Dealer Week 2020 moves online, adds webinar series

Dealer Week, the annual conference and expo of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, is moving online in 2020. The event will take place, as scheduled, Dec. 8-11, 2020, on the device of your choice, with a preview event slated for October and a series of educational webinars taking place, beginning in mid-September, available to all registered attendees.

“Picking the right venue is crucial for a successful event, and this year it’s obvious that a great online platform — which we have found — is the best way to provide the insights, education and business solutions dealers need from Dealer Week,” said Mike Davin, Brand Director at the MRAA. “Dealer Week will connect dealers with solutions to the pain points and opportunities they face.”

Dealer Week 2020 will include opening and closing ceremonies, education sessions, partners and exhibits with business solutions, Q&As with the experts, roundtable discussions, awards presentations, networking and more.

“As we look ahead to 2021, dealers have a lot of unknowns about inventory levels, market conditions, sales and service demand, customer expectations and more,” explains Liz Walz, MRAA Vice President. “Dealers and their teams who participate in the Dealer Week education lineup will receive powerful tools to navigate the uncertainty and maximize their success, no matter what the market throws at them.”

As part of their Dealer Week registration, dealers will receive exclusive access to a preview event as well as a series of webinars hosted by the same trainers scheduled to appear at the event. Scheduled for Oct. 29, 2020, the preview event will allow registrants access to a VIP panel discussion with the three leading trainers who will host this year’s Dealer Week, as well as sneak peeks into the exhibit hall and networking opportunities you’ll experience at the event.

The webinars will take place most Wednesdays leading up to the event, beginning Sept. 16. The first session, titled “3 Ways to Start Turning Your Shop Inside Out,” features Valerie Ziebron of VRZ Consulting, who will also serve as one of three “Education Hosts” during Dealer Week. The next two webinars will feature the event’s other hosts, Sam Dantzler of Wheelhouse College and Jim Million of Million Learning. The webinar series offers dealers an opportunity to prepare themselves for success before the event, but they will also have the ability to continue learning after the closing ceremony because MRAA will make the webinars and all Dealer Week education sessions and exhibits available for event attendees to access through March 31, 2021.

For MRAA partners who support Dealer Week through an exhibit or sponsorship, the event platform offers a robust online exhibit opportunity that includes video, downloadable documents, video chat, meeting scheduling and more. Partners can engage in the education and contribute to the learning and conversations that take place through Dealer Week, making this event a strong contributor to marine industry success. Their exhibit and exposure through this event will remain active in the online platform through March 31. Those partners who support Dealer Week will have an opportunity to submit a 10-minute thought leader-style video, which will be shared with dealers who attend the event. Those companies who supported Dealer Week in 2019 and 2020 will also be able to lock in 2019 booth pricing for Dealer Week 2021.

“The 2020 selling season was turned on its head a couple times with the sudden slowdown and subsequent rapid acceleration of boat sales,” explains Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “Dealer Week seeks to provide our dealers and our partners an opportunity to pause, collect themselves, plan for a strong year ahead, and collaborate on the collective success of our industry. And in this online format, Dealer Week becomes more accessible to more companies than ever before. We look forward to leading our industry with great confidence into the year ahead.”

Early Bird pricing for Dealer Week is $249 per person for MRAA Members and $349 per person for non-members. Prices increase to $299 and $399, respectively, after Oct. 31.

Originally slated to take place in Austin, Texas, the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact required MRAA to reschedule the in-person event for December 2021. More details will be shared soon.   

For more information and to register today, go to DealerWeek.com.

MRAA President to Speak at SHOWUP2020 LIVE!

Derema Group has opened registration for SHOWUP2020 LIVE! The event will be streaming live from Philadelphia PA on Wednesday September 23rd from 12:00PM EDT – 6:00PM EDT. Registrants will have the ability to visit the site throughout the day to learn more about what the top brands have planned for 2021.  Among the offerings included:

  • 2021 vendor booth tours
  • Introduction of 2021 new products
  • Live interviews with leaders from major industry trade organizations
  • Feature product demonstrations
  • Appointment booking capability with vendor personnel
  • Virtual booth chat rooms
  • General session webinars

Hosted by Philadelphia TV sports personality Lou Tilley, this is an event that will feature the industry’s top Marine and RV brands including Sierra & Seastar by Dometic, Starbrite, Hughes, RV Designer. In addition to several speakers from around the marine and RV industries, MRAA President Matt Gruhn will provide event participants with key insights on the 2020 boating season and the needs of today’s customer experience.

