When the boating industry hits a down cycle and moving inventory is critical to keeping sales afloat, boat shows become an even more important sales driver and marketing channel. No other platform brings such a concentrated audience of potential boat buyers together, allowing our industry to sell boats and generate leads. Exhibitors can attract new customers, re-engage existing owners and build brand loyalty by showcasing innovation.
The exposure is invaluable, especially in such a hands-on setting. According to this year’s Discover Boating boat show attendee surveys, shopping new accessories, gear and technological innovations, and more so, looking to purchase a boat, are top reasons why people attended.
As winter boat show season approaches, below are 4 turnkey tips for maximizing your return on investment:
Highlight Innovation: For dealers, boat shows offer the ideal platform to introduce customers to innovative features and new advancements to stand out from competitors and capture customers on the fence. By showcasing the latest products in a dynamic and engaging setting — such as augmented reality tours or in-booth education and entertainment — dealers can create memorable experiences that resonate long after the event is over.
Market to New Boaters: With boat shows seeing more first-timers, there’s a unique opportunity to connect with younger audiences and capture next gen customers. To meet the needs of new audiences, make sure your brand is distinguished from others. What we’ve seen working for interactive and educational experiences includes immersive activities for all ages, from simulated docking and fishing tutorials and immersive displays to hands-on activities and educational workshops and seminars.
Consider Incentives: According to a recent Discover Boating consumer survey, approximately 61% of first-time boat buyers intended to go to a boat show to shop for their first boat, and 63% of overall respondents intended to go to a boat show to find their next boat. Consider offering special promotions and discounts to entice them. Your show teams can support your sales efforts by promoting these boat show specials through your marketing channels. Building relationships and trust with customers is essential during uncertain times and boat shows can help your business do that, often serving as a catalyst for future business.
Market Research and Feedback: Gain insights into changing consumer preferences, emerging trends, and competitive landscapes by interacting directly with show attendees. This feedback loop helps exhibitors make informed decisions, adapt their strategies, and stay ahead of the curve.
• MRAA’s Dealer Week Conference and Expo offers marine dealerships an unmatched experience for education, networking and advancement.
After removing the covering for the temporary tattoo on my right shoulder, the words in the bright red heart with an arrow piercing through it read, “Mom!” But from my inverted angle, those same three letters read WOW! It was the perfect summation of MRAA’s 2024 Dealer Week Conference and Expo held in Orlando, Fla.
Informally, wow means astonishment or admiration. As a noun, it stands for a sensational success. And when used as a verb, wow (or wowed) signifies to impress or excite greatly. Again, Dealer Week 2024 did just that, earning admiration from attendees and partners. It was sensational for its sheer size and growth. It also was impressive how it wowed everyone from first-time attendees to long-time cohorts. But what made it feel red hot?
Was it the education, which included four separate pathways to help attendees find success? Was it the largest Expo Hall on record? Perhaps it was the opening keynote address from the one-and-only Marcus Sheridan or the magical closing keynote from Ben Whiting, who made a bowling ball appear out of thin air. One spoke of endless customers, and the other about limitless culture!
You could argue the awards luncheon added event hype. It recognized Great Dealerships to Work For, the Darlene Briggs Marine Woman of the Year, industry scholarships for growth and two new awards; one designed to recognize an industry Trailblazer and the other a leading industry advocate.
Then again, it could have been the crowded house of a Welcome Reception at the Rosen Plaza Hotel. Maybe it was the (now famous) rock-n-roll-themed Industry Celebration made possible by KICKER Marine Audio. One final possibility was the networking opportunities themselves for dealers, exhibitors, manufacturers and other attendees.
More than likely, the blending of all these offerings helped Dealer Week 2024 “outperform” every previous event in its history. I don’t use that term loosely. You see, it was our theme for the event, and our team kept hearing from all types of attendees that “this is the best Dealer Week yet!”
