Trade Associations

Nominations are being accepted for the 2024 NMMA Alan J. Freedman Memorial Leadership Award. This award recognizes individuals who have made notable contributions to the marine accessories industry through leadership, creativity and personal motivation. The following are categories for consideration: Marine aftermarket or OEM manufacturer Marine representative Member of marine-focused media Boat dealer Marine distributor Marine trade association staff person To ...

The Water Sports Foundation, in collaboration with the Hispanic Communications Network (HCN), completed a highly successful Spanish-language educational campaign promoting life jacket wear to Latino families in the United States. The campaign more than doubled its goal of 6.3 million media impressions, delivering 12.8 million safe boating messages via radio, television and online. The campaign ran from May 15 to ...

Before last month’s August recess, Congress advanced several (FY) 2024 appropriation bills—which include a number of the recreational boating industry’s funding priorities, such as addressing the proposed vessel speed restrictions.The spending bills include funding for industry priorities by the Department of Commerce, the Department of Interior, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The bills also support important programs that ...

A four-year, $10 million grant from NOAA’s Marine Debris Removal Program to the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water aims to rid the nation’s shores of abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs), and remove the associated pollution, navigation and safety hazards that can harm waters for years. The grant, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is part of NOAA’s larger mission to address marine debris, ...

Leading outdoor recreation organizations are fully supporting Senator Michael Bennet and Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury’s newly-introduced Rural Outdoor Investment (ROI) Act. This bill provides much-needed support for rural communities seeking to build and plan for recreation economies. If passed, the ROI Act’s funding could not come at a better time. Outdoor recreation participation sky-rocketed during the pandemic as millions of Americans ...

Pennsylvania’s new Office of Outdoor Recreation was recently created as Governor Josh Shapiro signed into law Pennsylvania’s single largest investment in parks and forests in decades to the tune of $112 million in the FY23-24 budget. ORR President, Jessica Turner, attended and introduced Governor Shapiro at the Yough River Park event marking the 20th State Office of Outdoor Recreation (OREC) ...

The National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) said it will play a major role again this year by providing technical training at METSTRADE, scheduled for Nov. 15-17 in Amsterdam. All four of NMEA’s installer certification classes will be offered on this international stage. Students will achieve installer certificates upon passing a certification exam at the end of each class. “NMEA has ...

The Coast Guard Foundation announced that Jessie Clary recently joined the Foundation’s fundraising team. In her new position as regional director, she will work closely with Coast Guard units in Southern California to identify and fulfill education, morale and wellness, and family support for Coast Guard members. “We are excited to add Jessie to our West Coast team,” said Susan Ludwig, ...

The Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF), in collaboration with the Florida Department of Education and Atlantic Technical College, is proud to celebrate the graduates of the Yacht Service Technician Apprenticeship Program. Eight accomplished apprentices have completed the program, which launched in 2020. Each graduate demonstrated exceptional proficiency in various areas of yacht maintenance and service. The Yacht Service ...

The NMMA announced the relocation of its headquarters to Washington D.C. as the association continues to expand its advocacy work. The NMMA’s previous headquarters were in Chicago, which will continue to serve as a strategic hub for key departments including membership and market expansion. While the NMMA has had a Washington, D.C. office for more than 40 years, its new ...