Webinar Series

NMMA webinars cover industry-specific issues and other topics of interest to members. The webinars are a quick and easy way to keep up with the latest industry news, marketing trends and economic conditions and learn first-hand from industry experts. Webinars are free to members.

Completed Member’s Only Webinars

The following webinars have concluded and are available to only Members of NMMA. To log on the password protected site, please see the access portal below.

Completed Webinars

Note: If you are having problems viewing the webinar files, you may need to install the GoToMeeting Codec files. Click here to download and install.

__________________________________________________________________________

2013 American Boating Congress Pre-Conference Issues Briefing – April 18th, 2013

 ___________________________________________________________________________

Discover Boating's 2013 Marketing Plan – April 3rd, 2013

Get the latest details on Discover Boating's Welcome to the Water campaign – from digital advertising to social media and public relations – this industry-wide webinar provided a look at the integrated marketing mix on tap for the busy boating months ahead.  Download the recorded presentation to find out how you can get involved and join Discover Boating in welcoming more people to the water.

The 45-minute web presentation highlighted:
- New advertising: digital and cinema
- Upgrades to the look and feel of DiscoverBoating.com
- Industry-wide boating event: Welcome to the Water on National Marina Day, June 8
- Promotional materials and web tools available to you at no charge
- Public relations: What’s on tap to put the boating lifestyle in the media spotlight this summer
- Marketing support for Marine Five Star Dealer Certification

How can you join in the Welcome to the Water movement? This webinar offered Discover Boating web resources, tools and applications you can use and highlight promotional materials available to the industry, to help welcome your current and future customers to the water.

Hosted by Carl Blackwell, Discover Boating President, this webinar was open to all industry stakeholders in the U.S. and Canada.   To download the entire webinar presentation, please click HERE.   You can also download just the presentation slides by clicking HERE.
 

___________________________________________________________________

Understanding International Payment Risks and Export Financing Solutions - Wednesday, Sept. 26th, 2012

This free webinar addressed key information and action steps for those who are either actively engaged in exporting or hoping to do so. With over 95% of the world’s consumers located outside of the United States, NMMA wants to ensure that you are turning export opportunities into real transactions.  The NMMA and the US Department of Commerce continue our partnership to identify qualified speakers to share their knowledge with you, free of cost and from the comfort of your own office.

Exporters can face unique financial challenges:  longer cash-flow cycles, payment risks, foreign bank exposures, foreign currency risks, regulatory hurdles, etc.  Learn from one of our country’s leading global trade bankers about approaches and solutions that are available to support export working capital and minimize risks.  Programs offered with the support of the U.S. Export Import Bank (ExIm), the Small Business Administration and other financing solutions will be explored.

NMMA also invited the owner of a small NMMA Member accessory manufacturing company to share his personal thoughts and experiences regarding ExIm bank’s programs specifically. Thanks to ExIm bank, his company no longer has to turn away potential international buyers or assume any significant payment risks.

To download the webinar presentation, please click HERE

To download a copy of the slide presentation, please click HERE

Moderator:
Julie Balzano
Export Development Director
National Marine Manufacturers Association
Phone: 954-441-3234
jbalzano@nmma.org

Presenter:
Charlotte Starfire
Director
SunTrust, Global Trade Solutions
Phone: 404-588-7507
charlotte.starfire@suntrust.com

Rebecca Torres
Commercial Officer, U.S. Commercial Service
Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida
Phone: 727.893.3128
Rebecca.Torres@trade.gov

_______________________________________________________________________

Learn about the INCOMIA Technical Committee Standard Number 48-11 – Measurement of Fuel Consumption - Tuesday, August 14th, 2012

The recreational boating industry has always been interested in the measurement of fuel consumption, but until recently, no standard method for measurement or presentation of this information has been available. In response to this informational void, the ICOMIA Technical Committee introduced Standard Number 48-11, Measurement of fuel consumption.  The intent of this standard is to identify a single, repeatable method for industry to measure and document fuel consumption information for small craft up to 24m length, powered by gasoline or diesel engines.  The standard also provides guidance how this data can be presented, to inform boaters at what speed the craft should be operated for best fuel economy.

To bring this informational standard to the U.S. Boatbuilding Industry, a webinar was \ presented by NMMA, in partnership with ICOMIA.  The speaker, Mr. Udo Kleinitz, provided an objective summary of the purpose of the standard, the process it recommends for measurement of fuel consumption, and the use of this data by both boat builders and boat users.

To download the recorded presentation, click HERE.

The following presentation materials and related key documents can also be downloaded:
• ICOMIA FC Measurement – click HERE
• ICOMIA Stand 48-11 Measurement of Boat Fuel Consumption – click HERE
• List of ICOMIA Standards – click HERE

To learn more about ICOME, please visit the home page at http://www.icomia.com/

Moderator:
Thomas Marhevko
VP, Engineering Standards
National Marine Manufacturers Association
tmarhevko@nmma.org

Presenter:
Udo Kleinitz
Technical Manager
ICOMIA
udo@icomia.com

 _______________________________________________________________________

YouTube Basics and Social Media Marketing - July 11
 

Did you know that over 4 Billion videos are viewed every day on YouTube.com? YouTube has emerged as one of social media’s most effective marketing tools. It’s an incredibly useful communication tool and powerful new way to interact with your customers.

New to YouTube? No worries. Josh Chiles addresses YouTube —from getting started to using YouTube to achieve your business goals.  In just one hour, you'll learn:
•    How big is YouTube? And why should I use it?
•    How to create a YouTube channel and playlists?
•    How to utilize videos available from Discover Boating?

