Regal Boats signs on as MDCE sponsor

MAPLE GROVE, Minn. — Regal Marine has signed on as a “Powered by” sponsor for the 2010 Marine Dealer Conference and Expo. The conference, hosted by Boating Industry magazine, the Marine Retailers Association of America and the marine industry’s leading suppliers, takes place Nov. 14-17 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel and Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.
Regal Marine chose the “Powered by” level, the MDCE’s highest sponsorship available, because it supports the MDCE’s mission to provide educational content and business solutions in a setting that brings manufacturers and dealers together. Regal Marine was also a “Powered by” sponsor for last year’s event.
“At Regal Marine, we believe that educating our dealers makes us and our entire industry stronger,” says Duane Kuck, President and CEO of Regal Marine. “We’re honored to renew our partnership with the MDCE, an event created for and run by people with as much passion for the boating business as we have.”
This also marks the second year in which Regal Marine will host its annual dealer meeting in conjunction with the MDCE, and to help encourage dealers to stay for the educational event, Regal Marine is offering to pay for one night’s hotel for any of its dealers who choose to stay for the MDCE.
Last year’s MDCE, which took place at Disney’s Coronado Spring Resort in Orlando, attracted 743 total attendees, an increase of 199 percent over 2008. Of those who attended, 439 were dealership personnel, an increase of 122 percent over 2008, and 228 individual dealerships were represented. In addition, 75 companies exhibited during the show, filling 58,000 square feet of exhibit space, which also represented a substantial increase over 2008.
This year’s event, MDCE 3.0: New Decade, New Market, New Strategies, will once again feature a first-class educational lineup, including three concurrent tracks and more than 20 total educational sessions all designed based on feedback generated through a survey of marine dealers. The exhibit hall at the Orange County Convention Center, a five-minute walk from the host hotel, offers 106,272 square feet of space.
“Over the years, we’ve come to know the value that Regal Marine places on providing its dealers with sound educational opportunities,” says Matt Gruhn, publisher of Boating Industry. “The partnership with the MDCE underscores Regal Marine’s commitment to that, and we’re thrilled to be able to partner with Duane Kuck and his team.”
Regal Marine Industries designs and manufactures luxury performance boats from 19 feet to 53 feet. It became the first boat manufacturer to receive industry customer satisfaction awards in two segments and received the J.D. Power award Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Express Cruisers (24 to 33 feet) three years in a row, tied in 2009.
The Marine Dealer Conference & Expo is the Marine Retailers Association of America’s annual conference. It focuses on dealer education in areas such as Sales & Marketing, Service, and this year adds a third track geared toward dealer principals titled “Powering Profits.” Through a five-year agreement signed in 2009, the MDCE is co-produced by the MRAA and Boating Industry magazine. The partnership began in 2008 when Boating Industry provided marketing support and content creation services to the MRAA in addition to helping re-brand the event. That year dealer attendance doubled, and in 2009, aided by a move to Orlando, Fla., the partnership lead to a 200-percent increase in total attendance and exponential growth in exhibit space sold. For more information and to register for the event, go to boatingindustry.com/mdce.