ORLANDO – During the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo opening keynote yesterday evening, organizers touted the conference’s record growth. Nearly 750 people — almost triple 2008 attendance — had registered for the event, which is taking place at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort until Wednesday, Nov. 18.

Nearly 430 dealers registered for the event, which means total dealer attendance is more than double that of the 2008 event. What’s more, in 2008 every category of dealer attendance was twice that of 2007, including total dealerships represented, total dealership personnel and total Top 100 Dealers.

“The energy surrounding the event has been palpable since registration began,” said Matt Gruhn, associate publisher of Boating Industry magazine, which took over responsibility for the creation and development of the annual convention through a five-year contract with the Marine Retailers Association of America. “We’ve had high expectations for this event from the outset, but what we’re experiencing here is truly incredible. The dealer turnout has been phenomenal, and the exhibitors are reporting first-day results. From any angle, this event has surpassed all of our expectations.”

A total of 75 marine industry suppliers have signed up to sponsor and exhibit at this year’s event, including more than 20 boat builders. Only nine boat builders and 43 total exhibitors supported last year’s event.

“We paid for the show in the first 20 minutes,” said Bruno Vassel IV, president of iboats.com. “It’s been a great day, and we’re excited for tomorrow.”

The 2009 MDCE has also doubled the amount of content available to dealers, offering two concurrent educational sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday of the event with seven total sessions focused on sales and marketing, five sessions devoted to dealer service departments, and two sessions that focus on commercial and retail lending.

Under the theme of GPS: Growth, Profitability and Solutions for Navigating Today’s Market, the content focuses on helping dealers prepare for what’s ahead.
 

For the second-consecutive year, the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo is set to kick off with monumental growth. More than 660 people — marking more than 166-percent growth over 2008 — have pre-registered for the event, which takes place at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando beginning this coming Monday, Nov. 16.

More than 410 dealers have pre-registered for the event, as well, which means the total dealer attendance will be more than double that of the 2008 event. And what’s more, in 2008 every category of dealer attendance was twice that of 2007, including total dealerships represented, total dealership personnel and total Top 100 Dealers.

“Every measurable indicator suggests that this year’s Marine Dealer Conference & Expo will be an incredible success,” says Matt Gruhn, associate publisher of Boating Industry magazine, which took over responsibility for the creation and development of the annual convention through a five-year contract with the Marine Retailers Association of America. “Our convention committee and MRAA leadership has worked tirelessly to build an educational agenda that appeals to dealers across North America and seeks to arm them with the strategies, tools and know-how to fight off the economic downturn and re-solidify their businesses for the opportunities that lie ahead. At the same time, the industry at large has turned out in impressive fashion to support the mission of this program.”

A total of 71 marine industry suppliers have signed up to sponsor and exhibit at this year’s event, including 22 boat builders. Only nine boat builders and 43 total exhibitors supported last year’s event.

In fact, boat builders such as Regal Marine, Correct Craft and the Smoker Craft family of products are hosting separate events surrounding the MDCE in an effort to encourage their dealers to maximize their travel dollars by attending both events. Similarly, two of the industry’s leading 20 Group facilitators — Spader Business Management and Parker Business Planning — are hosting meetings on the front and back end of the event, and MarineMax is hosting a company meeting, after which all of its store managers will attend the MDCE.

“We’ve said from the start that the MDCE will be the must-attend marine industry event of the year,” says Ed Lofgren, owner of 3A Marine Service and chairman of the MRAA board of directors. “Boat dealers of all sizes and from all across the country see clearly that this program has been designed to help them prosper, despite the economic climate, and the suppliers that are supporting them, are focused on aligning themselves with the industry’s leading dealers — the survivors of this downturn.”

Content is king
To match the growth in attendance, the 2009 MDCE has also doubled the amount of content available to dealers, offering two concurrent educational sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday of the event. Monday evening will feature a keynote presentation, delivered by the Disney Institute, for all attendees; Tuesday and Wednesday morning will offer two concurrent educational tracks, with seven total sessions focused on sales and marketing, five sessions devoted to dealer service departments, and two sessions that focus on commercial and retail lending.

Under the theme of GPS: Growth, Profitability and Solutions for Navigating Today’s Market, the content focuses on helping dealers prepare for what’s ahead. The Sales & Marketing track for example, kicks off with a presentation titled “The Dealership of Tomorrow” and features other forward-looking topics such as “The Future of Selling” before it concludes with “Moving On: The Survivor’s Edition.”

The final two panels, which will be held in front of the entire audience, will feature industry-leading boat builders and suppliers alongside dealers, as they discuss some of the most critical topics that both ends of the supply chain must partner on and discuss for a better future in the marine industry. Dealer panelists for those two sessions include Bill McGill, MarineMax; Jerry Brouwer, Action Water Sports; Rod Malone, Sail & Ski Centers; Alan Bohling, Seattle Boat Co.; and Randy Kelly, Kelly’s Port. Manufacturer panelists include Dusty McCoy, Brunswick Corp.; Duane Kuck, Regal Marine; Clint Moore, Volvo Penta; Phil Smoker, Smoker Craft, and Bill Yeargin, Correct Craft.

Similarly, the program will feature four other interactive panel discussions, three among dealers and one among the lending community. Two service panels will focus their discussions on service department pay plans and efficiency and secrets to service department success. On the first panel, Bob Schwartz of ADP/Performance, Inc. will join dealers Doug Malone, Sail & Ski Centers; Carlton Phillips, Prince William Marine Sales; and Ed Alf III, Sea Ray of Cincinnati. The second panel will feature Marine Industry Certified Dealerships Colorado Boat Center, Marine Center of Indiana and South Shore Marine.