More WOW at Howl: The entire MRAA team (some are missing and we missed them!) put on another rockin’ Dealer Week Conference and Expo. Dedication, determination, humility, heart, hustle, love, trust, collaboration are just a few of the words to describe this team. And we do it for our Dealer Week attendees, not for us. See you in Tampa in 2025!
Rock Stars I can count on one hand how many times I’ve gotten to dress like a rock star. The annual Industry Celebration is notorious for KICKER-ing things up a bit. Every year, it seems our two teams unite to raise the bar and produce an uncanny gathering within the world-class event of Dealer Week. This year, we packed Howl at the Moon in Orlando with lookalikes from Joan Jett, Tina Turner and members from the iconic bands of Mötley Crüe and Guns N’ Roses, among others. At the same time, dueling pianos embarked on memorable sing-along songs that engaged the crowd.
In my day-to-day, I’m involved with MRAA content, PR and education. But one night in Orlando, I dressed like the younger Vince Neil. Along with Matt Gruhn (aka Tommy Lee), Chad Tokowicz (Nikki Sixx) and Gunnar Davies (Mick Mars), my bandmates and I mingled with the crowd. We briefly walked on the wild side, only without the debauchery.
The author, aka a young Vince Neil.
I’d be remiss if I failed to mention the rest of the MRAA’s rock stars. Without them, the MRAA couldn’t have pulled off another stellar event. Whether dressed as their favorite musical icon or sporting their favorite rock-and-roll T-shirts, our team is a bunch of rock stars. Performers in the sense that we always put our fans first, always. Dealer Week has become a WOW event because the MRAA is “for dealers by dealers.” We put the focus on our dealers, not ourselves. The help from our sponsors, partners, board members, exhibitors, pathway educators and others contributes to our ability to create an outstanding experience for our guests.
Servicing the S.S. Minnow I grew up watching Gilligan’s Island. As a teen, my fondness for the silly show was tied to the relationship between Skipper and Gilligan (OK, maybe Ginger and Mary Ann, too). Whenever it seemed like the crew would find a way to escape the deserted island, Gillian would usually muck it up, leaving the crew stranded, yet again, and searching to find another way to make it back home.
Sometimes, it can be smooth sailing and a legitimate three-hour tour in your service department. Other times, that three-hour adventure can turn into a two-week nightmare highlighted by inefficiency, miscommunication and disarray. The Service Department Special Event was so rewarding for the service managers and service advisors who attended in part because of all the solutions offered to various causes of those service nightmares.
The intimate all-day workshop was hosted by Valerie Ziebron (VRZ Consulting), Bernie DeGraw and the MRAA Education team. Attendees gained marine service department data, benchmarks tied to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), proven tactics for success, golden nugget best practices for attracting, keeping and growing technicians, and more. Perhaps most importantly, the peer-to-peer sessions brought industry connection and shared solutions.
The Service Management Special Event on-site team was comprised of Valerie Ziebron, Bernie DeGraw, me and Liz Walz.
Hydrotherapy Tank What does anyone want after four days of walking their feet off in new shoes? A relaxing time in a hot tub, you say? That was my exact plan, to unwind and celebrate another great Dealer Week. However, no sooner had I sat in the hot tub than one of our pathway educators, Jonathan Dawson, joined me. Soon enough, six guys were soaking in the water and soaking in more education.
For two hours, we shared personal stories, talking about business and life. We followed that up with an off-the-cuff, one-on-one educational session with Jonathan, where he talked to us about digging ditches and hard work. He spoke of building sales incentives and a gamification strategy of sorts for new hires and old hats alike. My relaxing soak transitioned into a relaxed sales and strategy session, and I was more than OK with that.
My takeaway here is: Don’t rush through Dealer Week; stay a bit. Find time to interact away from the classrooms and training sessions because you never know what you could learn. Don’t just take my word for it. The Canadian dealer I sat with in the “hydrotherapy tank” shared this in his post-event evaluation, “Ended up with Jonathan Dawson in the hot tub and got a 3-hour private session. Great guy and have so many ideas to take back to the dealership.”
