More than 930 dealership personnel have registered for Dealer Week 2020, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas’ annual conference and expo, which kicks off tomorrow online.
The 930 dealer registrations represent more than a 43-percent increase over the MRAA’s previous all-time high dealer attendance at its annual conference, which stood at 650, and more than 57 percent more than the total attendance at the inaugural Dealer Week in 2019.
“When we began creating a plan for a virtual conference back in March, we believed that an online platform could extend the reach of our educational content significantly,” explained Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “We set an aggressive goal of hosting 1,000 dealers at Dealer Week 2020, and we are thrilled to be on the cusp of reaching that goal.”
Dealer Week 2020 launches Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 9 a.m. Central Time. The Opening Ceremony includes a keynote presentation on the importance of the customer experience, titled “Three Things Your Customers Care About,” by Jay Baer. It will also provide attendees a sense of what to expect and how to navigate the week’s event experience.
“Dealers, you told us what you value in MRAA’s conference, and last year we re-imagined the event to focus it on helping you solve your biggest challenges,” said Mike Davin, MRAA Brand Director. “This year we had the opportunity to re-imagine it again, and it’s been exciting because the online format creates an environment where we can deliver more solutions to more dealers, which is MRAA’s ultimate goal. If you’ve ever been to Dealer Week or considered participating, this is a year you won’t want to miss.”
Dealer Week offers more than 30 educational opportunities to prepare marine businesses for the year ahead. In addition to the keynote, the event will offer 18 education sessions (including three dealer case studies) spread over three pathways, several thought leader presentations, an awards program, dealer roundtable discussion sessions, and question-and-answer sessions with each of the event’s speakers. There are also more than 80 individual exhibit spaces hosted by partners with dealer-focused products and services to offer.
Dealer Week’s Education Hosts are back to guide attendees through the online experience, and they will once again act as emcees for the three education pathways. The hosts are Sam Dantzler, Wheelhouse College; Jim Million, Million Learning; and Valerie Ziebron, VRZ Consulting.
Special features of this year’s event include a Lunch & Learn promo from Operate Beyond, a trio of celebrity appearances during networking sessions, two U.S. Senators to appear during MRAA’s Annual Meeting on Friday, and entertainment made possible by KICKER Marine Audio. The Lunch & Learn rewards dealers who register four or more people from their store with a $100 gift card to buy their team lunch while they participate in Dealer Week.
“At the foundation of this incredible event experience, the Dealer Week educational offerings are the most timely and relevant courses we’ve ever produced for a live event,” explained MRAA Vice President Liz Walz. “Our primary focus has always been the ideas, insights and inspiration we offer Dealer Week attendees, and with the uncertainty we know will impact the 2021 market place, we are looking forward to delivering the most powerful line-up of the most important topics and advice to the largest number of dealers ever participating in an MRAA annual conference.”
It’s not too late to register and join this record audience. Learn more at www.DealerWeek.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, contact us at 763-315-8043.
About Dealer Week
For nearly 50 years, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas has delivered world class educational programming to dealers, retailers and service operations that power the boating industry and serve today’s boaters. Dealer Week evolves as MRAA’s rebranded and reimagined annual conference and expo, a profoundly new event experience designed to engage, energize and empower the dealer community. The MRAA envisions a brighter future for marine retail, and Dealer Week is the preeminent means for bringing that vision to life. Learn more at DealerWeek.com.