The lending panel will feature Bruce Van Wagoner, GE Capital Solutions; Ralph Ross, Small Business Administration; Jim Coburn, National Marine Bankers Association; and Scott Anderson, Merrick Bank. The session will be moderated by Bill Thompson of Cardinal Points Network.

“We are thrilled to be able to deliver the incredible value that this educational line-up offers,” says John Vallely, Jr., chairman of the MDCE convention committee. “From start to finish, this event will deliver a return on investment that will be unmatched in the marine industry.”

More than 450 marine industry professionals have registered to attend the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, to be held Nov. 16-18 in Orlando, representing an increase of more than 81 percent over last year’s total attendance. Of those registered, more than 310 are dealers, representing a 56-percent increase over 2008’s event.

“In the face of what this industry has endured of late, this conference is already a success,” says Ed Lofgren, chairman of the Marine Retailers Association of America. “And it’s all about the product — seminars and presentations that are vital and visionary and that fill the needs of the dealer market place and direct access to the best products and services on the market today. Every marine retailer in the country that wants to survive and prosper should be at this event.”

Nearly 20 educational sessions are on tap for this national dealer event, and nearly 60 companies have already signed on to exhibit.

With nearly seven weeks to go until the start of the 2009 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, to be held in Orlando Nov. 16-18, dealer registration and total exhibitors are up over last year’s event. Early-bird registration is up 24 percent over the 2008 total number of attendees, and the total number of exhibitors is up by 8.5 percent. Additionally, the event has sold nearly 13,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space this year, which is more than twice the square footage used for exhibits in 2008.
“This event seems to be gaining momentum as we get closer to the kickoff date,” says John Vallely, Jr., chairman of the MDCE conference committee. “We have a number of exhibitors still trying to determine not if they will exhibit, but how much exhibit space they need. And while dealer attendance is already way up over last year, we expect that number to continue to rise as we get closer to the event.

Building on the success of the 2008 event, the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo is set for growth in 2009. With a move to Orlando, Fla., and plans to provide twice the educational content of last year, the MDCE expects growth in attendance and industry support as a result of the efforts of Boating Industry magazine and the Marine Retailers Association of America.

As part of a five-year licensing agreement, Boating Industry magazine will be responsible for the overall creation and development of the annual dealer convention, working closely with the MRAA convention committee to deliver educational content, while also assuming all sponsorship sales and marketing efforts.

“This partnership will culminate in a must-attend event that — at long last — will bring the seemingly disparate segments of our industry together at just the right time,” says Tammy Galvin, vice president, Affinity Media, which owns Boating Industry. “Let’s face it: All segments of our industry have seen an incredible amount of attrition that is likely to continue. It’s abundantly clear to us and the MRAA that the survivors will be those arming themselves with every conceivable best practice available, and that’s precisely what we will deliver.”

Excitement for the 2009 MDCE is growing. While still in the early planning stages, a number of boat builders have expressed an interest in incentivizing their dealers to attend the event, and others are looking to hold downsized dealer meetings there. Likewise, industry 20 Groups are planning to hold their regular meetings on the front and back ends of its educational content.

Growth, Profitability and
Solutions on tap for 2009
Slated for Nov. 16-18, 2009, the newly named Marine Dealer Conference & Expo will be held at the Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Fla., a move that numerous dealers suggested in a survey last year. The more convenient location is expected to generate greater participation from the dealer body.

Exhibitors maxed out the available space at the 2008 MDCE in Las Vegas, and this year, with the move to the Coronado, companies seeking to display their products and services in front of an even bigger crowd of dealers will find a much larger and more convenient exhibit hall. The Coronado features more than 86,000 square feet of exhibit space, of which the MDCE has more than 58,000 square feet already reserved, a welcome necessity with growing exhibitor interest. In fact, numerous boat builders and other companies are already signing up to showcase their products.

“We’re months away from the event, and we already have many companies who want to take advantage of the large number of dealers expected to turn out this year,” says Matt Gruhn, associate publisher of Boating Industry. “Many builders and suppliers are seizing the opportunity found in the educational content that we’ll be providing by bringing their dealers and products, while reducing the exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses they would typically spend on their own dealer meeting.”

The theme for the 2009 MDCE is “GPS: Growth, Profitability and Solutions for Navigating Today’s Market.” Under this overarching theme, dealers will have access to nearly twice the amount of content of last year, as the educational components will be offered in two main tracks, under which there will be many specific topics.

“We’ve recognized that, perhaps now more than ever before, the marine dealer body is seeking the answers they need, not just to thrive, but in many cases simply to survive,” Gruhn says. “With this new format, we’re fortunate to be able to drill down into the actionable details of all three broad topics in a single event.”

The educational line-up is being built after months of dealer interviews and research. Immediately following last year’s convention, organizers conducted a satisfaction survey through Customer Service Intelligence, Inc., and since that time, many follow-up discussions have been conducted. Most recently, a survey of dealerships across the country provided advice and direction for crafting this year’s agenda.

“We’ve heard from hundreds of dealership personnel,” says Ed Lofgren, MRAA chairman and owner of 3A Marine Service. “They told us very specifically what topics would appeal to them the most, and we will deliver on their requests to the fullest extent possible.”

In 2008, Boating Industry provided marketing and content-creation services to the MRAA, renaming the annual dealer convention and developing a theme appropriate to current industry trends. The result of the collaboration doubled every measurable dealer attendance category — total dealer personnel, total dealerships represented and total Top 100 Dealers in attendance — while also nearly doubling the amount of content provided, when compared to prior years’ events.

“The content at the 2008 MDCE was without a doubt of a higher quality than past conventions,” says John Vallely, Jr., of Vallely Sport & Marine and chairman of the MDCE convention committee. “We saw that first-hand through attending the show, but we also heard it echoed through follow-up surveys with both dealers and exhibitors. We will build on that success for 2009.”