Organizers of the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo report they have once again seen strong demand for the year’s best registration prices, announcing a record number of dealer sign-ups at April rates.
A total of 169 retailers registered for the 2016 conference in April, two more than the previous high, which was set last year.
“While this record was broken by a relatively slim margin, it is particularly noteworthy because the industry is experiencing one of the busiest spring seasons in recent years — and because the event takes place in December, three weeks later than its traditional November time frame,” MRAA vice president Liz Walz said in a statement.
The 2016 conference, produced jointly by the MRAA and Boating Industry magazine, will take place Dec. 5-8 in Orlando, Fla.
“The December dates are also likely to allow marine retailers in northern climates to be further along in their boat winterization and storage processes,” said Jonathan Sweet, editor-in-chief of Boating Industry. “This may prompt some dealerships to participate for the first time and others to register more team members.”