To download the recording of this informative webinar, please click HERE

Josh Chiles is the CEO of Engaged!, a social media firm that offers full service social media management and a powerful social media management dashboard for in-house teams. Chiles started his career in the marine industry at Prince William Marine, the 2010 winner of Boating Industry Magazine’s Top 100 Dealers. But now Josh is on a mission; to help the marine industry successfully use social media to grow and strengthen their online communities. Learn more about Josh and Engaged! at www.StartEngaging.com.

Josh Chiles
CEO of Engaged!
josh@startengaging.com

________________________________________________________________________________
 

Navigating the 2011 Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract – Focusing on the New Marine Accessory Study – June 28th, 2012

Published annually, the NMMA Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract is the marine industry’s most complete collection of facts and figures.  During this webinar program, learn how to navigate the recently published 2011 edition, specifically the new comprehensive marine accessory section.

The new accessory study investigates purchase behaviors of new and pre-owned boat buyers both before and after boat delivery, including how consumers become aware of available accessories for their boats and the role accessories play in choice of a dealer, broker or retailer.  The new section also includes the total amount owners spent in 2011 and documents which categories of accessories they purchased.  Some of the key findings include:
• 75% of all boat owners purchased one or more accessories within the 20 categories measured
• The top categories purchased include – safety, boat maintenance & repair, engine maintenance & repair, anchoring & mooring, and covers / tops

To download the live recording of the webinar, please click HERE

To download the slide presentation addressing the NEW Accessory Section, click HERE

The Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract webinar will be presented by Jim Petru, NMMA’s Director of Industry Statistics and Research, and Ron Hein, Executive Vice Present, Foresight Research:

Jim Petru has over 30 years’ experience in marketing and market research with the last 12 years managing NMMA’s statistics department. Jim holds an MBA in Marketing and Market Research from Dominican University and a Ph.B. in psychology from Northwestern University.

Ron Hein joined Foresight Research in 2003 following twenty four years of senior management experience at two automotive OEM’s and one tier one supplier. Most recently Ron was Vice President, Product Management and Marketing at Collins & Aikman.  Ron has an MBA from the University of Michigan and a BIA (Industrial Engineering) from General Motors Institute – now Kettering Institute.   Foresight Research provides business and marketing strategy and research to 40 client companies and organizations.  Learn more at www.foresightresearch.com

If you are an active, paid member of NMMA, you can access the Boating Abstract for FREE instantly.  To access the member’s only and download the new 2011 Boating Abstract, enter your email address at https://www.nmma.org/signup.aspx.   An activation code will be sent to the email address you provide; you will need the code to complete your account setup and create your unique personal password.    This is a one-time process that will connect you with NMMA’s secured Member’s Only webpages and resources.  Please keep a record of the password you register with the NMMA system and be sure to use this same email address when you register, that is how the system verifies your membership status and grants access to the site.

Once you are logged in, you can access the member’s only website and the Research Library http://www.nmma.org/statistics/publications/statisticalabstract.aspx to download the latest Boating Abstract edition which includes a new section dedicated to marine accessories and consumer buying habits.

________________________________________________________________________________

Discover Boating Lead System for MANUFACTURERS – June 2012

The Discover Boating Lead System rolled out new enhancements, including an improved user interface, custom lead reports, ability to segment prospects by location, category, date, etc., access to robust HTML email editor and comprehensive best practices guidelines. The platform is powered by FootSteps Channel Connect, ARI's new manufacturer lead management solution.

This Webinar Highlighted the new capabilities manufacturers can take advantage of to maximize their participation in Grow Boating:
• Discover Boating lead generation overview
• New Discover Boating Lead System rules
• Tips for using the new Discover Boat Lead Management System (DBLS)
• Best practices to convert leads to sales
• Email strategy – do’s and don’ts
• What’s included in the fulfillment package?
-    Discover Boating package
-    Manufacturer package
• Developing a phone contact strategy

To download the full webinar presentation addressing the Grow Boating Lead System for MANUFACTURERS, please click HERE.

This insightful webinar was hosted by Bob McCann, Director of Education, at ARI (www.arinet.com/), a 20-year sales education veteran and the author of the nationally recognized e-business sales method known as TIPS (Traffic, Interactive Website, Process, Sales).  As Director of Education at ARI, McCann has developed proven e-business sales processes to support the company's growing list of dealer and manufacturer clients in the marine, RV, powersports and outdoor power equipment industries. McCann can be reached at (757) 217-3534 or mccann@arinet.com.

To learn more about the Grow Boating Initiative, please visit http://www.growboating.org.  If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact us anytime at support@growboating.org

________________________________________________________________________________

Discover Boating Lead System for CERTIFIED DEALERS – June 2012
The Discover Boating Lead System rolled out new enhancements, including an improved user interface, custom lead reports, ability to segment prospects by location, category, date, etc., access to robust HTML email editor and comprehensive best practices guidelines. The platform is powered by FootSteps Channel Connect, ARI's new manufacturer lead management solution.

This Webinar Highlighted the new capabilities Certified Dealers can take advantage of to maximize their participation in Grow Boating:
• Discover Boating lead generation overview
• New Discover Boating Lead System rules
• Tips for using the new Discover Boat Lead Management System (DBLS)
• Best practices to convert leads to sales
• Email strategy – do’s and don’ts
• What’s included in the fulfillment package?
-    Discover Boating package
-    Manufacturer package
• Developing a phone contact strategy

To download the full webinar presentation addressing the Grow Boating Lead System for DEALERS, please click HERE.

This insightful webinar was hosted by Bob McCann, Director of Education, at ARI (www.arinet.com/), a 20-year sales education veteran and the author of the nationally recognized e-business sales method known as TIPS (Traffic, Interactive Website, Process, Sales).  As Director of Education at ARI, McCann has developed proven e-business sales processes to support the company's growing list of dealer and manufacturer clients in the marine, RV, powersports and outdoor power equipment industries. McCann can be reached at (757) 217-3534 or mccann@arinet.com.

