Dominion Marine Media, NMMA kick off Miami Boat Show
NORFOLK, Va. – Dominion Marine Media (DMM), a division of Dominion Enterprises, will join forces with the NMMA to kick off the 2015 Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show at its annual industry breakfast on Thursday, February 12. In addition to the prestigious NMMA Innovation Awards and Neptune Awards presentations, the event will include an exclusive review of the recreational boating industry by NMMA President Thom Dammrich.
Dammrich’s “State of the Industry” presentation is always a key feature in advance of the show. He gives an in-depth review of the market, setting the scene for the year ahead and providing essential insights for industry attendees. This year’s presentation will again be based on the NMMA’s detailed analysis and industry figures.
Dammrich said, “NMMA’s Industry Breakfast at the Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show is an opportunity to join together and kick off one of the most important events in our industry. We’re delighted to have Dominion Marine Media on board to support the event and provide helpful insight into digital developments for our industry and beyond.”
DMM President Ian Atkins will also speak at the event, outlining DMM’s plans to support the industry through one of the biggest changes the internet has seen – launching two new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) – .boats and .yachts. In the coming years, domain endings will increase from 22 generic terms such as .com and .gov to in excess of 1,300. DMM will play an integral role in making the internet safer and more efficient, while also streamlining the internet user’s online experience. As DMM launches .boats and .yachts in 2015, the NMMA and other leading marine organizations will be avidly watching the impact these new top-level domains have on the industry.
Also presenting at the breakfast, Frank Peterson, president and CEO of the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation, will share new research into the Hispanic audience’s attitudes, awareness and behaviors around boating and boat ownership, unlocking key insights on this increasingly influential market.
Ian Atkins, president of Dominion Marine Media, commented: “We are proud to support the NMMA in hosting this event, especially as we are so well-aligned with its key goal of sharing information and insights that will help the industry drive boat sales globally. It will be great to recognize the achievements of the award winners who will be announced at the show, and I’m also looking forward to sharing news of DMM’s continued online innovation to support the marine industry.
“Vying for domain name space has become increasingly difficult at a cost-effective level for businesses, and we are leading the way in addressing this with the launch of .yachts and .boats. Just some of the benefits of registering a .yachts or .boats domain include safeguarding your brand name, benefiting from increased online visibility through better SEO, helping consumers search for businesses that don’t currently have an obvious domain name, and securing a site for a specific region. Consumers see more value and trust a site that is clearly relevant to their search.”
DMM’s sponsorship of the NMMA’s Industry Breakfast emphasizes its support of marine retailers by driving online engagement and sales around boat shows. With 71% of visitors searching DMM’s sites before attending a boat show and nearly 20% contacting a dealer or broker after the event, the group is perfectly placed to support boat show organizers with data, insight and support that will enhance value for consumers and exhibitors alike.
