Blog No. 3…

There
are days where I sit down to write this blog and wonder if there’s
anyone out there … anyone who cares what’s on my mind today. And, truth
be told, there are likely few of you right now who do.

So why do I
do it? For a few reasons. First, I believe an active dialog provides a
solid reminder that there’s someone here working on your behalf – even
if that dialog is one-way for now. Second, I expect that at some point
maybe something I have to say will grab your attention and help you run
your business better. And finally, and this is the point that should
grab your attention, because eventually this blog will draw in new
members.

I read a book recently, (you’ll hear more about that in future blogs) titled
“The End of Membership as We Know It.”
Very appropriate for an association executive, don’t you think? I was
so captivated by what I learned in this book that I went online to
search for the author after I turned the final page.

It turns out
that she runs her own company and she has a very active blog. Now, like I
mentioned with my own blog, she must have wondered at some point if
anyone out there was listening. Regardless, she populated that blog with
a wealth of information, and it ultimately convinced me (and surely
countless others) to interact with her company more regularly.
Ultimately, it drew me in enough to convince me to become a repeat
customer, as I purchased another book of hers and wound up contacting
her about her consulting services.

While this is just one example
of how blogs can be effective, it underscores how blogging can be a
critical component to any marketing strategy, even those at your
dealership. It’s especially important if you are active in social media
because you can automatically broadcast your blog out to all of the
customers who “like” your business or follow what you have to say.

It’s
important to simply get started and to continue to provide valuable
information. Eventually, you’ll find, your blog will establish you as an
expert, and people will turn to you as a trusted resource.

I encourage you to get started today.

Great benefits

One of the most visible benefits that MRAA members receive is the
discount afforded them with their registration to the MRAA annual
meeting, also known as the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo. MRAA
members save $50 on every employee they register for this event.

For
some dealers, such as Singleton Marine Group, that $50-per-registrant
savings more than covers the cost of membership. Singleton Marine Group,
a long-time member of the MRAA registered eight employees for the
upcoming MDCE, saving itself $400.

The beauty of this situation
isn’t even found in the fact that SMG principal Austin Singleton saved
more on registrations than he paid for the membership. The true value is
really found in what Singleton and his team get out of the annual
convention.

You see, last year was the first year that Singleton
and his leadership team attended the event, and they were so impressed
with what they took away that in 2011, they are bringing more team
members to increase the take-away.

“The MDCE event made a large
impact on me last year,” Singleton says. “Honestly, I had been a bit
hesitant to invest my time, but we were WOW’d by the event. Not only was
each session’s content incredibly valuable, but they also sparked
conversation among us that continued for months. I was very impressed
with the quality of the content, so much so, in fact, that we invested
in bringing one of the speakers in-house for a companywide meeting as a
season kickoff event this past spring. I cannot wait to get down there
this year with a much larger group and see how the event stirs the pot.”

If
you’re interested in realizing the same level of value from both the
event and from your membership, make sure you attend this event. It will
be held Nov. 6-9 at the beautiful Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando. The
MDCE offers 22 educational sessions that are designed to help you learn
how to run a more profitable business. The event also offers more than
100 exhibitors with products and services geared toward boat dealerships
and numerous networking sessions where you can connect with other
dealers.

Visit www.boatingindustry.com/mdce for more information and to register for the 2011 MDCE, simply click here. And don’t forget to click the MRAA member button to save $50 off of your registration.

I look forward to meeting you there.

STO: Stakes are high for industry’s future

For a day and a half in December, an exceptional group of marine industry leaders and visionaries met at a Chicago-area hotel to discuss the future of recreational boating and debate how best to create a foundation to ensure its success for the next decade and beyond.

The Recreational Boating Stakeholder Growth Summit — hosted by the National Marine Manufacturers Association — brought together about 160 executives and leaders from every segment of the industry, including bankers, big-box retailers, dealers, distributors, manufacturers, marinas, … Read more.

MDCE issues call for presentations

To compete at the highest levels, marine dealerships need to be constantly adapting their operations to fit the fast changing marketplace. The 2012 Marine Dealer Conference and Expo will provide the intelligence dealership professionals need to drive their companies to peak performance in today’s market.

Do you have an idea for an educational seminar that would contribute to MDCE 2012? The conference committee is currently seeking proposals from those interested in presenting at the event, which will be held Nov. 11-14, 2012, in Orlando, Fla. The deadline to submit your proposal is Feb. 24.

Presentations should be directed at an audience of marine dealership professionals, from dealership principals and general managers to employees and managers of such departments as sales, marketing, service, parts, accessories, F&I and marina operations.

Conference organizers seek presentations on advanced, intermediate and fundamental business topics. The information to be presented should be timely, informative and educational, offering concrete take-aways the audience can bring back to their business to accelerate future success.

To submit a presentation proposal, please download an MDCE 2012 proposal form. The completed form should then be emailed to Liz Walz. Have a question? Don’t hesitate to call Liz at 315-692-4533.

For more information about MDCE 2012, please visit www.BoatingIndustry.com/mdce.

Transportation Bill up for vote as early as Thursday

The attached file below is a summary the Transportation Bill the House may be voting on as early as Thursday.  As I mentioned in a previous email, the bill re-authorizes the important Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Safety Act and releases the Harbor Maintenance Fund from the freeze placed on it by the President.

If the Transportation bill passes, it would allow those frozen funds to be used to dredge channels and ports.  The bill is also fiscally responsible, allowing expenditures to not exceed revenues. In the past several years, Congress gasoline excise tax revenues have not been sufficient to pay for the projects authorized by Congress, so funds have been transferred from the General Revenue Account.
 
http://atfiles.org/files/pdf/house-transportation-preview.pdf
 
MRAA will be distributing a Dealer Alert later today asking dealers to support the Transportation bill.
 
