Advance registrations for MDRA conference up 40 percent

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – The Marine Design Resource Alliance’s (MDRA) advance registrations for its 8th Annual Creative Conference are running well ahead of last year with seven weeks to go before the start of the late April event, the MDRA said in a statement yesterday.

The alliance said pre-registration is up more than 40 percent for the two-day event, to be held April 19-20 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Palm Beach, Fla., where discussion topics are set to include the creation of an all-industry PR and advertising campaign.

More than 20 CEOs and senior executives from powerboat builders have registered, and that number is expected to grow in the coming weeks, with the MDRA expecting more than 60 boat builder and supplier top executives to attend.

“MDRA clearly is offering something desperately needed by top executives in our industry,” said Peter Granata, MDRA president. “There is no other forum in which a supplier has the opportunity to create, or reinforce, business relationships with presidents and CEO’s from over twenty boat companies at any cost, much less a cost this low.”

Higher turnout means more to invest

A strong turnout means MDRA will have more funds to invest in its outreach and education programs, including its Designer Scholarship competition, the alliance said.

Last year, MDRA gave out $10,000 in scholarships to design students from the nation’s top design schools and elementary school students that were winners in the Draw Kids Into Boating “Boat of the Future” contest, the MDRA said.

“We hope to exceed that figure this year,” Granata said. “An even stronger turnout will help us.”

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