The event is free for approved Marine and RV trade members.

Learn more and register at www.deremashowup2020.com

NJ Governor’s Budget includes Proposed Boating Sales Tax Increase

On Tuesday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy proposed a repeal of the overwhelmingly bipartisan sales tax cap on boats as part of his revised nine-month 2021 state budget to make up for a $5.6 billion budget shortfall due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Governor’s $1 billion tax hike also includes a third attempt to raise the millionaires tax, and additional taxes on HMOs, corporation business surtax, and increased sales tax on cigarettes, limousines, and recreational watercrafts.

MRAA is partnering with the Association of Marina Industries and the Marine Trades Association of New Jersey to oppose this legislation and ensure that small businesses in NJ can continue to remain competitive and drive economic growth and prosperity.

“This proposed tax hike fails to recognize the impact that the recreational boating industry has in supporting many well-paying, blue-collar jobs in New Jersey,” said Adam Fortier-Brown, MRAA government relations manager. “Quite often, the recreational boating industry is painted unfairly as an activity for the nation’s wealthiest. This viewpoint is simply untrue, as the vast majority of boating households are in the middle class. Increasing taxes on boats in NJ will only encourage families to look across state lines for boat purchases so they can recreate responsibly, and harm small businesses and the workers who depend on them.”

This proposal is joined by a proposal in the Senate led by Senator Vin Gopal (D-11). Despite this, the state’s two highest-ranking lawmakers, Senate President Stephen Sweeney and State Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, have shown they are hesitant to any tax increases though statements to NJ Advance Media.

“Many families all across this state have struggled with unprecedented hardship, from both a health and a financial perspective,” Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin said, adding that NJ lawmakers must “address the extraordinary challenges that COVID-19 has created.”

“I completely agree with the speaker. I said nothing’s off the table. And I think he said the same thing,” State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester. “This all has to be looked at big picture. We have to be very serious about tax increases. We’re talking about adding burden to people If we’re gonna be raising taxes, we’ve got to be very judicious about it.”

The sales tax cap on boats was passed in 2015 to respond to the severe economic downturn and devastation to the industry caused by the 2007-2008 Financial Crisis and Hurricane Sandy to ensure the state remained competitive with neighboring states. In the 15 years preceding the sales tax cap, NJ lost over 90,000 registered boats.

The Democratic-controlled state legislature has until October 1 to pass a spending package or face a government shutdown.

For additional information, please contact MRAA government relations manager Adam Fortier-Brown at adam@mraa.com.

Hurricane Laura Shows the Need for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure

Hurricane Laura made landfall on Texas and Louisiana’s coasts early Thursday morning as the strongest hurricane to hit the region since 1861. The Category 4 hurricane with a life-threatening storm surge brought significant inland flooding and 150 mph winds. Fortunately search and rescue teams have found no reports of widespread fatalities.

Hurricane Laura is the seventh named storm to make landfall in the U.S. this year, an all-time record. The storm intensified from a Category 1 to a Category 4 storm overnight before making landfall, being just shy of a Category 5 strength storm. Winds from Category 4 storms can level communities, causing long-lasting power outages and leave entire swaths of land uninhabitable for weeks and months.

According to the Associated Press, nearly 470,000 homes and businesses are without power.

The Providing Resources for Emergency Preparedness and Resilient Enterprises (PREPARE) Act, landmark bipartisan legislation that would give small businesses the opportunity to access much needed capital to invest in disaster resilient infrastructure — a top priority for the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas. This bill would allow the Small Business Administration to make low-interest, fixed rate loans of up to $500,000 to small businesses to invest in their properties to protect their facilities, real estate and contents from natural disasters like Hurricane Laura.

This will preserve small business job gains in communities that depend on them and prevent against the existential threat of permanent business closure. According to FEMA, roughly 40-60 percent of small businesses never reopen following a disaster.