To learn more about the Grow Boating Initiative, please visit http://www.growboating.org.  If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact us anytime at support@growboating.org

________________________________________________________________________________

Discover Boating Web Tools You Can Use – June 12th, 2012

This NMMA-hosted webinar program addressed the web resources available to all industry stakeholders through the Discover Boating program.  The program included step-by-step instructions on how to add these tools to your company’s site and Facebook fan page. Take advantage of these easy and no cost ways to get involved in the industry’s nationwide effort to introduce more people to the boating lifestyle.

The 40-minute webinar presentation highlighted web tools you can add directly to your website and Facebook fan page, including:
- New! Welcome to the Water - Movie Maker
- Discover Boating videos (Welcome to the Water video, ‘Good Run’ short film, Boating Guy videos, 2012 online videos)
- Interactive resources: Loan Calculator, Cost Comparison tool, Spousal Conversion Kit

To download the live recording of the webinar program, please click HERE

To access the slides from the presentation which outlines all the live website links for the related programs, please click HERE.

Also, check out the available Discover Boating web tools and resources that were featured in the webinar at http://www.growboating.org/toolkit/webcontent/default.aspx.

The program was hosted by Armida Markarova, Vice President of Grow Boating, Inc. and Director of Interactive Marketing for NMMA.  If you have any questions for Armida, please contact her directly at: amarkarova@nmma.org or 312.946.6284.

Top Export Markets for Boat and Equipment Manufacturers – June 5th 2012

This free webinar provided an overview of the top hot markets for boats and marine accessories (for a list of the top 20 markets go to:  http://ita.doc.gov/td/ocg/exp3732.htm). The speakers provided examples of how the Department of Commerce can help you access these growth markets. 

The NMMA and the International Trade Administration are continuing our partnership to assist NMMA members to expand their sales to new international markets with this webinar highlighting several important markets that have expanding opportunities. The agency’s Industry analyst (John Vanderwolf) discussed in detail the hot markets for pleasure boats will include profiles of Turkey, Panama, Brazil, Australia, Colombia, and S. Korea. In addition, a Commercial Service officer (Rebecca Torres) detailed all the agencies’ programs and specialists to help you find opportunities in these and all new markets and how best to deal with the potential challenges.

To download the live recorded presentation and informative Q&A session, please click HERE.

To download the slides used in this presentation, please click HERE.

Moderator:
Cindy Squires, Esq.
Chief Counsel for Public Affairs and Director of Regulatory Affairs
National Marine Manufacturers Association
Phone:  202.737.9766
csquires@nmma.org 

Presenters:
John Vanderwolf
International Trade Administration
Office of Consumer Goods
Phone:  202.482.0348
John.Vanderwolf@trade.gov  

Rebecca Torres
Commercial Officer, U.S. Commercial Service
Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida
Phone: 727.893.3128
Rebecca.Torres@trade.gov

Discover Boating Marketing Plan (U.S. & Canada) – May 16, 2012 

Learn more about marketing plans for Discover Boating’s Welcome to the Water campaign in the U.S. and Canada this spring/summer, including ways all industry stakeholders can get involved in the movement.

This 45-minute web presentation highlighted:

• Upgrades to DiscoverBoating.com and DiscoverBoating.ca
• New digital advertising
• Improvements to the Discover Boating Lead System
• Welcome to the Water promotional materials and tools
• Public relations efforts and more!

How will you join the Welcome to the Water movement? This webinar provides information on Discover Boating web resources, tools, applications and benefits you can use to welcome your future customers to the water. For questions or more information, contact Discover Boating’s Carl Blackwell or Kelly Kaylor.

Please click HERE to download the recorded presentation.

NMMA New Market Exporter Initiative 101 – May 15th, 2012

The NMMA and the Department of Commerce have formed a new strategic partnership to help NMMA members expand their exports. Many in the U.S. recreational boating industry have been successful in selling to international markets, are you one of them? Through the New Market Exporter Initiative (NMEI) program, NMMA’s members now have access expert assistance in developing contacts for business in foreign markets including distributors, customers, and service providers as well as help securing export financing, guarantees, and credit insurance. Additionally, assistance is available for members on how to comply with regulatory and documentation requirements. Some of the services are available at no charge, while others that are tailored to your company’s specific needs are available for a fee.

This program was presented by Janice Corbett from the U.S. Commercial Service, Department of Commerce. Ms. Corbett is the U.S. Commercial Service Liaison to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and works for the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service’s Strategic Partnership Office to help NAM members to expand their exports. Prior to her assignment at NAM, Janice was stationed in the U.S. Embassy in Canada where she managed five offices across Canada and was responsible to the implementation of trade policy and promotion programs. Her previous assignments have taken her to Brazil, Monterrey, Mexico (98–02), Ecuador (95–98) Madrid, Spain (93–95) and Seoul, Korea (90–92). Janice has her MBA in marketing and BA in international studies from Miami University in Oxford, OH.

Please click HERE to download the webinar recording.

To access the presentation slides in PDF format, click HERE.

Moderator:
Cindy Squires, Esq.
Chief Counsel, National Marine Manufacturers Association
Phone: 202.737.9766

Presenter:
Janice Corbett
Commercial Service Liaison, U.S. Commercial Service Dept. of Commerce
Phone 202.637.3407

Get the Facts on the New Longshore Recreational Vessel Regulation – May 3, 2012

Boat Manufacturers, boat dealers, marinas and boat repair businesses need to know what kind of insurance is required for their businesses. Many in the industry are reconsidering their current insurance coverage because of the Department of Labor’s New Regulations on the Recreational Vessel Repair Exclusion under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act. The new rules became effective on January 30, 2012. Participants heard directly from the drafter of the new rule, Miranda Chiu, Director, Division of Longshore & Harbor Workers’ Compensation, U.S. Department of Labor. In addition, Pat Duggan, President, Merrimac Marine Insurance, LLC provided real world advice on how it will impact your workplace insurance.

