Advocacy briefing at Chicago Boat Show attracts elected officials

NMMA held its first “Propelling Our Industry Forward” advocacy briefing event at the Progressive® Insurance Chicago Boat, RV & Sail Show®, which featured remarks from local elected officials and members of the NMMA team.

During the event, NMMA director of federal government relations, Clay Crabtree and NMMA manager of policy and engagement for the Great Lakes region, Jill Sims met with industry advocates, congressional staff, and Illinois State Legislature staffers to discuss the industry’s 2020 state and federal priorities.

Additionally, Chicago Deputy Mayor Samir Mayekar provided opening remarks, highlighting recreational boating’s significant impact in the Chicago area.

The event included a presentation on the importance of industry participation in all facets of advocacy and key policy issues, including conservation and the environment, recreational infrastructure, sustainable fisheries, and wake sport boat access.

Advocates engaged in a question and answer session following the presentation and walked away with industry statistics on how recreational boating is positively impacting the economy of Illinois and the surrounding area.

Looking ahead, the second annual advocacy tour heads to Atlanta, Minneapolis, New York, and New England. Individual registration pages with additional details for each event are available at the following links:

Atlanta Boat Show | Thursday, January 16, 2020: https://www.boatingunited.org/events/boat-shows/atlanta-jan16/
Minneapolis Boat Show | Wednesday, January 22, 2020: https://www.boatingunited.org/events/boat-shows/minneapolis-jan22/
New York Boat Show | Thursday, January 23, 2020: https://www.boatingunited.org/events/boat-shows/newyork-jan23/
New England Boat Show | Thursday, February 13, 2020: https://www.boatingunited.org/events/boat-shows/newengland-feb13/