Marine Dealer Conference & Expo announces 2016 dates
Organizers of the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo have announced the dates and location of the 2016 event: December 5-8 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.
These dates, which represent a divergence from MDCE’s traditional mid-November time frame, were selected in response to the new schedule for the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.
“The Fort Lauderdale show has moved from late October to early November,” explains Amy Collins, vice president of Boating Industry, which co-produces MDCE alongside the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas. “We’re responding to this change by moving MDCE 2016 to December because it’s the right thing to do for the many marine industry professionals who participate in both events.”
The new MDCE dates will offer attendees and exhibitors several benefits. MDCE will no longer conflict with key industry events like the Marine Equipment Trade Show in Amsterdam. It will avoid the opening of hunting season in many states and provinces. And it will allow those marine retailers who are still busy with winterizing and storage in mid-November to attend.
“In researching the potential impact of these December dates, we were delighted to find that many dealers welcomed the change,” comments Liz Walz, vice president of the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas. “When you combine this with the other new features we’re developing to meet the changing needs of the industry, it’s hard not to be excited about MDCE’s future.”
The 2015 event, which is scheduled to take place Nov. 15-18 at the Orange County Convention Center, Rosen Plaza Hotel and Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, features 12 Pre-Conference Workshops and four concurrent Educational Tracks, including Leadership, Sales, Marketing and Service Plus, plus an MRAA Special Session, and an Opening and Closing Keynote.
The 2015 MDCE has inspired record dealer registrations so far this year, compared to the same period of time in previous years. Inspired by marine retailers’ own recommendations for the ideal event, this year’s MDCE campaign theme — “Made New. By You.” — may become the rallying cry for a resurging industry.
About the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo
The Marine Dealer Conference & Expo is the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas’ annual conference and member meeting. As the marine industry’s only dealer-specific educational conference, MDCE offers an in-depth lineup of educational topics, a full-featured expo hall and a series of fixed networking opportunities, all of which are designed to help marine dealers connect with and learn from others who can foster their success. MDCE is co-produced by MRAA and Boating Industry, and it features Educational Tracks, Pre-Conference Workshops, Opening and Closing keynote presentations, and the all-new Learning Labs. The 2015 will be held Nov. 15-18 at the Orange County Convention Center, Rosen Plaza Hotel and Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla. For more information and to register, visit marinedealerconference.com.
About Boating Industry
Boating Industry is the leading trade magazine serving the marine industry. For more than 85 years, boating professionals have turned to Boating Industry for market intelligence, product updates, best practices and industry news. For more information, visit BoatingIndustry.com.
About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting marine retail businesses, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com.
