HUGH DAVIS PHOTOAs I write this, I’m just back from the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference in Tampa, Fla. Boatbuilders, composites and materials manufacturers, and components and accessories builders gathered to network and promote their wares — and had lots to say about the general state of things.
About the show itself, some exhibitors described slow traffic, while others noted the quality of attendees. “Traffic feels lighter than last year,” one industry leader told me. “The folks who are here are ready to do business, though.”
IBEX and Metstrade are my favorites among the fall shows, as they gather so many industry leaders from core sectors. I enjoy hearing the good and bad from across the board, from the owners of small boat dealerships to the CEOs of multibillion-dollar corporations.
Plenty of people I talked with remain worried about high inventory levels, elevated interest rates, a close presidential election and flat consumer sentiment. Others said they feel as if the pandemic’s tsunami of new boaters are now backing out of boating all together.
It’s difficult to know whether what’s been called the “normalization of the market” post-pandemic has shifted into a downturn. We do have evidence of registration numbers declining double digits in some segments at the same time that dealers are saying foot traffic is drying up at their showrooms. You can get a peek at those numbers and read about dealer sentiment in our Pulse Report survey and By the Numbers reporting on pages 71 and 72, respectively.
Another thing I like about these industry-oriented shows is lining up facilities visits for the magazine. We featured six manufacturers in print last year, and I am talking with just as many for 2025. I spoke with several business owners at IBEX who enjoyed that coverage and want more, so we’ll continue to make that happen. I also heard folks say they like the way we’re presenting the news, graphically speaking, so we’ll keep that up, too.
Compliments like those are certainly nice, but constructive criticism is also important to improve the news coverage in our daily e-newsletter, Trade Only Today, and our print product, Soundings Trade Only. More than a few folks asked how to get their business news in the daily newsletter, especially if they sent press releases that didn’t get published.
We do appreciate those press releases, especially ones that explain the who, what, when, where, how and why of your news. Better press releases include at least one quote from company leadership or a person of interest. Ideally, the release is at least three to four paragraphs long; we need more than a couple of sentences in an e-mail to make a story. A quick online search of “standard press release format” will get you started.
Like all of you, I’m sure, I receive at least 200 to 300 e-mails a day. Sometimes my computer sounds like a pinball machine, and good news gets buried in the mix. So, if you send us something and don’t see it published, please try again. We do shy away from some sorts of news: products (including new boats, motors, electronics, software updates and releases, and others) typically get some ink only if they have a potential to upend the industry or are an extremely notable addition to the manufacturer’s portfolio. That standard ensures we cover significant news for our readers.
Others at IBEX asked why we print so much news about staff promotions and appointments, or why we cover charitable work, workforce initiatives and environmental initiatives. Simply put, I think it’s important to highlight what the industry is doing to make life better for others, whether it’s training a high-schooler in service basics, wrapping towboats in pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month or cleaning up a local beach.
We are constantly evaluating our coverage parameters, and I do (eventually) read every press release that hits my inbox at greich@aimmedia.com. In the meantime, I look forward to seeing everyone at Metstrade, where I’ll soak up even more feedback about how we can make our publications even more helpful to you.