The Webinar covered the following topics:

• Background of the Recreational Vessel Exclusion under the Longshore Act
• The ARRA Amendment of 2009
• Key Provisions of the New Regulation
• How Is Recreational Vessel Defined?
• What Other Rules Apply to the Definition of Recreational Vessel?
• How does this Rule affect Boat Manufacturers?
• When is new Rule effective?
• How to determine if you need Longshore Insurance Coverage?
• Tips on working with your insurer. 

Please click HERE to download the entire webinar presentation.

To download a .PDF copy of the webinar slides in PowerPoint Presentation, please click here.

Moderator:

Cindy Squires, Esq.
Chief Counsel for Public Affairs and Director of Regulatory Affairs, NMMA
csquires@nmma.org

Presenters:

Miranda Chiu
Director, Division of Longshore & Harbor Workers’ Compensation
U.S. Department of Labor/OWCP
chiu.miranda@dol.gov

Pat Duggan
President, Merrimac Marine Insurance, LLC
patd@merrimacins.com

2012 American Boating Congress Pre-Conference Issues Briefing

NMMA government relations staff addressed the recreational boating industry’s most important policy issues and how to best communicate them to your legislator during the American Boating Congress April 24–25. In addition to the policy overviews, the webinar offered first-time ABC attendees a “Hill Visits 101” session which addressed what to expect and how to prepare for your one-on-one meetings on the Hill. 

Policy issues reviewed by NMMA staff:

• The state of the U.S. marine industry: how economic conditions affect marine jobs, sales and production
• Developments on ethanol policy and the NMMA’s ongoing legal challenge against the Environmental Protection Agency
• Tax and trade issues that will affect your bottom line
• Information on NMMA’s work in the ongoing debate on the Proposed General Management Plan of Biscayne National Park
• Updates on efforts to reauthorize the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, which funds important angling and boating programs

To DOWNLOAD this webinar presentation, please click HERE.  (Please note the program starts at the 45 second mark)

To learn more about the ABC event taking place April 24–25 please visit HERE

The webinar was presented by the following NMMA staff from our Washington office:
Jim Currie, Legislative Director 202.737.9760
Cindy Squires, Chief Counsel, Public Affairs and Director of Regulatory Affairs 202.737.9766
Jeffrey Gabriel, Legislative Counsel 202.737.9776
Nicole Vasilaros, Mgr, State Relations, Legislative Counsel 202.737.9763

Social Media Strategy: New Facebook Pages—Launching March 30th

Facebook Timeline is more than just a visual transformation of the site—it’s a whole new way for users to interact with pages. With Facebook Timeline, businesses aren’t simply sharing content; they’re sharing their story. And ready or not, your page will automatically get the new layout and design on March 30th. Learn about the new layout and how to use the new design to your advantage. In this one hour webinar program, you can learn about how Timeline will change your Facebook page and how to put it to work for your business. This presentation covered the most important changes to Facebook business pages, including:

• Design changes—see how your page will be updated and where everything is located
• New private messages—how they work and how to monitor them
• “Pinning”—what it is and how to use it
• New Admin Panel—what’s here and other areas from which to manage your site
• New “Star” a post—learn what it means to “Star” a post and why you should use this feature
• Changes to the landing page, tabs, links and profile picture
• The merging of Facebook Page and Ad Guidelines

To download the Social Media Strategy: New Facebook Pages webinar presentation, please click HERE.

This webinar program was presented by Josh Chiles, CEO, of Engaged!, a social media firm that offers full service social media management and a powerful social media management dashboard for in-house teams. Chiles started his career in the marine industry at Prince William Marine, the 2010 winner of Boating Industry Magazine’s Top 100 Dealers. But now Josh is on a mission; to help the marine industry successfully use social media to grow and strengthen their online communities. Josh also writes for Boating Industry Magazine about social media and will be speaking at the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo in November 2011. Learn more about Josh and Engaged! at www.StartEngaging.com.

Social Media Marketing: Twitter Basics — November 15, 2011

It’s no secret that the Internet and rise of social media have forever changed consumers’ habits. To be effective today, marketing must do more than push messages out—it must pull people in. How? Social media—and Twitter in particular.

Twitter has emerged as one of social media’s most effective marketing tools. It’s an incredibly useful communication tool and powerful new way to interact with your customers.

New to Twitter? No worries. The third of three FREE social media webinars addressed everything you need to know about Twitter—from getting started to using Twitter to achieve your business goals. the program covered:

• What is Twitter? And why should you use it?
• Who can you reach with Twitter?
• How to use Twitter
• Followers, Following and Lists
• What is @username?
• The difference between RT — “retweet” and DM — “direct message”
• URL shorteners
• How to use Twitter apps and tools

The program was presented by Josh Chiles, CEO of Engaged!, a social media firm that offers full service social media management and a powerful social media management dashboard for in-house teams. Josh started his career in the marine industry at Prince William Marine, the 2010 winner of Boating Industry Magazine’s Top 100 Dealers. But now Josh is on a mission; to help the marine industry successfully use social media to grow and strengthen their online communities. Josh also writes for Boating Industry Magazine about social media and will be speaking at the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo in November 2011. Learn more about Josh and Engaged! at www.StartEngaging.com.

Click here to download the final webinar of the three part series, or here for a pdf of the presentation.