This program would be the only SBA program focused solely on small business disaster prevention, and would complement rebuilding efforts through the government agency’s disaster loan programs. Research shows that every $1 the government spends on disaster mitigation, such as improving existing infrastructure or elevating homes and businesses, saves taxpayers an average of $6.

A study by the MRAA and AMI found that marine businesses need significant funding to protect from flooding, requiring an average of $260,000 to invest in projects like elevating buildings, bulkheads, constructing flood barriers or levees, dry and wet floodproofing, yard regrading, and sewer back up protections. This is an issue that transcends industries where all small businesses across the country face similar needs to mitigate damages caused by an increase in frequency and severity of natural disasters, costing the U.S. over $800 Billion in the last decade. 

See MRAA’s press release outlining the bill here.

For additional information, please contact MRAA government relations manager Adam Fortier-Brown at adam@mraa.com.

MRAA Adds Three Employees to Enhance Membership, Education and Content Channels

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas has hired three new employees in Education Specialist Cecelia Pallotto, Content Manager Jerrod Kelley and Membership Manager Sherri Cuvala.

“We are thrilled to welcome Sherri, Cecelia and Jerrod
 to our MRAA team and to bolster all of the great resources we create and contribute to this great industry of ours,” says Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “Education, membership and content generation are all key drivers within MRAA. We know these three
 individuals can help us make great strides in these areas, which, in turn, will help us build a more solid foundation and support system for our vast marine audience.”

Cecelia Pallotto — Education Specialist

As Education Specialist, Pallotto will facilitate online course creation, content and tools for MRAATraining.com, Dealer Week education, webinars and more. Pallotto has a Masters of Arts in Communication and is a professor of public speaking.
 She also gained educational and training experience as district manager for a seasonal photography set company. Pallotto finds joy in biking, gardening and being on the water with her husband and two children.   

“I’m so excited to
 be a part of such a talented team of people who share a passion for education and customer experience,” said Pallotto. “I consider myself a lifelong learner and am so passionate about these things, so to be a part of a group whose main purpose and
 shared goal is exactly this is invigorating and powerful.”

Jerrod Kelley — Content Manager
As MRAA Content Manager, Kelley oversees strategic and timely distribution of on-brand MRAA content and is responsible for generating and managing
 the creation of content across all MRAA channels. Kelley’s history as a creative content supplier has included sports journalism, magazine editorial, TV co-host and freelance writer. For the last nine years, he served as a public relations consultant
 for Can-Am Off-Road Vehicles (BRP, Inc.). When he’s not working, he can be found spending time with his wife and three children, fishing and both coaching and playing baseball.

“Joining the MRAA is rewarding because of the devoted group of
 employees that make up its heart and soul,” he said. “I’m honored and blessed to join such a well-respected team and association that excels at helping its members succeed and achieve greatness. The MRAA has many avenues of content generation, so
 it will be fun to create and manage strategies to share these messages with the marine industry and media.”

Sherri Cuvala — Membership Manager
Cuvala will manage membership recruitment and renewals for MRAA, in addition to facilitating
 outstanding experiences for member and non-member dealers and other retailers. Prior to joining the MRAA, Cuvala worked for nearly 30 years with the National Marine Manufacturers Association, building strong relationships through interactions with
 marine manufacturers, dealers and retailers. Outside of the office, Cuvala enjoys spending time with her family, two children and friends.

“I strongly believe in the benefits of the boating lifestyle, and when I saw the open position for Membership
 Manager at MRAA, I instinctively knew I found my new home,” said Cuvala. “I’m thrilled to be able to continue my relationship with dealers and retailers that I have previously worked with and look forward to building new relationships as well.”




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, contact us at 763-315-8043.

“Second Opinion Service” – Business and Personal Wealth Evaluation Now Available To MRAA Members!

Second Opinion

MRAA logo The Marine Retailers Association has announced a new benefit for members designed to assess their personal and business wealth to bring them closer to their most meaningful financial goals. The “Second Opinion Service” benefit is provided by with The Stanek Group at Morgan Stanley.


Many of you have built up successful dealerships and concentrated on their business wealth. The Second Opinion Service evaluates how you can become financially independent of your business by taking a detailed view at your key financial documents and addressing areas such as:



•    Navigating your business succession, exit, and transfer of dealership to the next generation or third party.
•    Finding ways for your wealth to be tax efficient and to eliminate debt.  
•    Preserving your wealth through thoughtful insurance, long term care and disability insurance policies.