Marcus Sheridan’s keynote speech ended with an emotional touch, sharing a wonderful message about the bond he established with his son fishing and boating.
Key Notes from the Keynotes For me, both keynote speakers, Marcus and Ben, provided stellar best practices to help people be, well, more human even in a digital era and the hype of artificial intelligence. Being human is done through connection, building trust and becoming a resource for others. Owning your emotions and self-regulating your negativity also helps you focus on others.
You do that by understanding your core values and living them out to the fullest, putting customers first and remembering why you got started in boating. Creating lasting memories with friends and family is as important today as ever for your staff and customers. To outperform in the boating market, you must be authentic, honest and foster a culture that can overcome challenges through collaboration.
Dealer Week Is Ongoing! While you now have some ideas of the benefits of Dealer Week, it is an event you must attend to fully understand its value for you and your role at the dealership. It’s also THE place to bring a team so you can learn together, fully exploring the various educational sessions and events, and engaging with exhibitors, suppliers, speakers and peers.
If you missed Dealer Week in Orlando this year, don’t fret. You and your team can still register for Dealer Week Online. You can learn from up to 20 sessions within four pathways (Leadership, Marketing, Sales & F&I, and Service & Parts). It began on December 17 and runs through March 1, 2025.
Finally, Dealer Week is an annual event that takes place in December, so each year represents an opportunity to participate yourself or send your team. Next year, Dec. 7-10, we’re back in Tampa Bay, Fla., so put it in your budget, commit to sending a couple teammates, and experience the wow factor for yourself.
• 4-Day Marine Event In Orlando Features Largest Expo Hall Ever
MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 19 – More than 1,400 marine industry professionals participated in the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) 2024 Dealer Week Conference and Expo, held Dec. 8-11 in Orlando, Fla., through either in-person attendance or Dealer Week Online. The in-person event featured the largest Expo Hall in event history with four education classrooms and 170 Expo Hall booths, including 55 first-time exhibitors and 34 boat manufacturers. The conference welcomed more than 500 dealer attendees. For those who missed the in-person event, Dealer Week Online registration is still open and will be available through March 1.
Mike Davin, MRAA VP of Industry Relations, discusses what it means to outperform in front a crowd of marine industry professionals at Dealer Week 2024 in Orlando, Fla.
“This year many of our attendees, both exhibitors and dealers, used the phrase ‘the best Dealer Week yet’ to describe the conference. We had fantastic turnout and the biggest expo hall we’ve ever had, even in a challenging year,” said Mike Davin, VP of Industry Relations at MRAA. “Our team annually works to create an impactful event and evolve our attendee experience. It’s our mission to always provide connections, business opportunities and implementable solutions to benefit dealers and the industry.”
Centurion & Supreme again held its annual dealer meetings in conjunction with Dealer Week, providing its network with access to the event’s world-class education. Additionally, a pre-event Service Department Special Event, hosted by Valerie Ziebron and Bernie DeGraw, included 50 dealership personnel in the special one-day training designed to share data, teachings and insight to help dealers navigate service issues, reduce team stress and boost dealership success.
“Dealer Week 2024 was a remarkable event, with its expansive Expo Hall and record number of exhibitors, showcasing the marine industry’s most recent innovative offerings,” said Jeff Strong, MRAA Board Chair and President of Strong’s Marine. “This year’s event truly captured the essence of progress and collaboration. The MRAA staff, with its extreme dedication and remarkable passion for supporting its dealers, has helped make Dealer Week the MUST-ATTEND event for marine dealerships, offering unmatched educational and networking experiences for advancement.”
