09/20/2017

The Recreational Boating Industry Eco-System

by Freya Olsen, NMMA

The YBAA annual meetings in both Annapolis, Maryland and Providence, Rhode Island in July proved to be an educational experience in understanding the relationship that the brokerage community has with the marine industry as a whole. Anytime there is an occasion for different groups within our industry to come together and learn more about the objectives and services of one another, there is a great opportunity to expand relationships and ultimately to work together towards the common goal of growing the recreational boating industry. 

The YBAA group knows their stuff and the collective knowledge and tenure in the room during their annual conference was impressive. Every YBAA member in attendance was committed to expanding their knowledge whether it be through continued education with the CPYB program or taking a deeper interest in the statistics, research and marketing strategy that the Discover Boating campaign is rooted in. 

With the recent release of Discover Boating’s First-Time Boat Buyer Research, many industry groups have taken the opportunity to learn as much as they can about new consumers who are interested in becoming boat owners. One of the best ways our industry can continue to grow is to have an in-depth knowledge of not only who the consumer is, but how they’re researching boat ownership and what sort of experience they’re looking for in their shopping journey. 

Discover Boating is committed to sharing sound research and recommended best practices with our industry stakeholders to help inform their strategy in how they’re approaching potential customers. And while not every industry group is specifically focused on the first-time boat buyer, it is important to remember that without buying their first boat, there can never be a second, third or fourth boat – reminding us the importance of understanding and providing helpful resources to those consumers who are new to our industry. 

I look forward to working with YBAA members more in the future and have a much stronger understanding of the importance they play in the success of our industry. Any opportunity there is for industry groups to come together and learn more about the respective knowledge and service they each bring to the industry is a win-win situation. And I believe we achieved that in Annapolis and Providence last July.