Blogs

What keeps me in this industry are people like Bing Fishman, people with a passion for boating who want nothing more than to share it with others.

It's really important to understand that the Traditional Marketing Methods are not what Social Media Marketing is all about.

Over the last year and a half or so, we have seen more and more dealers shifting their focus from selling “the fun” to selling “the deal” because of huge inventories of aged units in these tough economic conditions.

As an industry we have but a few reasons anyone would be enticed to buy our products.

The closing of Boaters’ World has left millions of dollars on the table for independent dealers who could use the additional sales, profit and cash flow to weather the current storm and prosper going forward.

The Boating Industry editorial team just finished evaluating this year’s Top 100 Dealer applications, and we were invigorated to learn that several have acquired competitors or land for future expansion, and all have continued to invest in improving their current operation.

I can be a bit of an idealist sometimes. And one of my ideals is a united recreational marine industry, all of us working together to deliver a boating experience that exceeds customers' expectations every time and to create a business environment that everyone wants to work in. When I see evidence of that, it makes my day. That's why ...

When I heard last week that the rumors were true - the International Boatbuilder Exhibition & Conference would be moving to Kentucky in 2010 - I found myself smiling. Now, there's no doubt I'm biased; my dad lives about an hour from Louisville. But above and beyond that, a once a year trek to South Beach for the Miami boat ...

matt_new-mug2If you're not paying close attention, there is some news in our line-up today that could sneak by you without giving it much of a second thought. But I want to call your attention to it because of the potential that it represents: The Marine Retailers Association of America has created the Young Leaders Advisory Council.

It used to be that when anyone went out and bought a boat, regardless of its size, it was a purchase that brought a feeling of significance to the buyer.