Social Media Marketing: Building your Facebook Page – October 12, 2011

Did you know that 65% of adults use Facebook? Or that 50% of Facebook users log on to the site daily?

Your Facebook page lets you reach individuals among the sites millions of users worldwide who are likely to be interested in your company. That’s great! But what happens next? How do you connect with—and even more important—keep fans? Well, as with any social interaction, you need to make a good first impression—you need to build a Facebook page that works.

This second webinar program in a three part series addressed building a Facebook page and tactics for success. During this hour program, you can learn how to build a Facebook page that attracts fans and keeps them engaged. The program covered:

• How to build relationships with your fans
• Posting viral content
• Developing promotions and contests
• How to acquire fans through Facebook advertising

The program was presented by Josh Chiles, CEO of Engaged!, a social media firm that offers full service social media management and a powerful social media management dashboard for in-house teams. Josh started his career in the marine industry at Prince William Marine, the 2010 winner of Boating Industry Magazine’s Top 100 Dealers. But now Josh is on a mission; to help the marine industry successfully use social media to grow and strengthen their online communities. Josh also writes for Boating Industry Magazine about social media and will be speaking at the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo in November 2011. Learn more about Josh and Engaged! at www.StartEngaging.com.

To download the second of the three part series, please click HERE

Social Media Marketing: Your Facebook Strategy – September 28, 2011

Overwhelmed at the thought of jumping into social media marketing? Curious as to whether Facebook is right for your business? Looking for new ways to engage and excite your customers?

There's no denying that social media has emerged as a powerful marketing tool, which means Facebook, as social media's most popular site, is a force to be reckoned with.  The first of three FREE social media webinars discussed the growing importance of social media and how to incorporate Facebook into your marketing mix.  In just one hour, you can learn how to harness the power of social media and develop an effective Facebook strategy. The completed September 28th program covered:

• Facebook facts—who is using it, how much time they spend there and more
• Insight into the Facebook community—understanding users' mindset
• Why you need a Facebook presence and how it can benefit your bottom line
• How to build a Facebook landing page
• The difference between good and bad content
• What it means to "engage" users

Josh Chiles is the CEO of Engaged!, a social media firm that offers full service social media management and a powerful social media management dashboard for in-house teams. Josh started his career in the marine industry at Prince William Marine, the 2010 winner of Boating Industry Magazine’s Top 100 Dealers. But now Josh is on a mission; to help the marine industry successfully use social media to grow and strengthen their online communities. Josh also writes for Boating Industry Magazine about social media and will be speaking at the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo in November 2011. Learn more about Josh and Engaged! at www.StartEngaging.com

To download the first of three Facebook webinar programs, please click HERE

Tour the NMMA Center of Knowledge’s On-Line Statistics and Research Library – September 22, 2011

This NMMA-hosted webinar addressed the keys to navigating the NMMA Center of Knowledge’s On-line Statistics and Research Library and answered the following questions:

• How to log-on to NMMA’s member only statistics web page?
• Where do I start looking for information?
• What is in the content folders and how to manage this data?
• How can I use this market research to help grow my business?

The program was presented by Jim Petru, NMMA’s Director of Industry Statistics and Research. Jim has over 30 years’ experience in marketing and market research with the last 12 years managing NMMA’s statistics department. Jim holds an MBA in Marketing and Market Research from Dominican University and a Ph.B. in psychology from Northwestern University. For questions on the market research available from NMMA, please contact Jim Petru directly at jpetru@nmma.org / 312.946.6202.

To download a recording of the webinar, please click HERE.

Discover Boating Campaign Launch (U.S. & Canada)

Climb aboard for the launch of Discover Boating's new Welcome to the Water campaign. Find out how you can get involved and join the movement to increase boating participation.

This 45-minute web presentation highlights:

• Upgrades to DiscoverBoating.com and DiscoverBoating.ca
• New television and web videos
• Improvements to the industry’s lead generation and nurturing system
• Welcome to the Water Facebook invitation planner and contest 

The webinar was hosted by Carl Blackwell, Chief Marketing Officer and VP, Marketing & Communications for NMMA and Discover Boating on May 17, 2011. To download the entire presentation please click HERE.

How will you join the Welcome to the Water movement? Learn about Discover Boating web resources, tools, applications and benefits you can use to welcome your future customers to the water.

For questions or more information, contact Discover Boating’s Carl Blackwell or Kelly Kaylor.

The Draft Uniform Vessel Titling Act — Tuesday, May 10th, 2011

This webinar program walked participants through the Vessel Titling Act branding provision to address how it will impact boat owners, boat buyers, dealers, lenders, insurers, and marine surveyors.

The act’s branding rules may be its greatest innovation. Few states currently brand the title of vessels allowing boats with hidden hull damage to be resold after cosmetic repairs and without disclosure of the damage. This problem can be compounded greatly after a major hurricane or storm event.

Currently, there is significant inconsistency with title brands for motor vehicles. By establishing a model vessel brand this inconsistency can be avoided, thus providing more reliable and understandable information for the consumer. Ultimately, the brand provides consumers, insurers and lenders with valuable information that can prompt a further investigation to ensure that any repairs were adequate and aid in boating safety. The act creates two processes for titles to be branded, one that owners are required to place on the title and a second, supervening brand that insurers are required to place on the title. The act encourages compliance with its branding rules by imposing an administrative penalty on owners who fail to comply and by having insurers who fail to comply make a warranty that the hull is merchantable.