Save the date for the 2025 Dealer Week Conference and Expo, scheduled for Dec. 7-10 in Tampa. For those seeking to continue their Dealer Week educational opportunities for business growth, Dealer Week Online is available from Tuesday, Dec. 17 to March 1, 2025 at MRAATraining.com. Registered dealers can access up to 20 Dealer Week education sessions — five unique sessions from four separate pathways: Leadership, Marketing, Sales and Service & Parts.
About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.
Discover Boating’s latest television public service announcements (PSA), in collaboration with Progressive Insurance®, recently aired on national news channels FOX News and FOX Business. Since the launch of the campaign this summer, the PSAs have aired 1,774 times, delivering 4 million impressions. The coverage equates to $247,685 in donated media value (the cost it would take for the same media “real estate” if the news coverage were paid advertising).
Featuring various clips from the Discover Boating Safety Basics Video Series, Presented with Progressive to help inform the public on safe boating practices, the PSAs were distributed to thousands of local, regional and national TV stations across the country. So far, the PSA campaign has piqued attention from dozens of stations, including national news network FOX News, which have chosen to air the PSA videos during available air time, effectively increasing awareness of Discover Boating and driving action among viewers who are interested in boating.
Boating safety videos and campaign spots are available to industry stakeholders in the Discover Boating Industry Resource Center, powered by NMMA and MRAA. Download or embed the video content to share in your showroom, on your website, via your social network or in your next email campaign.
• Industry award honors a leader dedicated to creating an outstanding workplace culture and was recognized as a “Great Dealership to Work For” within the MRAA Certified Dealership Program.
MINNEAPOLIS, DEC. 18 – The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) awarded Rob Brown, Owner and General Manager of Clark Marine, with the inaugural MRAA Trailblazer Award at the Dealer Week Conference and Expo in Orlando, Fla.
Liz Keener, MRAA Senior Director of Dealer Development, presented the inaugural MRAA Trailblazer Award to Rob Brown, GM and Owner at Clark Marine in Manchester, Maine.
“The Trailblazer Award recognizes visionary leaders who inspire and empower their teams,” said Stevie Cook, MRAA Certification Manager. “Rob Brown, our first recipient, is one our industry’s outstanding individuals who is committed to creating a workplace and culture where his employees feel valued, motivated and engaged. He leads by example and with humility, which has helped him build a culture of collaboration, innovation and excellence at Clark Marine.”
The Trailblazer Award recognizes a dealership professional that goes above and beyond in creating an exceptional workplace. To be nominated for this prestigious award, a candidate’s dealership had to achieve the esteemed status of a Great Dealership to Work For, along with a nomination from one of their fellow employees. The Trailblazer Award honors a leader who embodies the core values of a positive and productive work environment. Is dedicated to enhancing employee satisfaction, cultivating an inclusive culture, and exemplifying strong leadership. They are a champion of continuous improvement, a skilled collaborator and a significant contributor to their organization’s goals. Above all, they are adept at guiding their team through change and challenges.
Brown’s dedication to creating an exceptional work environment has been widely celebrated by his team.
“He is the heart-and-soul of our dealership,” wrote Amy Gingras, Sales Manager at Clark Marine. “He has fostered an environment at our dealership where people feel safe, comfortable, respected and works hard to ensure that their workplace is positive, inclusive and collaborative. He’s dedicated to creative problem solving, especially in the face of complicated issues, and is compassionate, intelligent and unafraid of conflict.”
Rob Brown (third from left) is surrounded by his Clark Marine team after receiving the first MRAA Trailblazer award in Orlando.
In 1996, Brown and his wife Nancy bought the single-location dealership, which was in bankruptcy with four employees and ineligible for floorplanning. They risked everything to grow this business, and today Clark Marine is a very financially healthy business with three locations, 30-plus employees and carries multiple boat and outboard motor brands.
“Thank you to all who had anything to do with this recognition,” said Brown. “It would not be right if I did not give a shout out to everyone who has attended Dealer Week and the earlier versions. So much of how I have learned to run my dealership has come from attending and learning from my peers. If there is one piece of advice I’d pass on learned from my faith, it’s treat others as you want to be treated. It leads to good things.”
