Marine trade associations agree to support NMD

swadminMarch 15, 2005

WASHINGTON – Twenty-five national, state and regional marine trades associations have agreed to serve as 2005 National Marina Day Association Supporters, the Association of Marina Industries reported in a recent release.

AMI president James L. Frye, CMM, said National Marina Day Association Supporters agree to promote the NMD program and the benefits of participation to their members, and to work toward gaining recognition of the value of the marina industry in their state, area or region.

Frye said participation in NMD from other associations has risen over the past few years. Initially, supporting associations simply passed information on to their members via newsletters and email. However, in the last two years, as the NMD program has grown, supporting associations have taken a much more active role.

“In the past two years, other marine industry associations have begun to put their own resources behind the National Marina Day program and the mission of educating the public and elected officials about the value of marinas as gateways to boating and stewards of the environment,” NMD said. “Some have even dedicated staff people towards growing marina participation in this program. We are quite grateful for this help and for all the help the marine industry associations have given to NMD. I think it is a big reason for our success so far.”

The associations listed as 2005 National Marina Day Supporters include:

American Boat Builders and Repairers Association

Boat Owners Association of the United States

Boating Trades Association of Metropolitan Houston

Connecticut Marine Trades Association

Lake Erie Marine Trades Association

Maine Marine Trades Association

Marina Association of Texas

Marina Operators of Lake Lanier

Marina Recreation Association

Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County

Marine Industries Association of South Florida

Maryland Marine Trades Association

Massachusetts Marine Trades Association

Metro Atlanta Marine Trade Association

Michigan Boating Industries Association

Midwest Marina Association

National Marine Manufacturers Association

New Jersey Marine Trades Association

New York Marine Trades Association

Northwest Marine Trades Association

Oklahoma Marina Association

SBTDC Marine Trades Services (North Carolina)

South Carolina Marine Association

Southwest Florida Marine Industries Association

States Organization for Boating Access

Later this month the NMD campaign will officially kick-off with a one-page bulletin inserted into the March edition of AMI’s newsletter and posted on the National Marina Day Web page at www.moaa.com. The bulletin will elaborate on the 2005 NMD theme and offer suggestions on how marinas can join in the effort to educate public officials about the marina industry. More in-depth materials will follow in the months leading up to the event.

National Marina Day Resource Kits will be mailed to all AMI and BoatU.S. Cooperating Marinas in mid-April. At that time, the complete National Marina Day Resource Kit will be available at no cost online at the NMD Web site.

National Marina Day is produced by AMI and is an annual nationwide celebration of the role America’s marinas play as gateways to boating and stewards of the environment. In 2005, NMD will be observed on Aug. 13.