MDCE off to a strong start
ORLANDO – The Marine Dealer Conference & Expo got off to a strong start today as the event opened to a record number of registered attendees.
Final pre-registration numbers exceeded 920 people, and on-site registration brought in 60 additional attendees by noon on Monday, the first full day of the event. Those attendees had access to the largest MDCE expo hall ever, with more than 115 exhibitors filling the 106,000-sq.-ft. exhibit hall at the Orange County Convention Center.
Inside that expo hall, floor traffic remained steady throughout the day with numerous exhibitors reporting positive results. Premier Marine, makers of Premier Pontoons, for example, signed a new dealer – Wizard Lake Marine Inc. of Calmar, B.C. – early in the show.
While Premier National Sales Manager Duane Krueger said his primary reason for exhibiting at MDCE was to support the marine industry, the company is also looking to sign new accounts in areas where it doesn’t have representation. In fact, Premier has set appointments with five dealer prospects during the event, according to Krueger. This was one of many positive reports from the exhibit floor yesterday.
The exhibit floor wasn’t the only conference destination to attract dealer traffic, however. The opening day bonus sessions also drew a number of attendees. The three bonus seminars consisted of “Who’s Buying Boats?” by Frank Peterson of the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation; “The Future of Marine Toilet Technology” by Thetford/Norcold; and “Learn How to G.O.L.F. (Get Online Leads Faster)” by Courtney Chalmers of Dominion Marine Media.
In addition, the two general session keynotes held this afternoon generated many positive comments from attendees. Click here to read about “Expanding Market Share” by Dave Mitchell. Click here to read about “Accelerating Innovation” by Dan Coughlin.
- Can’t get enough boating news? Subscribe to our blog’s RSS feed, follow us on Twitter or look for “Boating Industry” on Facebook and LinkedIn.
- For more of the latest news, click here.