To learn more about Dealership Certification, Great Dealerships to Work For and the new MRAA Trailblazer Award, contact Stevie Cook, MRAA Certification Manager, at 763-402-7236 or email: stevie@mraa.com.
About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.
• Strong’s Marine President, and MRAA Board Chairman, Receives Dealer Ambassador Award
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – Dec. 17, 2024 – The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas presented the annual MRAA Dealer Ambassador Award to Jeff Strong, President, Strong’s Marine of New York, at the 2024 Dealer Week Conference and Expo in Orlando, Fla.
Throughout 2024, Strong worked with the MRAA on a variety of advocacy initiatives, including attending the American Boating Congress, testifying on Capitol Hill, hosting Representative Anthony D’Esposito at his Freeport location and joining meetings with Senator Chuck Schumer’s staff to urge the passage of critical legislation. Despite his responsibilities as Chairman of the MRAA Board and President of Strong’s Marine, which has 13 locations across Long Island, his commitment to advocating for marine retailers and the recreational boating industry was unmatched.
Jeff Strong, President of Strong’s Marine, received the Dealer Advocate of the Year Award from the MRAA Government Relations Team of Chad Tokowicz and Mike Sayre, last Tuesday at Dealer Week in Orlando, Fla.
“From joining us at the American Boating Congress, to coming back to D.C. on short notice to testify on key legislation, and everything in-between, Jeff has continually highlighted his dedication to advocating for marine retailers and we cannot thank him enough for his efforts to ensure that decisionmakers on and off Capitol Hill understand the power and importance of our industry,” said Chad Tokowicz, MRAA Government Relations Manager. “As we enter 2025 and the 119th Congress, a primary focus of the MRAA Government Relations team is to continue retailer engagement with members of Congress and the new administration, and Jeff sets a strong precedent for how we will continue that work.”
This annual award recognizes an MRAA Member who displays an outstanding commitment to advocating on behalf of the recreational boating industry and actively works to better recreational boating in their community. The MRAA Dealer Ambassador Award helps to highlight dealers who go above and beyond in their advocacy engagements and inspire the next generation of marine retailers to support boating activism.
“I cannot underscore the importance of engaging in advocacy enough. These opportunities allow our industry to build relationships with key legislators while educating them about the importance of the recreational boating industry and our top policy priorities,” said Jeff Strong, President of Strong’s Marine. “I cannot thank the MRAA Government Relations team enough for not only creating these opportunities, but also helping me feel comfortable, prepared and ready to engage. I encourage my fellow marine retailers to stay on the alert for these opportunities, or reach out if you are interested, as the MRAA Government Relations team will work tirelessly to help you advocate for your business and the industry at large.”
In June, Strong spoke before the House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries. Testifying in support of the MAPOceans Act (H.R. 7925) and H.R. 8705, his testimony provided key insights as to how these pieces of legislation will provide more information to recreational boaters on the high seas and how increasing the availability of information pertaining to federal fisheries regulations and the ability to locate and detect Right Whales is crucial to ensuring that recreational boaters are good stewards on the water. For a complete overview of his testimony, click here.
Furthermore, in August Strong hosted Congressman Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY-4) for a visit to his Freeport location. The visit provided a unique opportunity for Representative D’Esposito to engage with the local marine industry, discuss important issues facing small businesses and marine retailers, and continue to build the Congressional Boating Caucus. During the visit, Rep. D’Esposito toured the facility, met with staff and spoke with Strong’s Marine Owner Jeff Strong and Dante Grover, Owner at Al Grover’s Marine, about the economic impact of the marine industry in New York’s 4th district. Rep. D’Esposito also had the chance to hear firsthand about the challenges and opportunities facing the recreational boating industry.