Here’s how the benefit works.


The Stanek Group will meet with you for a Discovery Meeting. Assuming both parties agree there is a basis to work together, you provide key financial documents for an in-depth financial review. A second meeting – the Wealth Planning Meeting – is then scheduled to review key findings, opportunities, and specific recommendations to help your wealth work better for you.

If you enjoy working with the Stanek Group, you can engage their services but are not obligated to do so.
Either way, you will receive:


•    A personalized written analysis of your current situation
•    Clarity on your wealth plan
•    Recommendations, suggestions and planning insights to help reach your most important goals.
•    Most importantly, a written plan that you can review, implement, and share with your other advisors.



If you would like to learn more, you can reach out directly to Tony Perrelli, Financial Advisor, with the Stanek Group at Morgan Stanley. Tony can be reached at Tony.Perrelli@ms.com or 312-648-3365.



Tony Perrelli
Financial Advisor
Morgan Stanley – Chicago Merc #628
227 West Monroe Street
Suite 3400
Chicago IL 60606



Since life insurance and long term care insurance are medically underwritten, you should not cancel your current policy until your new policy is in force.  A change to your current policy may incur charges, fees and costs.  A new policy will require a medical exam. Surrender charges may be imposed and the period of time for which the surrender charges apply may increase with a new policy.  You should consult with your own tax advisors regarding your potential tax liability on surrenders.

Guarantees and contractual obligations are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice.  Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning and other legal matters.

Investments and services offered through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC.  Member SIPC.
CRC 3176965  7/2020


The Boat House Chicago hosts Boat-In Movie Night on Pistakee Lake

The Boat House Chicago hosted the first ever “Boat-In” Movie Night on the Chain O’ Lakes! During these uncertain times, entertainment venues and entertainment in general is limited. That’s why we decided to help give our boating family and friends a lasting memory this summer!  

 

Starting at 8:15pm The Boat House Chicago showcased Finding Nemo and Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl on a 24ft LCD screen stationed at our new facility and facing outward toward the water. 

 

Local boaters were encouraged to anchor in the no-wake zone and enjoy a socially distanced movie night “together”. Promoting the event through social media and local news outlets, well over 100 boats were anchored up prior to the start of the first movie with more arriving after dark! 

 

“We’re really excited to host this event and show off our new facility here in Johnsburg! It’s already been an incredible first year at our new home and this was the icing on the cake! To see so many friends and fellow boaters coming out to be part of this unique experience, we couldn’t have hoped for more and we’re really excited for what the future holds!” said Tyler Kraft, Marketing Coordinator and event planner.

 

Rick Gasaway, COO of The Boat House offered the following comments: “We were really looking forward to kicking off the year in a big way with our new facility. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, our on-water events and traditional marketing efforts were limited, so we had to get creative. We love the boating lifestyle and what better way to exemplify that than to create events like this where boaters can get together and create lasting memories with family and friends!”

 

The Boat House Chicago has served boaters on the Chain O’Lakes for over 10 years through the former store in Prairie Grove. In January of 2020, The Boat House acquired Bald Knob Marina and relocated the Chicago store to Johnsburg.  The combination of the two dealerships has brought many synergies as it ties together the strength of The Boat House brands and Bald Knob’s established in/out and slip rental services.  The acquisition continues to provide a full spectrum of services and products that support customers as they enjoy their lifestyle on the water. 

 

 

About The Boat House

The Boat House is a multi store marine dealership with 4 Midwest and 3 Florida locations. Our mission is to supply our customers with a superior boat buying and ownership experience by offering premium brands, professional staff, first class service and 360º solutions including: New & Used Boat Sales, On Site and Mobile Service, Storage, Parts, Gear, Pier and Lift Services, Long and Short Term Boat Rentals, In-House Financing, Consignments, On Water Demonstrations and Community Boating Events. We believe boating enhances our lives through meaningful relationships and time well spent. We are lifetime boaters eager to share our passion and experience with you.

