West Marine will hold its first Marine Electronics Expo series in eight U.S. markets in four states April 8-9 to allow customers to peruse the newest offerings from manufacturers that include Garmin, Raymarine, Lowrance, Simrad, Shakespeare, ICOM, Fusion and Uniden.
Representatives from those companies will be at eight West Marine stores representing four popular boating markets — New England, Florida’s east coast, Florida’s west coast and southern California — to introduce their new products and present a slate of seminars to help customers explore and understand the latest marine electronics technology.
Vendors will be at each location, answering customers’ questions, demonstrating products and inviting pros to talk about their experiences using the new technology and signing autographs.
The participating stores are in Old Saybrook, Conn.; West Islip, N.Y.; Fort Lauderdale, North Palm Beach, Fort Myers and St. Petersburg, Fla.; and Newport Beach and San Diego, Calif.
“West Marine is the leading retailer of marine electronics, and we want to create an opportunity for our customers to come into our stores and enjoy a hands-on learning experience with some of our premier electronics vendors,” West Marine marketing senior vice president Deb Radcliff said in a statement.
“We expect this event to become a fixture on our annual calendar, allowing us to bring the newest and coolest marine electronics to customers, as well as providing expert advice on how to make the most of today’s cutting-edge marine electronics technology.”
To support the event, West Marine will have a dedicated Marine Electronics Expo landing page at westmarine.com, featuring brand-new West Advisor articles and video content. Customers will be able to explore the new products and get the information they need to make informed decisions and maximize the utility and enjoyment of West Marine’s marine electronics products.
“We’re excited for the opportunity to connect with West Marine customers and associates,” Raymarine vice president of sales Larry Rencken said. “As we continue to innovate with new products, like our Dragonfly line of fishfinders and combo chart plotters and Quantum CHIRP radar, West Marine’s Marine Electronics Expo will be a great venue to educate consumers on our latest technology.”
“Innovation is at the heart of Navico’s business model, coupled with our unprecedented ease of use, and participating in West Marine’s Marine Electronics Expo gives us an excellent opportunity to showcase our latest and greatest products in several of our key markets across the country,” Navico’s Steve Hamber said.