Jeff Strong, a proven recreational boating advocate, served as Chairman of the MRAA Board and is President of Strong’s Marine, which has 13 locations across Long Island, N.Y.
“It can be challenging to take time away from your business in order to advocate on behalf of your entire industry, but it is a vital part of MRAA’s advocacy efforts, no one can tell your story better than your self and the personal relationships between you and your elected officials can benefit your business and industry for years to come,” said Mike Sayre, MRAA Director of Government Relations. “Jeff’s work demonstrates that value and sets an example for other MRAA members. MRAA is willing and able to help members follow Jeff’s example whether it be local elected officials, your state legislators, or your federal officials.”
As we enter 2025, we will see a flurry of activity at both the state and federal level, as we will kick off the 119th Congress and sessions in state houses across the country. With new members in Congress and in State Legislatures, now is a great time to build relationships and get engaged in advocacy. To get involved with advocacy in your local community or at a national level, email Chad Tokowicz or Mike Sayre. There are numerous opportunities to engage, so please consider signing up to be an MRAA Dealer Ambassador and filling out a prior approval form for the BoatPAC.
About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.
Marine Industry Awards Honor Dealers at MRAA’s Dealer Week 2024
MINNEAPOLIS, DEC. 16 – The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) has named this year’s marine industry Great Dealerships to Work For. Twenty-eight dealerships were honored on December 10, at Dealer Week 2024, the association’s annual conference and expo, in Orlando, Fla.
MRAA Sr. Director of Dealer Development Liz Keener presented Christine and John Ladner of Breath’s Boats & Motors with a GDTWF award in the Top 3 Small Group category.
The Certified Dealers qualified for the acknowledgement by earning an overall score of 90 percent or better on the MRAA Certified Dealership Program’s annual Employee Satisfaction Survey. Administered anonymously through the MRAA, the survey asks Certified Dealership employees to answer 32 ranking questions about overall satisfaction regarding their unique dealership’s customer relations, employee satisfaction, leadership, management and reputation.
After their employees complete the survey, and the dealership receives its 13-page survey report, the entire team meets to discuss what the dealership is doing well and critical areas for improvement to enhance employee culture.
(From left) Liz Keener, Mike Wood, Jana Wood, Brandon Wood and Daniel Wetzel were on stage at Dealer Week 2024 in Orlando. South Florida Marine received a GDTWF award in the Top 3 Mid-size category.
“2024 has been a year of unprecedented challenges, making it even more crucial to prioritize employee satisfaction and retention,” said Stevie Cook, MRAA Dealership Certification Manager. “Our Certified Dealers have risen to the occasion, effectively utilizing the Employee Satisfaction Survey to foster strong employee relationships and a positive workplace culture. By addressing issues and implementing solutions, they’re not only improving employee lives but also driving business success.”
The 2023 Great Dealerships to Work For are:
3A Marine Service, Hingham, Mass.
Action WaterSports Texas , Fort Worth, Texas
All Seasons Marine Works, Rowayton, Conn.
Breath’s Boats & Motors, Bay St. Louis, Miss.
Buxton Marine, Lewisville, Texas
Clark Marine, Manchester, Maine
Colorado Boat Center, Johnstown, Colo.
Desmasdon’s Boatworks, Pointe au Baril, Ontario, Canada
Futrell Marine NWA, Rogers, Arkansas
Galati Yacht Sales, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Great Bay Marine, Islip Terrace, N.Y.
Lighthouse Harbor Marine, Islip Terrace, N.Y.
Off Shore Marine, Branchville, N.J.
Overby Marine, Littleton, N.C.
Port Harbor – Raymond, Raymond, Maine
Port Harbor – Rockport, Rockport, Maine
Regal & Nautique of Orlando, Orlando, Fla.
Riverside Marine, Essex, Md.
Russell Marine – Real Island, Equality, Ala.
Russell Marine – The Ridge, Alexander City, Ala.
