Marine Dealer Conference attendance up
LAS VEGAS – The revamped Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, which concluded Wednesday in Las Vegas, was an “incredible success,” according to organizers, as the event saw an increase in both dealer attendees and exhibitors.
Despite the recent economic turmoil, which had caused a downturn in attendance at other trade events this year, pre-registered dealer attendance was slightly higher (up more than two percent) over last year’s final dealer attendance, which included on-site registrations. While the final numbers were not yet available, on-site registration seemed to grow throughout the week.
“I’m thoroughly convinced that the educational value that we brought to this is what attracted the dealers,” explained John Vallely, Jr., owner of Vallely Sport and Marine and chairman of the Marine Retailers Association of America’s convention committee. “It’s about the educational opportunities that are here.”
This year’s MDCE represented a combined effort between the Marine Retailers Association and Boating Industry magazine. The magazine teamed with the association to deliver more content than past dealer conventions have ever offered. There were 10 educational sessions on the original agenda, and due to the economic turmoil that continues to cause uncertainty for the marine industry, an eleventh presentation was added to address the topic.
“We have more dealers here than we’ve had the last two years,” explained Phil Keeter, president of the MRAA. “That’s indicative of the fact that they looked at the program and saw that this event had the content they needed to hear.”
With a theme of “Surviving and thriving in today’s market,” presenters covered such topics as how to secure your company through survival mode; how to plan for greater profitability; how to succeed with value-based sales efforts; and how to market a dealership in a down economy. Other presentations included best practices from some of the industry’s top dealers on such topics as service department success and how to thrive in a down market.
On the final afternoon of the event, attendees heard from Edward Aaron, director, equity research, at RBC Capital Markets, who explained to the audience how he envisions the coming months unfolding for the marine and other leisure industries. Organizers also converted its annual dealers solutions topic into a panel discussion with leading banks discussing solutions to the ongoing credit crunch.
“Dealers really have nowhere else to go to get this type of information,” said MRAA chairman Bob Soucy, during the event. “This is a great turnout, and the excitement is palpable.”
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