Tag Archives: COVID-19

Brunswick Corporation and its brands just completed a record showing at the Cannes Boat Show according to a company press release. Mercury Marine showcased its new 600hp V12 Verado for the first time in Europe and reported more than double the number of outboard engines at the show than its closest competitor during the six-day event. In addition, Sea Ray ...

By David Gee Recently I have turned from a golf fan, into a bit of a fanatic. For most of my adult life, golfing just interfered with slalom sets and wake surfing. I figured any time I could be on the golf course, I could also be on our boat, and I preferred the latter to the former. I certainly ...

The International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX), North America’s largest trade event for recreational marine industry professionals, owned and produced by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and RAI Amsterdam, announced updated safety protocols for the 30th Anniversary Show scheduled for September 28-30, 2021, in Tampa, Florida. As the situation in Florida continues to develop, new protocols have been established for IBEX 2021 ...

By David Gee and Adam Quandt Global pandemic. Do you remember when you first heard those words? When dealerships closed their doors and production lines shut down did memories of ’07 and ’08 come flooding back like a bad dream? Did you wonder where this was all headed? Well, we may still be wondering that today, but at least the ...

By Bill Yeargin After three decades in the boating industry, it takes a lot for me to be surprised. Good times, bad times, and pretty much everything in between has happened, but the past 18 months have been unlike anything our industry has experienced. We shut down 90% of our industry’s manufacturing plants in the spring of 2020 while wrestling ...

The NMMA announced continued momentum of boat sales and boating demand propelled by the COVID-19 pandemic. New boat sales, which reached a 13-year high in 2020, remain at elevated levels – with sales through March 2021 up 30% compared to the 2020 average; demand is at an all-time high as Americans take to the water in record numbers; and dealers are selling ...

After a year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, plans are underway to welcome visitors to Norwalk Cove Marina for the 45th Progressive® Insurance Norwalk Boat Show September 23-26, 2021. “We took this year as an opportunity to evaluate all aspects of the boat show and are in the planning stages to enhance the experience for our exhibitors and attendees in ...

By David Gee “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”  That quote is attributed to Lucius Annaeus Seneca, an early 1st Century Italian philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and tutor to the fifth Roman emperor Niro. And if that doesn’t ring a bell, perhaps you recognize the line from the end of the 1998 hit song “Closing Time,” by Minneapolis ...

After a year filled with uncertainty and disruption, including the cancellation and postponement of many boating industry events and shows, NMMA president Frank Hugelmeyer shares his thoughts on the importance and future of boat shows: The unprecedented disruption from COVID-19 has been a blessing and curse for the recreational boating industry. On one hand, we have witnessed a remarkable shift ...

By Adam Quandt Except a few shows in the beginning of the year, 2020 has been full of cancellation after cancellation when it has come to boat shows and events, as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold across the nation. Even as cancellation’s of shows, both big and small, local and international, the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show organizers — the ...