Shady Creek Marina, El Dorado, Kan.
South Florida Marine, Boynton Beach, Fla.
Strong’s Marine – Southampton, Southampton, N.Y.
Superior Boat Repair, Rancho Cordova, Calif.
Taylor’s South Shore Marina, Waynesville, Ohio
The Boat House – Naples, Naples, Fla.
The Boathouse – Port Charlotte, Port Charlotte, Fla.
Trexler’s Marine, Moultonborough, N.H.
Jason and David Baumgartner of Riverside Marine earned a GDTWF award in the Top 3 Large Group Category.
New for 2024, the MRAA recognized the top three GDTWF award recipients in three separate size categories: Small Group, Mid Group and Large Group. They are:
Top 3 Small Group:
Breath’s Boats & Motors
Trexler’s Marine
Taylor’s South Shore Marina
Top 3 Mid Group
South Florida Marine
Lighthouse Harbor Marina
Overby Marine
Buxton Marine earned a GDTWF award as a top three dealer in the Large Group category.
About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.
Integrated Dealer Systems, and MRAA Education Champion, will host a Dealership Insights Forum at 11:30 a.m. (EST) on Friday, Dec 20.
The topic of the discussion centers on 2024 Repair Event Cycle Time (RECT) Recap for Marine and RV dealerships. The forum will inspect RECT over the past year, exploring what have been the biggest factors impacting it. Gain some key learnings for your 2025 preparation. Don Miller, IDS, and Sarah Baptiste, Arrkann RV, will host the discussion.
ORLANDO, FLA., December 10, 2024 — The MRAA Educational Foundation announced today that Angela Brayton, General Manager of Lakeview Marine in Webster, Mass., is the recipient of the Foundation’s 2024 Kevin Lodder Scholarship. This year’s scholarship recipient was unveiled at the Foundation’s awards luncheon in Orlando, Fla., as part of Dealer Week, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas annual conference and expo.
Angela Brayton
This scholarship celebrates the memory of Kevin Lodder of Lodder’s Marine in Fairfield, Ohio. Kevin worked in his family’s dealership and was dedicated to the marine industry from an early age until his untimely passing. The recipient of this scholarship receives tuition to attend the NCM Associates Total Management 1 In-Person Workshop in Sioux Falls, S.D., and a stipend to offset travel expenses.
Fourteen years ago, Brayton made career-altering decision, choosing the open receptionist position at Lakeview Marine rather than working at a big-box retail outlet. The marine industry was not on her radar and boating was not her area of expertise. However, throughout her time at Lakeview Marine, Brayton has made herself more valuable and, in doing so she has made vertical moves, earning her current general manager/showroom coordinator position.
Brayton, an advocate for daily improvement, seeks to grow as a manager because it will benefit her, the dealership and their customers.
“Being exposed to the best practices in the industry can only help myself grow as a manager and benefit our company” she wrote in her scholarship application. “Our dealership has increased sales and service volume over the years. We have a continuous goal of improving how we operate daily. My hope is that by attending the NCM Associates Total Management Workshop I can get a better understanding of key metrics and reports that will help our dealership continue to make strides in enhancing our customer relationships and employee satisfaction.”
The Total Management 1 Workshop, geared toward every decision-maker, leader and key employee, is NCM’s most widely-attended course, helping thousands of people succeed in business while helping businesses stabilize, grow and increase profits.
Workshop participants leave with a clear set of principles processes and tools to take their company to new levels of performance and profitability. The benefits include clear decision-making, right-sizing operations, bolstering margins, department score-keeping and profit planning, sound inventory preparation, enhanced communication and more. And that has a way of making their work vastly more enjoyable.
“We are proud to award this memorial scholarship to someone who is unwavering in their pursuit of personal and professional growth,” states Matt Lodder, Chairman of the MRAA Educational Foundation Board of Directors. “Given Angela’s dedication to Lakeview Marine, its culture and its customers, and the passion she has for learning, we are confident that she will leverage the scholarship to advance in her leadership, helping the dealership to improve.”