Jeff Husby Named President and CEO of WaterSports Central

WaterSports Central LLC (WC), Georgia and South Carolinas premier boat dealership with six retail locations featuring Nautique, Crownline, Bryant, Xcursion, and South Bay brands, today announced and welcomed veteran marine retailer Jeff Husby as its partner, president and CEO. Preston Davis who has served as the organization’s senior executive since 2017, moves into an advisory and board member role.  

Husby brings a wealth of industry leadership experience including nearly three decades at the retail level. For six straight years, he personally earned the #1 global award for top retail sales for Correct Craft. In 2008, he founded his own dealership – Regal Nautique of Orlando – and has propelled it into a world class organization currently ranked in the #4 position of the Boating Industry Top 100 in North America. Other major industry accolades under Husby’s leadership include 8x Top 100 dealer ranking including designation in 2018 as the nation’s best-in-class service department; 2019 MRAA Top 10 Best Dealerships to Work For; 10 consecutive years as a Top 10 Nautique Dealer and winner of the 2019 highly coveted Nautique President’s Award; Top 10 Worldwide Regal Dealer with previous #1 ranking for single-store sales; along with multiple top-scoring CSI award recognitions.

Husby remains at the helm of Regal Nautique of Orlando as owner and GM. However, this new dual role provides ample opportunity to maximize the strengths and shared resources between both companies in a continued and focused effort to elevate the customer experience.  

“WaterSports Central is well respected in the markets it serves with a proven heritage of outstanding sales and customer service,” said Husby. “I am motivated to work with and lead this outstanding team into the next chapter and to further build and solidify our position in each market.”

Added former President and CEO Preston Davis, “Jeff Husby is the most capable and passionate leader I have met in the industry and is a proven leader who shares our organization’s values and passion. I take great comfort in knowing I leave WaterSports Central in better hands than my own, with a highly experienced and talented management team along with great employees, customers and the entire stakeholder network. The sky is the limit and our entire organization is excited about the future.”

New Boater Interest Drives Boat Leads to Soar Past Expected July Fourth Peak

  • New visitors to Boat Trader, YachtWorld and boats.com up more than +50% in July
  • Leads flourished across U.S. with over +200% YoY growth in nearly all regions
  • Boats Group’s soldboats.com database shows boat sales increased +30% YoY

Data from July for Boat Trader, YachtWorld and boats.com show traffic (+49% YoY) and leads (+193% YoY) continue to soar past the expected July Fourth peak, suggesting the boat buying surge won’t end anytime soon in the United States. The recent rise in traffic, leads and boat sales has largely been driven by people new to boating and those quick to realize that escaping to the water on a boat is the best way to ‘staycation’ and stick to COVID’s restrictions on travel and gatherings. In fact, new visitors on Boats Group’s marketplaces were up 56% last month.
 
New boaters appear to be drawn to boats with multipurpose use, and right now cruisers, center consoles and pontoons are the top in-demand segments based on magnitude of leads. In comparison to last year in July, sailboats and fishing boats were among the leading categories – an indication that buyers in 2020 are looking for functional, family-friendly boats. The heightened popularity of pontoons (leads up +271% YoY) in particular, an easy-to-handle, versatile boat for the masses, is further evidence of a new boat-buying audience.
 
Following the progression of the virus, certain areas in the U.S. have experienced drastic upticks in the number of recorded infections, which could help explain changes in demand geographically in places like the West Coast where lead volume outpaced the Great Lakes for the first time. Lead volume across all regions remained strong beyond the usual Fourth of July peak, signaling that the typical sales season may be extended this year.
 
The latest information reported to Boats Group’s soldboats.com and YachtCloser data sources also confirms the current buying boom underway and reveals that the number of boats sold in July in the U.S. grew +30% over 2019. The surge in sales, coupled with the slowed to halted production, has resulted in tightened inventory, pushing the average price per boat sold up 18% YoY, as well as total value sold, which grew 54% YoY in July.

The boating industry has not seen this level of entrants in recent years and may need to adjust its sales and post-sales approach to ensure that this new audience remains engaged long term.

Take Me Fishing and Discover Boating Joint ‘Get On Board’ Campaign Signals Success

In under two months, a collaborative marketing campaign from Take Me Fishing and Discover Boating has reached an audience of more than 640 million. Launched June 15, the Get On Board campaign is a joint effort between the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF), Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) to help more Americans experience the restorative health and wellness benefits of boating and fishing safely while social distancing.

