NMMA restructures shows department

CHICAGO – Recent growth in the National Marine Manufacturers Association’s boat and sports shows arm has led the association to restructure the department and promote several long-time NMMA show managers, including Mark Adams, Cathy Johnston and Linda Waddell, NMMA said in a statement yesterday. All will continue reporting to NMMA Executive Vice President Ben Wold.

NMMA produces 23 consumer boat and sports shows and two trade events. NMMA’s Boat and Sport Show Department was restructured into five distinct show groupings: Northern Boat Shows, Southern Boat Shows, NMMA Sportshows, Strictly Sail Shows and Trade Events.

Northern Shows

Linda Waddell, formerly NMMA regional manager of the Toronto and Vancouver shows, will head up this division and has been promoted to vice president of Northern Shows. As such, she will be responsible for overseeing the Vancouver, New York, Atlantic City, Norwalk and Baltimore boat shows, as well as the Toronto In-Water Boat Show and the Toronto International Boat Show. Michael Duffy, Northeastern regional manager, and Jennifer Kastelein, Vancouver show manager, will report to Waddell.

Southern Boat Shows

Formerly NMMA’s Southern Regional Manager, Cathy Johnston has been promoted to vice president of Southern shows. This territory includes the Miami, Atlanta, Tampa, Virginia, San Diego and New Orleans boat shows. Jeff Hancock, Western regional manager, and Barbara Sclafani, New Orleans show manager, will report to Johnston.

NMMA Sportshows

Mark Adams, formerly NMMA mid-south regional manager, was promoted to vice president of this group and will oversee NMMA Sportshows in St. Louis, Louisville, Kansas City, Nashville, Des Moines, Chicago, and Schamburg, Ill., as well as the Northwest Sportshow and Minneapolis Boat Show. Jennifer Faulk, central regional manager, will report to Adams.

Strictly Sail Shows

Kevin Murphy continues as national show manager for the NMMA-owned Strictly Sail Miami and Chicago shows, as well as the Sail America-owned Pacific, St. Petersburg, Fla., and Philadelphia shows. Murphy will report to Wold and Sail America executive director Scott Evans.

Trade Events

Kathleen Clickett, current International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference and Marine Aftermarket Accessories Trade Show show manager, will continue on in this role and will also report to NMMA’s Wold.

“This new structure will help us apply our strategic initiatives faster and more efficiently,” Wold said. “It is also a well-deserved promotion for Mark, Cathy and Linda, all of whom have proven themselves extremely valuable to the association and worked hard to ensure continued success of NMMA boat shows and events.”

Adams joined NMMA 24 years ago, as an operations manager in the Chicago office. He was eventually promoted to show manager, a job he held for three years, and relocated to St. Louis. Adams then took over as mid-south regional manager and occupied the position for 14 years, until his recent promotion.

Johnston celebrates her 18th year with NMMA in December 2005. She began her tenure with the association back in 1987. First a registration manager, then an operations manager for the New York, Norwalk and Philadelphia shows and later a show coordinator for the Philadelphia and Norfolk shows, Johnston was eventually promoted to show manager in Tampa in 1991. She moved to Miami in 1994 to manage the Miami International Boat Show and was promoted to the position of southern regional manager.

Waddell began working for NMMA in 1992, following the NMMA’s purchase of the Toronto International Boat Show, where she had formerly been employed as the sales and show manager. Waddell operated out of NMMA’s Toronto office until 1994, at which time she moved to NMMA’s Miami office to manage both the Atlanta Boat Show and the Georgia Boat & Sport Show. In 1999, she moved back to Toronto and for the last six years has served as regional show manager for both Toronto boat shows, as well as the Vancouver International Boat Show, which NMMA began producing in 2003.

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