Smoker Craft, Inc. has made a significant donation to the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas in support of Dealer Week and educational programming for its entire dealer network.
While the Smoker Craft executive team of Doug Smoker, Peter Barrett, and Phil Smoker noted their desire to support MRAA financially with a significant donation, they also wanted to use the opportunity to expose more of the company’s dealers to MRAA’s educational programming. With this in mind, Smoker Craft and MRAA are offering dealers of the Smoker Craft, Starcraft and Sylvan brands a registration matching program, giving them the opportunity to double their registrations for Dealer Week at no additional charge.
Smoker Craft dealers who register one team member, will receive a second team member registration as part of the program, courtesy of Smoker Craft, Inc. If they register two team members, Smoker Craft will provide them with two additional complementary registrations. And the matching offer will apply no matter how many team members a Smoker Craft dealer registers.
“Dealer Week is an ideal setting for dealers to exchange ideas and learn from its fantastic educational seminars,” said Doug Smoker, President of Smoker Craft, in a video the company released. “The stronger our dealers become, the more beneficial it is for everybody. Learning about new and better ideas makes this happen, and that is what Dealer Week is all about.”
Smoker Craft, Inc., already supports MRAA at the highest level as a Strategic Partner, a partnership that includes the company in the association’s strategic planning alongside MRAA’s staff, board of directors, Young Leaders Advisory Council and other Strategic Partners. In an effort to provide greater support for MRAA’s Dealer Week and the significant shortfall it has experienced with its move online, and in a follow-up to Barletta Boats President Bill Fenech’s challenge for the industry to increase its support of MRAA during what has otherwise been a strong year for the boat industry, Smoker Craft leadership worked closely with MRAA to create a program that would support both the association and the advancement of its dealer network.
“At Smoker Craft, we understand the importance of a strong dealer body and a strong dealer association,” said Peter Barrett, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Development at Smoker Craft. “We appreciate Bill and Barletta issuing this challenge, because as he suggests, we understand the critical nature of our dealers’ ability to service current and next generation of boaters. The MRAA and Dealer Week help us do this by providing the tools necessary to be better partners in their boating experience.”
Dealer Week, now online and easier for dealers to participate in than ever before, is scheduled for Dec. 8-11. For as little as $249, dealers can access nearly 30 educational sessions, a number of MRAA partner exhibits, and networking opportunities to help them prepare for the year ahead. The courses are designed to answer the most pressing questions for the 2021 market place, such as how to plan for boat shows, how to create more leads, how to strengthen your service department, how to maximize digital marketing efforts, how to enhance the customer experience and much more.
MRAA responded to Fenech’s challenge and conversations with its Strategic Partners by creating the web page MRAA.com/Support where dealers, manufacturers, suppliers and service providers alike can join or update their membership, register for Dealer Week or make a donation to the organization. As a non-profit trade association, 100 percent of all funds collected are always reinvested right back into the industry and specifically in support of dealers.
“We are so grateful to the Smoker Craft team for its generous contribution toward propping our team and the great work we do here at the MRAA,” said Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “We’re thrilled to have developed this innovative approach to using their investment to expose more dealers to the opportunities they have through the educational programming at Dealer Week. We believe this will be a powerful way to help Smoker Craft provide high-quality courses on timely topics and help set their dealers up for success in the year ahead.”
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, r contact us at 763-315-8043.
About Smoker Craft Inc.
Owned and operated by the Schrock and Smoker families since 1903, Smoker Craft Inc. manufactures an extensive lineup of award-winning aluminum fishing boats, high-performance sport boats and next-generation pontoons that are sold through a global dealer network. For more information please visit the corporate website at www.thebestboatbrands.com.