“While new boats are selling at an impressive level this summer, the real value of the campaign is the voice it’s giving our industry at a time we uniquely have the attention of our potential next generation customer,” said Ellen Bradley, Senior Vice President and Chief Brand Officer for NMMA. “By coming together with RBFF and MRAA during this unique time, we’re able to share the benefits of the boating and fishing lifestyle in a more impactful way and better position our industry for the future.”

An integrated campaign of digital advertising, public service announcements, social media and public relations, Get On Board took its inspiration from rising consumer interest in safe outdoor recreation amidst COVID-19. The same trend has contributed to record participation and sales for the boating and fishing industry this summer.

“As Americans seek out ways to recreate responsibly, one in five people have become more interested in taking up fishing,” said Frank Peterson, President and CEO of RBFF. “Through Get On Board, we’ve created a powerful platform to make the joys of fishing and boating more relevant than ever for new audiences — and already, the numbers are showing success. Year over year, fishing license registrations are up around the country.”

Highlights of the campaign’s success so far include:

  • An estimated 644 million impressions.
  • More than 15 million video views on YouTube.
  • More than 1,400 news media placements, including interviews with campaign spokesperson Dr. Sue Varma, a nationally recognized psychiatrist.
  • More than 1.4 million social media engagements across Take Me Fishing and Discover Boating’s social channels.
  • A public service announcement airing 5,778 times by more than 110 TV stations across the country.
  • More than 800 social media posts using the campaign hashtag #TheWaterIsOpen.
  • Social media influencers including @AmeliaKFarrar, @ChrisGarafola, @ReadySetJetSet, @Hey_Ciara and @Girlof10000Lakes reaching a potential audience of more than 675,000 and generating more than 500,000 likes, comments, shares, views and clicks.
  • Record-breaking web traffic to the Take Me Fishing and Discover Boating sites this year has continued since the campaign’s launch with a 78% year-over-year increase in visitors.

To date, nearly 200 industry members have joined the campaign, which is open to all brands and leaders throughout boating and fishing.

“We are off to an incredible start with sharing the Get On Board messaging, but we want to ensure that the entire industry unites behind this campaign to let consumers know that boating is a safe and enjoyable way to spend their family and recreation time,” says Matt Gruhn, MRAA president. “We hope to continue our industry’s momentum by engaging even more dealers, marinas and manufacturers in using the Get On Board assets and messaging.”

Industry members are urged to help ensure that boating and fishing continue providing lifelines to health and wellness for Americans throughout the pandemic. Interested readers are encouraged to use the campaign hashtag #TheWaterIsOpen and access easy partner toolkits from Take Me Fishing and Discover Boating, where they can download free social media assets, website banner ads, videos and imagery. For customized boating assets, please contact MRAA’s Matt Gruhn at matt@mraa.com.

For additional questions about Get On Board, please contact Take Me Fishing’s Stephanie Vatalaro at svatalaro@rbff.org or Discover Boating’s Ellen Bradley at ebradley@nmma.org.

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, contact us at 763-315-8043.

About RBFF: RBFF is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase participation in recreational angling and boating, thereby protecting and restoring the nation’s aquatic natural resources. RBFF’s recently announced 60 in 60 effort strives to attract 60 million anglers to the sport by the end of 2021. To help recruit, retain and reactivate participants, RBFF developed the award-winning Take Me Fishing™ and Vamos A Pescar™ campaigns creating awareness about boating, fishing and conservation, and educating people about the benefits of participation. These campaigns help boaters and anglers of all ages and experience levels learn, plan and equip for a day on the water. The campaign websites, TakeMeFishing.org and TakeMeFishing.org/es, feature how-to videos, information on how to get a fishing license and boat registration, and an interactive state-by-state map that allows visitors to find local boating and fishing spots.

About NMMA: The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) is the leading trade organization for the North American recreational boating industry. NMMA member companies produce more than 80 percent of the boats, engines, trailers, marine accessories and gear used by millions of boaters in North America. The association manages the industry’s Discover Boating campaign and serves its members and their sales and service networks by improving the business environment for recreational boating including providing sales and marketing platforms, decreasing the cost of doing business, and helping grow boating participation. Learn more at www.nmma.org and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.