The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) issued a press release last week, itemizing “strategic changes to its boat show roster.”

The release said that NMMA has reached an agreement to transfer ownership of the Los Angeles Boat Show and the San Diego International Boat Show to Duncan McIntosh Co. Inc., effective immediately.

The 2016 Los Angeles Boat Show completed a four-day run on Feb. 28 with an 11 percent increase in attendance. For the 2016 San Diego International Boat Show, set to run June 16–19 at the Sheraton Hotel & Marina on Harbor Island, it is business as usual and all existing agreements for 2016 will be honored by Duncan McIntosh, according to the release.

For exhibitors who have already contracted for space, NMMA has assigned space contracts and deposits to Duncan McIntosh. All exhibitor questions related to the Los Angeles and San Diego shows should be directed to Janette Hood at Duncan McIntosh.

The press release continued: “Additionally, following the cancellation of the San Francisco Boat Show in January due to weather and given challenges in finding a suitable long-term home for the show in Northern California, NMMA will not be producing a San Francisco show in 2017.”

NMMA president Thom Dammrich said: “It was not an easy decision to make, but after listening to our exhibitors and exploring our options for alternative host sites, it became clear we would not be able to produce the kind of event our attendees and exhibitors have come to expect from NMMA. We thank our exhibitors for their support as we looked to use this show as a way to reinvigorate the Northern California market and hope our exhibitors understand our reasons behind this difficult decision.”

The release also said that without these shows on its roster, the NMMA West office in Orange, Calif., will be closing later this spring. In a letter to exhibitors, Dammrich said, “We are sad to say goodbye to Dave Geoffroy and his talented team of professionals and thank them for their hard work and dedication in working with us to grow recreational boating in California. Dave has been a fixture in the Southern California boating industry for 45 years and has served the industry as an association leader for 18 years. We hope you will join us in wishing them well in their future endeavors.”

The press release noted that, while the NMMA West offices are closing and shows are transitioning, NMMA will continue serving the needs of the marine industry on the West Coast.

For any questions regarding these changes or NMMA’s work in California, please contact NMMA president Thom Dammrich.