At the Helm: 16 reasons to attend MDCE 2016

For boat dealers, the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo is one of your best options for growing and improving your business.
MDCE, produced by the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and Boating Industry, is December 5-8 in Orlando. There are plenty of reasons to attend MDCE, but here are 16 of the best. Find more at MarineDealerConference.com.
1. Josh Linkner – Linkner will be delivering the opening keynote at this year’s MDCE, focusing on the disruptive forces that are changing the way we do business.
2. Four tracks of education – We’ve got 16 educational sessions across four tracks covering service, marketing, sales and leadership.
3. The new path to ownership – Discover Boating will present new exclusive research on what first-time buyers are looking for.
4. Pre-conference workshops – Before the conference kicks off, there are 12 pre-conference workshops that offer a deep dive into topics from F&I to marketing.
5. Session recommendations – Not sure if a session is worth your time? Each session has a rating from beginner to advanced.
6. Expo hall – More than 100 leading boat builders, manufacturers, suppliers and service providers will be on the expo hall floor showing off their latest innovations.
7. Learning Lab – Back for its second year, the Learning Lab gives you one-on-one access to many of our most popular speakers.
8. Dealer-to-dealer roundtables – New this year, the roundtables will give dealers the chance to talk to other dealers about pressing topics.
9. Dealer Case Studies – Another addition to MDCE in 2016, the Dealer Case Studies showcase successful dealers and how they have developed and applied best practices.
10. Innovation spotlight – These short, 15-minute sessions give MDCE exhibitors an opportunity to showcase products, trends and more right on the show floor.
11. Sam Dantzler – One of MDCE’s most popular speakers, Dantzler will be delivering the closing keynote.
12. Seth Mattison – In his breakfast keynote on the final day of the conference, Mattison will deliver insights into managing change in the workplace.
13. Networking – We’ve got nine receptions, breaks and meals over the course of the show to make the most of your time.
14. MDCE app – The new MDCE app, available for your iPhone or Android device, is more robust with better opportunities for exhibitor engagement.
15. Top 100 – On December 8, Boating Industry will announce the Top 100, the best dealers in North America. Any dealer – even those not selected for the Top 100 – can purchase a ticket to attend.
16. Your competitors will be there – There will be hundreds of dealers there from all over North America. Make sure you keep your competitive advantage.