The Panelists for the webinar program included:

• Cindy Squires, Chief Counsel for Public Affairs & Director of Regulatory Affairs for NMMA
• E.M. Miller, Chair of the Certificate of Title Act for Boats Drafting Committee Professor Stephen L. Sepinuck from the Gonzaga University School of Law and Reporter for the Certificate of Title Act for Boats Drafting Committee

To download the recorded webinar presentation please click HERE

(please note the audio problems at the start only last a few minutes)

2011 American Boating Congress Pre-Conference Issues Briefing

During this one-hour webinar, NMMA government relations staff reviewed recreational boating industry’s most important policy issues and how to best communicate them to your legislator during the American Boating Congress May 4–5th. In addition to the policy overviews, the webinar also offered first-time ABC attendees a “Hill Visits 101” session which addressed what to expect and how to prepare for your one-on-one meetings on the Hill.

• Policy issues addressed in this 50-minute webinar included:
• The state of the U.S. marine industry: how economic conditions affect marine jobs, sales and production
• An overview of the 112th Congress and efforts to rebuild the Congressional Boating Caucus
• Local and national efforts to mandate adult life jacket wear and what is being done to ensure a transparent process with ample boater feedback
• Developments on ethanol policy and the NMMA’s ongoing legal challenge against the Environmental Protection Agency
• Tax and trade issues that will affect your bottom line
• Updates on efforts to reauthorize the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, which funds important angling and boating programs

To download the American Boating Congress Legislative Issues Briefing webinar, please click HERE
To learn more about the ABC event taking place 4–5th and to register for the event, please click HERE

The webinar was presented by the following NMMA staff from our Washington office:

Jim Currie, Legislative Director  202.737.9760
Cindy Squires, Chief Counsel, Public Affairs and Director of Regulatory Affairs  202.737.9766
Jeffrey Gabriel, Legislative Counsel  202.737.9776
 

NPDES/Clean Water Act Permit Updates for Marinas

Between now and 2015, at least 30 state regulatory agencies will review and renew their marine general NPDES/ Clean Water Act Permits. These permits regulate discharges of copper bottom paint and bottom cleaning methods used by marinas. The marine industry should expect that the new allowable limits of these discharges will directly impact the type and cost of services a marina can offer, as well as the equipment that may be needed to continue every-day operations.  

National Marine Manufacturers Association in conjunction with the Association of Marina Industries conducted a free webinar on Friday, April 8 which addressed:

• An overview of the NPDES/Clean Water Act permit process
• Facts about copper bottom paint and its alternatives
• The specific “lingo” needed to understand the permit process and content

The webinar will prepare Marine Trade Associations and marina operators for a special program on the topic that will be held at the American Boating Congress on Wednesday May 4 from 11am to 1pm EST. This presentation, designed for MTAs and marinas, will provide specific ways to advocate for reasonable discharge permit limits and will include first-hand experiences of industry leaders in states where these permits already have been approved.

Click HERE to download the presentation.

Presenters:
Richard S. Davis, Partner, Beveridge & Diamond, P.C.
Mr. Davis has practiced almost exclusively under the federal Clean Water Act and its state analogues since 1981. Chairing or co-chairing the firm’s Clean Water Practice Group for more than 15 years, Mr. Davis helps to direct one of the most innovative and dynamic clean water practices in the United States.

Neal Blossom, Director of Research and Environmental Affairs, American Chemet Corporation
Mr. Blossom was founding Chairman of the US National Paint and Coatings Association Marine Antifouling Coatings Task Force and is a member of the EU Copper Antifouling Task Force and the International Paint and Print Ink Council Antifouling Working Group.

Learn the Facts about the New and Improved SBA Dealer Floor Plan Loan Program 

NMMA and a panel of Small Business Administration Dealer Floor Plan Loan (DFP) Program experts hosted a webinar program on February 9th, 2011 that addressed the new and improved DFP Program. Due to Congress authorizing a new DPF Program in the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, SBA can now offer guarantees for floor plan loans of up to $5 million. In addition, more dealers can now benefit from this program.  The topics addressed during this NMMA-hosted webinar included: 

• Who is eligible for the new DFP loans?
• How large of a loan can a dealer get?
• Can a dealer refinance an existing floor plan line of credit?
• How can a manufacturer assist a dealer in getting a DFP loan?
• How do I find a bank participating in the program?
• What is a delegated lender?
• When can a dealer apply for the loan?
• What are the terms of the DFP loans?
• What are the fees?
• How much is the SBA guarantee for the banks?
• What is the advance rate?
• How do I get more information?

To download the SBA Dealer Floor Plan Loan webinar in its entirety, please click here

2011 NMMA Boat & Yacht Certification Program Webinar

The NMMA Engineering Standards department hosted a webinar on July 28, 2010 covering procedural requirements and technical changes for the 2011 model year Boat and Yacht Certification program. To access an audio and visual recording of this presentation please click here.

Topics covered included:

• Annual Procedures and Requirements for NMMA Certification
• Changes to American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) Standards for the 2011 Model Year
  • E-11, AC and DC Electrical Systems on Boats
  • H-24, Gasoline Fuel Systems
  • H-33, Diesel Fuel Systems
  • H-41, Reboarding Means, Ladders, Handholds, Rails and Lifelines
  • P-1, Installation if Exhaust Systems for Propulsion and Auxiliary Engines
• Clarifications on US Coast Guard Regulations
• Technical Updates and Standards Interpretations
• Marine Industry CSI program
• ABYC Project technical Committee involvement and Standards development

If you have any specific questions, please contact the webinar presenters:

Robert Newsome (Webinar Host & Presenter), Director of Engineering Standards, NMMA
Tom Marhevko, Vice President of Engineering Standards, NMMA
Terry Leitz, Director, Marine Industry Dealership Certification and Director, CSI Programs, NMMA
John Adey, Vice President and Technical Director, ABYC
Eric Johnson, Technical Standards Manager, ABYC 

Producing and Using Video within the New Media World

This NMMA sponsored webinar featured a presentation on producing and implementing video in the new media marketing environment. Webinar topics focused on:

• Types of video
• Video production process
• Reasons for using video online
• Integrating Video into websites
• Integrating Video into Social Media
• Professional vs. amateur video
• Future of video

The webinar was presented by David Jensen, CMM, Vice President of Marketing, Allen Roche Marine. David is a Certified Marina Manager through the Association of Marina Industries and holds a BA in Media Studies from Northeastern University. David has over ten years of operations and marketing experience and has worked for Port Harbor Marine and Flagship Marinas. He currently manages the Allen Roche Marine team and develops marketing strategies to achieve client objectives.