Larry Innis
MRAA Legislative Affairs

Rep. Miller Praises Release of Study on Combating the Threat of Asian Carp

The issue of Asian Carp is big along the Great Lakes, Mississippi River, and Illinois River, with numerous efforts being made to keep the carp from entering the Great Lakes through the Chicago River. The Corps of Engineers has been building various kinds of barriers to prevent that from happening. The following is an article on the subject and on a statement from U.S. Representative Candice Miller (Mich.), a big supporter of boating (her parents own a marina).
 
Larry Innis
MRAA Legislative Affairs

Rep. Miller Praises Release of Study on Combating the Threat of Asian Carp

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Candice Miller (MI-10), co-chair of the bipartisan U.S. House Great Lakes Task Force, today made the following comments regarding the release of the Great Lakes Commission and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Cities Initiative’s study on options for separating the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins in the Chicago Area Waterway System. This study outlines options for separating the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins to prevent the spread of Asian carp and other invasive species is not only possible, but a natural step toward much-needed action to improve the waters. Miller said:

“For years, I have been advocating for the health and protection of the Great Lakes in the halls of Congress. I and so many others have raised concerns over the threat of Asian carp and other invasive species pose to the Great Lakes. Today, we are encouraged by the release of this study outlining the full option for separating of the Chicago area locks, as well as other separation and modernization alternatives. We all know there will be a negative impact that will have to be addressed within the Chicago area with closing the locks – however, that impact pales in comparison to the damage that will be done if the Asian carp becomes established in the Great Lakes.

“It is my hope that this study will be a useful tool in calling on Congress and the Administration to support the separation of the waterways and ensure a permanent solution to preventing the Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes. This action is necessary and achievable. The Great Lakes are an environmental treasure to both our economy and natural resources, protecting them is of the utmost importance.”

For more information and to view the full report, please visit here: http://www.glc.org/caws/

MRAA announces full support of American Boating Congress


BOCA GRANDE, Fla. – The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announced today that it is responding to an industrywide call for greater support of the American Boating Congress and will not only host a full board meeting at this year’s event and attend the event as one large group, but will also actively promote ABC to its members and encourage their participation.

ABC, to be held in Washington, D.C., on April 24-25, 2012, is a comprehensive legislative conference that brings together recreational boating industry leaders to discuss public policy, address members of Congress and present a unified front on issues that impact the recreational boating industry. One of the top-10, highest-ranked joint action proposals that came out of the recent industry summit in Chicago was that ABC should be expanded “to all boating segments, beyond manufacturers and get support and attendance from all areas.

“If all industry players, associations, dealers, came together,” the joint action proposal stated, “Congress would listen.”

“While individual MRAA board members and staff have participated in ABC over the years, this year will be much different,” says Matt Gruhn, president of the MRAA. “To show our support for the industry as well as the results of the Summit, we simply decided that we would support the event and everything it stands for as a united group and demonstrate to Congress, as well as our industry colleagues, that our industry stands together. And I’m proud to report that our board unanimously agreed to support this endeavor.”

As a co-host of ABC, MRAA will work closely with the National Marine Manufacturers Association to build an agenda that discusses state and federal regulatory issues affecting marine retailers. This agenda will provide insight into the status of key federal legislation, updates from experts on pending legislation, and first-hand knowledge as to the trends that will affect the marine industry.

“It’s extremely important to our businesses, to be aware of the issues and to fight for not only our own interests but also for the interests of our customers,” says Dave Foulkrod, chairman of the MRAA. “In our leadership position as the board for this national retailer association, it’s critical that we take a lead role in supporting the efforts of the American Boating Congress.”

MRAA will host a series of board meetings over the two days leading up to ABC, and will engage both its full board of 19 members and its Young Leaders Advisory Council, which includes 15 members, in the support of ABC.


About Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2012, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is the only North American association dedicated to furthering the interests of boat and engine dealers and other marine-related retailers throughout North America. Under the umbrella of MRAA Rewards, the MRAA offers a host of cost-saving, revenue-generating, business-improvement, and professional-development benefits exclusively for its members. For more information, visit www.MRAA.com.

WP: Long-term transportation funding likely to be delayed

The following link will take you to an article I saw in today’s Washington Post on the status of the Transportation Bill. As you may recall, the Transportation Bill has been one of the most important bills for recreational boating for over 30-years.

It is important because the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Safety Trust Fund is a part of the Highway Trust Fund which is re-authorized by the Transportation Bill. This fund provides federal money from the excise tax on gasoline for boating safety law enforcement and education, access, pump outs, etc. 

A full Transportation Bill has not been passed by Congress for three years. Instead Congress has passed eight short-term extensions at a level of funding of three years ago, and the current extension is set to expire on March 31. It looks like we are looking at another short-term authorization. As you can anticipate, differences on raising the gasoline tax and the spending level for highway projects are the two key issues for the delay. 

For the past five to six years, Congress has been transferring General Revenue funds to the Highway Trust Fund because gasoline tax revenues have been below what is needed to pay for the projects authorized by Congress. There is a strong group in Congress who wants to stop those transfers and make the Highway Trust Fund pay its own way, but without a tax increase. For many years the Fund operated with annual surpluses. Boating is caught in the middle of this debate.

Here’s the link to the article: Long-term transportation funding likely to be delayed – The Washington Post
 
Larry Innis
MRAA Legislative Affairs