About MRAA Educational Foundation As part of its mission to create a strong and healthy boating industry, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is committed to offering training, education and professional development opportunities to its members and the entire marine dealer community. In 2004, the association launched the MRAA Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 corporation, to provide financial support for education, training and professional development in the recreational marine trades. For more information or to donate to support the foundation’s mission, visit mraa.com/foundation.
About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.
ORLANDO, FL, December 10, 2024 — The MRAA Educational Foundation announced today that Jami Hirsch, Co-Owner at BoatCraft in Traverse City, Mich., is the recipient of the Foundation’s 2024 Duane Spader Leadership Development Scholarship. This year’s scholarship recipient was unveiled at the Foundation’s awards luncheon in Orlando, Fla., as part of Dealer Week, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas annual conference and expo.
Jami Hirsch
The Duane Spader Leadership Development Scholarship, founded in 2013 by Spader Business Management (now NCM Associates) and the MRAA Educational Foundation, honors the marine industry service of Spader founder Duane Spader, as well as his leadership philosophy of lifelong learning. Hirsch will receive full tuition to attend the NCM Associates Leadership Development Program, valued at nearly $15,000. Applicants must be employees of a Marine Retailers Association of the Americas retail member. BoatCraft is an MRAA Silver Member.
From achieving sales goals to competing in Ironman Triathlons to co-owning an upstart dealership, Hirsch isn’t afraid of challenges or pushing forward to overcome and accomplish personal, professional and family goals. During a difficult stretch for the family, she and her husband, Jeff, have persevered through personal and professional change to launch a boat dealership in the fall of 2019. Despite lacking a physical location and employees — and COVID — Hirsch says they pressed on with the dealership while home schooling their children from the road in an RV.
In 2021, things took off for BoatCraft, partly due to a return to normal and mostly because of their passion and enthusiasm for boating. After buying property for their dealership, adding another line and hiring five new employees, they have boosted their revenue, received numerous accolades from three product manufacturers and earned hundreds of loyal customers. However, Hirsch, who learned about hard work while growing up on an Iowa farm, says her humble upbringing has also showed her that working smarter, not harder, is also a pathway for success.
“I have been able to ‘grind’ through many challenges with successful outcomes,” Hirsch wrote in her scholarship application. “It has become clear that the grind is no longer the appropriate route. It is time to utilize this tenacity in a more effective way. With the opportunity that the MRAA [Educational Foundation] scholarship provides, I am certain I will be able to move towards a brighter future. Not only for myself and my family, but my hopes are we can create an environment for our employees and customers to also thrive.”
The NCM Leadership Development Program is a rigorous educational initiative designed for high-performing department leaders, emerging leaders and future executives poised to drive organizational
success. Spanning several months with five intensive 3.5-day sessions, the immersive program equips participants with essential leadership skills through an in-depth exploration of established principles, models and management techniques. Each session is strategically spaced to encourage practical learning application in real-world scenarios, ensuring immediate impact and sustained growth in leadership capabilities.
“We’re inspired by Jami’s passion for boating and her belief that improvement requires persistence,” states Matt Lodder, Chairman of the MRAA Educational Foundation Board of Directors. “It’s clear that she has a solid foundation for success, even in the face of challenges and change, and has already displayed great leadership. We’re convinced this scholarship will help her optimize her efforts and sharpen her leadership tactics, while she continues to guide the dealership to new heights.”
About MRAA Educational Foundation As part of its mission to create a strong and healthy boating industry, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is committed to offering training, education and professional development opportunities to its members and the entire marine dealer community. In 2004, the association launched the MRAA Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 corporation, to provide financial support for education, training and professional development in the recreational marine trades. For more information or to donate to support the foundation’s mission, visit www.mraa.com/foundation.
About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.
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