Tigé Boats signs on as MDCE sponsor

MAPLE GROVE, Minn. — Tigé Boats Inc. 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.
“At Tigé Boats, we have an intense focus on performance — with our boats, with our company and with our dealers,” says Rick Correll, President of Tigé Boats. “In our minds, there’s no better place to spread that message than at a conference built around helping dealers improve their own performance.”
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.
“After supporting the event with an exhibit last year, we’re thrilled to have Tigé Boats support the dealers at such a higher level this year,” says Matt Gruhn, publisher of Boating Industry. “Their partnership is a strong testament to the focus the company has put on supporting its dealer network for the last 25 years.”
Tigé manufactures eight multi-sport inboard models ranging from 20 to 24 feet in length. Its boats are known for their performance, style and versatility. They feature an adjustable system that results in a hull capable of wakeboarding, wakesurfing and waterskiing at the touch of a screen. The 2011 model marks the 20th anniversary of Tigé Boats.
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.