for trustworthy information and services that will inspire and enable them to enjoy their passions.

For more information, please contact Michele Goldsmith at mgoldsmith@aimmedia.com or +1-847-373-0385.