Attracting customers in the market for shade products is one thing; retaining them for future business is another. Managing both objectives requires establishing connections that are meaningful and lasting.  by Pamela Mills-Senn A quick Google search on “connecting with customers” reveals all sorts of advice, usually in the form of the “seven best ways,” or the [...]

Registration for the 2020 American Boating Congress (ABC) is open. The recreational boating industry’s annual advocacy summit in Washington, D.C., will be held May 12-14 and for the first time, the event moves to the InterContinental hotel located at the Wharf, a mile-long stretch of property on the Potomac River. ABC provides attendees with the [...]

Garmin International, Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd., announced it was honored with wins in two categories in the 2019 DAME Design Awards, an annual competition that celebrates marine equipment design. The Garmin Force trolling motor and the GPSMAP 86i marine handheld with inReach® satellite communication capabilities received top DAME accolades in the ‘Machinery, Propulsion, [...]

In early November, Bryan Seti, general manager of sales and marketing, Yamaha WaterCraft Group, was elected chairperson of the Grow Boating Board of Directors during its annual meeting in Chicago. Seti succeeds Joe Lewis, owner and general manager of Mt. Dora Boating Center, who served as chairperson from 2011 through October 2019. Seti joined Yamaha [...]

Metstrade, an international trade exhibition of marine equipment, materials and systems, had record attendance and exhibitor numbers. The organizers said in a statement that 17,792 visitors made 26,984 visits over the three-day event, Nov. 17-19, a five percent increase over the previous year’s record. The show at Amsterdam’s Rai Convention Center also reported a record [...]

This year at IBEX, a panel of leading marketing experts presented at the Grow Boating Marketing Summit to provide insights on the evolving digital marketing landscape and offer actionable strategies to help businesses boost their sales. The following panel presentations are available for free to record or to download printable versions at www.growboating.org: •The who [...]

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) September New Powerboat Registrations Report showed new powerboat retail sales down slightly to 0.9 percent on a rolling 12-month year-over-year (R12M YOY) basis and up a healthy 5 percent on a rolling three-month year-over-year (R3M YOY) basis through September. Total new units sold in 2019 (through September) reached 251,000. [...]

Access a variety of free Discover Boating promotional materials and marketing resources on GrowBoating.org in the “Tools You Can Use” section. Explore these resources to help promote your business and increase your engagement with consumers on a local level. Discover Boating marketing materials, collateral and tools include: •Social media content (via the Get Social with [...]

The Minnesota Media and Publishing Association recognized Marine Fabricator magazine, led by senior editor Elisa Bernick, with a Bronze Award and a Silver Award in publishing excellence for how-to articles, “Seam finishing for marine cushions and covers” and “Zipper basics and helpful sewing techniques.” Both articles were written by Terri Madden, owner of Sand Sea [...]

The Minnesota Media and Publishing Association recognized IFAI president and CEO Steve Schiffman with the Hedley Donovan Award at its Annual Awards Gala. In addition, three IFAI magazines received Excellence Awards at the November 7th event. The Hedley Donovan Award, created in 1999 by the MMPA, recognizes individuals who have shown outstanding lifelong dedication and have [...]