June 8, 2013, will be the first nationwide boating event dedicated to help industry stakeholders expand their customer base as the industry collaborates to grow boating through participation. Welcome on the Water on National Marina Day will be held at on-water locales around the U.S.

All recreational boating businesses are encouraged to take part as event organizers offer opportunities for industry partners to get involved. Every event will be different based on the local market, boating opportunities and industry partners. Suggested activities include: on-water hands-on training; open houses; showcase of boats and related marine products; free demo rides with sales follow-up; and, safety demonstrations.

National Marina Day was launched in 2001 by the Association of Marina Industries (AMI) to promote the marina industry and encourage marinas to introduce their local markets to the boating lifestyle. The event merged efforts with Discover Boating last year to broaden the event to promote the entire recreational boating industry under the banner of the industry-wide ‘Welcome to the Water’ national campaign. In 2012, 250 marinas participated in 30 states.

“Welcome to the Water on National Marina Day is truly a celebration of the boating community from coast to coast,” said Wendy Larimer, AMI’s legislative coordinator. “Momentum is building and to make these local events a success, support, enthusiasm and grassroots efforts by the recreational boating industry are needed to bring each event to life around the country.”

AMI has expanded its 2013 event efforts to include partnerships with marine industry organizations and stakeholders, including the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA); National Safe Boating Council; Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF); BoatU.S.; American Sailing Association (ASA); 
US Sailing; US Powerboating; Freedom Boat Club; ValvTect; Marinas International; and Ocean Conservancy. All with the shared goal to provide a unified message across the range of local events, broaden the reach of these grassroots efforts and provide visitors with the opportunity for hands-on boating experience.

If interested in participating, sign up online or contact one of the event organizers below based on your marine business:
Marinas: Contact Wendy Larimer at wlarimer@marinaassociation.org
Marine dealers: Contact Matt Gruhn at matt@mraa.com
Manufacturers: Contact Carl Blackwell at cblackwell@nmma.org
General inquiries and training opportunities: Contact Tom Knighten at dbevents@comcast.net

“Our goal is to bring together marine-related businesses to achieve a shared goal—to grow participation in boating—and, at the same time, provide the opportunity for each business to achieve its own objectives,” said Carl Blackwell, Discover Boating president. “Whether you’re a dealer, marina, manufacturer, distributor or service provider, we need your help to welcome more people to boating through this nationwide boating event.”

Source: National Marine Manufacturers Association