Advanced Textiles Expo, formerly known as IFAI Expo, the premier industrial, specialty and advanced textiles event in the U.S., is now accepting presentation applications for the 2024 show. Organizers are looking for presenters to share their knowledge and market advice in the following categories: Advanced Textiles and Smart Fabrics Shade and Weather Protection Specialty Fabrics [...]

MarineMax, one of the largest marine boat retailers in the U.S., recently established a Marine Service Technician Apprenticeship Program for the State of Florida. The three-year program consists of hands-on mentor-led and online self-led training at an assigned Florida location. It can be shortened to 1.5 years with approved experience. The Marine Service Technician Apprenticeship [...]

Trivantage®, a specialty fabrics distributor, announced the promotion of Brett Baird to vice president of sales. In his new role, Baird will lead the commercial sales team with an emphasis on enhancing the customer experience. “At Trivantage, we always strive to give our customers what they need, when they need it,” said Baird. “My goal [...]

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) U.S. Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract is a source of comprehensive industry data for recreational boating intelligence. The data presented in the newest report spans 2008-2022, and can help the marine industry better understand industry growth and shifts in market behavior by analyzing the data and presenting information including these [...]

In October, the Canadian federal government announced a streamlined process to enact restrictions on the use of recreational boats on its waterways. Under this new process, the Minister of Transport has the authority to issue interim restriction orders upon receiving a request from other levels of government, including municipalities. The federal government is temporarily using [...]

The latest sales trends report for the pre-owned market, part of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) 2022 Canadian Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract, is now available for download. Following two years of historically high growth, pre-owned boat unit sales decreased by 20.4% as compared to 2021. The top three provinces for pre-owned recreational boat unit [...]

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) and the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) have announced the all-new Service Management Certification program, which they partnered to develop. The program includes an 11-course online training program with downloadable workbook, a printed study guide and a proctored exam. It was created under the guidance of [...]

The Marine Fabricators Association (MFA) will have a presence at these upcoming Zone Partner Events: Canvas Products Association (CPA) Zone 7 Conference The Canvas Products Association (CPA) Zone 7 Conference is being held Dec. 6-8, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio, at The Westin Great Southern. The conference features sessions on transitioning away from PFAS, and sessions [...]

The National Women’s Sailing Association (NWSA) and Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) are seeking nominations for the 2024 BoatUS/NWSA Leadership in Women’s Sailing Award. Since 1999, the national award has sought to recognize an individual with a record of achievement in inspiring, educating and enriching the lives of women through sailing. Past [...]

METSTRADE 2023 wrapped at RAI Amsterdam on Nov. 17 with record attendance across the three-day show. The show presented 1,540 exhibitors, 240 of them new to the show, from 53 countries across 11 halls at RAI Amsterdam. Busy stands, features and corridors hosted 28,900 visits from 18,630 unique visitors spanning 130 nationalities. The METSTRADE show [...]