Download the presentation

Navigating the 2009 NMMA Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract

This NMMA-hosted webinar addressed how to navigate the 2009 NMMA Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract and answered the question “Where does the data come from?” The program was presented by Jim Petru, NMMA’s Director of Industry Statistics and Research. Jim has over 30 years experience in marketing and market research with the last 12 years managing NMMA’s statistics department. Jim holds an MBA in Marketing and Market Research from Dominican University and a Ph.B. in psychology from Northwestern University.

This presentation also addressed:

• NMMA’s Center of Knowledge
• Where do I start looking for the statistics I need?
• Macro Economic Environment
• Micro Market Environment
• Industry Segments

Overview of each of the abstract’s 17 sections

• Highlight key tables
• Point out new information

Download the audio and visual presentation

Marketing Automation and Content Targeted Messaging

This program addressed how to increase your sales today by delivering the right message to the right person at the right time via the right communication platform. This webinar was presented by Ken Rohman, Director of Interactive Marketing at The AVALA Marketing Group.

Ken Rohman has 15 years of marketing experience, having worked for Brunswick, OMC, eBay and BassPro Shops. Ken evaluates print, radio and television campaigns to measure effectiveness of URLs, researches website traffic patterns and demographics to identify sales opportunities, and maximizes use of search engines. He also implements e-mail broadcasts, eCRM platforms and system-wide integration of all lead sources. Ken holds an MBA in finance from Tulane University and a BA in Marketing from Baylor University.

Ken Rohman, Office Telephone: 636.343.9988

Download the audio and visual presentation.

Topics addressed:

• The marine buying process has changed
• Over the last decade we’ve seen a shift toward customer-centric marketing strategies, and the economic downturn and demand for marketing accountability are accelerating this shift
• Statistics indicate that in 2010 more data will be generated by individuals than in the entire history of mankind through 2009
• Capturing more information about consumers provides more insights to target consumers on a more precise level
• Communication mediums and technology are in sync like never before
• Marine budgets require that communication assets are maximized
• Companies of all sizes in all industries can increase sales through marketing automation

The benefits of marketing automation and content targeted messaging?

• Turn your data into meaningful marketing activity that moves the needle and improves the bottom line
• Let marketing nurture leads, then deliver them to sales when they are hot
• Manage leads as individuals, not as batches
• Segment contacts more granularly and accurately
• Make your messages truly personal
• Communicate to consumers during the five “moments of truth”
• Build a closed loop marketing process

So Consumers Found Your Website. . . Now What? Get TIPS on How to Turn Them Into Sales!

After you have drawn visitors in with search engine marketing and other lead generation tactics, how do you turn them into loyal customers? During this hands-on webinar, Bob McCann and Richard Harris, from ARI/Channel Blade, addressed this question with clear examples and action steps you can implement right now:

• How to better promote and expose your inventory throughout the website-whether on the homepage or on inventory-specific pages
• How to provide visitors the information they need in seconds with dynamic inventory search, better descriptions, pictures, and more
• How to generate leads through contact forms and call-to-action links throughout your site
• Engaging visitors through social networking tools
• Ways to track and monitor visitor information and preferences while browsing your site
• How you drive more business online through better promotion of Parts & Service
• A quick review of “TIPS” (Traffic, Interactive website, Process, Sales), a nationally-recognized e-Business sales method for marine dealers and manufacturers

To listen and view this presentation in its entirety, please click here.

Presenters:

Bob McCann, Director of Client Education, ARI/Channel Blade, an 18-year sales education veteran, is the author of the nationally recognized e-Business sales method known as “TIPS” (Traffic, Interactive Website, Process, Sales). As the director of client education for ARI/Channel Blade, McCann has developed proven e-business sales processes to support the company's growing list of clients, including Ford, BMW, Brunswick brands, Camping World, etc.

Richard Harris, SearchEngineSmart™ Product Manager, ARI/Channel Blad, has over 20 years of advertising and marketing experience, has won three Addy awards and was awarded two Emmy Awards. He was in charge of extending Prime Time TV shows to the web at CBS and The Weather Channel. Richard held chair positions on the worldwide Mobile Marketing Association, Verve Mobile and Third Screen Media mobile network. Richard also received the Master Marketing award from Yahoo! and Google for his traffic-generating campaigns.

For questions on the program’s materials and how to take advantage of the special discounted offer from ChannelBlade, please contact:

Webinar Topic:
Bob McCann, 727.735.9592
Richard Harris, 757.233.1280

Product Demo/Special Offer Details:
Rick Tala, 877.242.5233 ext 4

April 8th, 2010: Marine 3.0 — The Power of Social Everything

Many of us have spent the past 15 years with digital technologies at our fingertips. Marine businesses, however, have partaken in somewhat limited digital expansion when conducting day-to-day operations, specifically in regard to the Web 2.0 medium—the next generation of Web interaction that facilitates communication, information sharing, and collaboration that includes Web-based communities and social-networking sites.

