Freedom Boat Club celebrates franchises at 2025 Freedom Forum
Freedom Boat Club recently hosted its annual franchise conference, the 2025 Freedom Forum, featuring the expanded “Freedom University” program. With more than 375 attendees gathered in Southwest Florida, this year’s forum marked the largest partner expo and most successful business collaboration event in Freedom franchise history.
“As the global leader in the boat club industry, bolstered by our innovative and award-winning franchise model, we are focused on equipping our franchise partners with the cutting-edge knowledge, tools, and resources needed to deliver unparalleled member experiences while driving continued growth,” said Scott Ward, vice president of the Freedom Franchise Network. He stated that the conference offers an opportunity for franchise operators to gather and network.
“We’re excited to see how the investments we’ve made in technology, operations, and marketing will continue to fuel the expansion of the boating industry, especially as we look toward another record-setting year in 2025,” Ward continued.
The 2025 Freedom Forum kicked off with the largest-ever partner and vendor expo, allowing franchisees to connect with brands and products designed to support business growth. More than 30 boats from 16 premier brands were showcased for hands-on on-water testing, and an additional 34 partners offered a range of innovative products and services—from the cutting-edge Fliteboard eFoil surfboards to the latest Navico Group electronics packages. The expo also highlighted essential business tools like insurance and marketing programs.
The conference wrapped up with an awards ceremony that recognized the exceptional performance and dedication of franchisees over the past year.
2024 Franchise of the Year
- North American Franchise of the Year: Mariah Lawrence, David Drake, Johnny Miller, and Angie Scott from Freedom Boat Club of Tennessee
- EMEA Franchise of the Year: Mike Lally from Freedom Boat Club of Loch Lomond
- APAC Franchise of the Year: Brett Bolton from Freedom Boat Club of Brisbane
Other awards
- Territory Expansion – Tom Armon, Joni Armon, Rob Orlaske, and Creighton Lee from Freedom Boat Club of Michiana
- Highest Percent of Revenue Increase – Anthony Viola, Karah Viola, Sam Viola, Chris Feely, and Ben Lee from Freedom Boat Club of the Poconos and Freedom Boat Club of Lake Murray
- Pacesetter Club Award (Recognizes clubs who meet specific financial growth benchmarks)
- Freedom Boat Club of Puerto Rico
- Freedom Boat Club of Ocean and Monmouth County, NJ
- Freedom Boat Club of Tennessee
- Freedom Boat Club of Lake St. Clair
- Freedom Boat Club of Michiana
- Change Champion of the Year – Richard Johnson from Freedom Boat Club of Seattle and Greater Puget Sound
- Technology Trendsetter of the Year – Mark Vickers from Freedom Boat Club of Ohio and Pittsburgh
- Freedom Excellence Program Award – Ken Vollbrecht from Freedom Boat Club of Clear Lake; Matt O’Hara, Adam Riley, and Kirk Varney Freedom Boat Club of Lake George
- Marketer of the Year – Andy Sutter from Freedom Boat Club of Hampton Roads
- Membership Executive of the Year – Bill Edinger from Freedom Boat Club of Northeast Florida
- Best Dock Staff of the Year – Freedom Boat Club of Boston and Cape Cod; Freedom Boat Club of Tennessee (Loudin)
- The John R. Giglio President’s Award –Jeff and Deanne Weir of Freedom Boat Club of Lake Norman and Lake Wylie
- Rookie Franchise of the Year – Jon Gibbs, Paul Wagner, Randy Gonzales, and Rasah Gonzales from Freedom Boat Club of Northern Alabama; and Anthony Viola, Karah Viola, Sam Viola, Chris Feely, and Ben Lee from Freedom Boat Club of Lake Murray