In today’s age of technological fluidity, it is no longer good enough just to “keep up,” you need to consistently find new and inventive ways to use these new tools to get ahead. Gary Druckenmiller, Co-Founder of TheOpenSea.com, addressed a day-in-the-life of a marine professional and his interactions with the “new new” ways of the Web. The presentation outlined Gary’s analysis of the advantages and dangers of Web 2.0, innovative strategies for balancing the real world and the digital world, a major “hit list” of tactics you can enable right now, and stories of how some marine businesses and manufacturers have effectively implemented Web 2.0 tools.

Presenter:

Gary Druckenmiller is the Co-Founder of TheOpenSea.com, the world’s first marine-only social and professional networking website. Within the marine industry, Gary has worked for both BoatUS and Westerbeke Corporation. In 1999, Gary took residence with Sylvania as a lead member of their inaugural e-business team. From there Gary joined Swiss Army Brands to manage their global Internet operations, and also served as E-Business Director for Timex.

TheOpenSea.com is where boaters and boat businesses meet, talk, collaborate, exchange, and connect. With that, TheOpenSea.com is currently 100% FREE to setup your business and begin connecting and communicating with your customers immediately and without limitation. But that won’t last forever. Over the next few months we will begin to charge marine businesses for access to certain features and services as the site continues to grow.

Please note that due to technical difficulties, NMMA is unable to provide a recorded session of this presentation. We apologize for this inconvenience.

For information on the presentation topic or questions on Gary’s services at Opensea.com, please contact him directly at:

Gary W. Druckenmiller, Jr., Co-Founder, TheOpenSea.com
860.922.9429

December 10th, 2009: The 5 Greatest Secrets of Selling at Boat Shows

Have you heard about The 5 Greatest Secrets of Selling at Boat Shows? The information presented in this NMMA Webinar series was the result of more than two decades of research revealing how customers open up immediately to a salesperson’s approach at a boat show event. This system works so well that customers will often reveal their full intent at a show in less than 60 seconds! Just imagine how many customers you could meet with if the entire greeting and qualification process took less than 60 seconds. This amazing insight was shared with NMMA Webinar attendees, and no you can learn the secret too.

Glenn Roller, author, speaker and sales coach with over 30 years experience in the marine industry from the retail floor to corporate offices, shared his insights on how to get the most from the floor traffic at your boat show. Recently, Glenn and his company, The Glenn Roller Institute, have been researching today’s biggest challenges for both salespeople and management during the sales process with a new method. By placing microphones on salespeople from boat shows to show rooms and publicly videotaping the sales process, they discovered through hundreds of hours of video taping more than 50 new challenges facing salespeople today.To listen and view the webinar on The 5 Greatest Secrets of Selling at Boat Shows, click here

The Glenn Roller Institute would like to extend a limited time special offer to attendees of the webinar program—an 18% discount off any of the programs available at http://www.theglennrollerinstitute.com/index.php. To receive your discount, enter promo code NMMA48 at checkout.

Contact:
Glenn Roller, President, The Glenn Roller Institute
877.884.4862
www.theglennrollerinstitute.com 

December 8th, 2009: Get Immediate Results Using Search Engine Marketing

This program addressed the following points:

• Latest trends in online marketing tangible methods to increase online visibility through search engine optimization (SEO) and management (SEM).
• The differences between SEO and SEM, and how they can work together or independently to increase revenue to your business 24/7.
• How the search engines find your website and provide simple modifications you can make that will increase your rankings to the top of the search results.
• and, how your search engine “Quality Score” can harm your marketing campaigns.

Richard Harris, SearchEngineSmart™ Account Manager, Channel Blade/ARI presented program details on SEO and SEM efforts related to your website. Richard received the Master Marketing award from Yahoo! and Google driving over a 1000% increase in traffic to over 20 sites.

To view the PowerPoint presentation on SEO and SEM marketing, please click here. To listen to the presentation’s audio portion, please forward to the 10-minute mark to begin.

If you have questions about the presentation material, please contact Richard Harris below.

Channel Blade/ARI and the SearchEngineSmart service extended a discounted offer to all participating attendees. Take advantage of the limited time discounted offer for NMMA members, dealers and exhibitors:

• One-time set up fee only $500!
  • You save $1,095 for attending!
  • Sign up by December 31, 2009
• You will determine on-going monthly charges based on your SEM marketing campaign & budget
• Bundle with some of our other award winning solutions to save even more!

Contacts:

Webinar Topic:
Richard Harris, 757.233.1280

ChannelBlade/ARI Information:
Rick Tala, Sales Manager, 877.242.5233, x4

Product Demo:
Jerry Onhaizer, Internet Marketing Specialist, 757.233.8332
www.channelblade.com

November 10th, 2009: 21st Century Consumer

Hosted by Red Oak Marketing

The shift from “how many to who” in driving sales has direct correlation to the expectations being set by the 21st century consumer. Ready access to data through real-time satisfaction is no longer a luxury of the business through the internet, it’s the requirement. The internet is now the first and primary source for information gathering before a significant boating purchase. John Trkla, founder and CEO of Red Oak Marketing, will guide you through this changing mindset and show how you can convert these internet consumers into a long-time customer. The presentation and discussion will focus on intelligent and efficient best practices and how to offer real-time satisfaction of all requests coming through your website.

To listen and view this webinar program and information, click here

The program was led by John Trkla, CEO and founder of Red Oak Marketing Group. Leading Red Oak’s corporate strategy, John founded Red Oak in 2000 after 20 years of experience in the deployment of electronic loyalty and care solutions. Having successfully deployed world class loyalty and care solutions for over 150 Fortune based companies, John embarked on the successful creation of real-time communication solutions as an alternative to traditionally deployed data driven systems.

Contact:
Jennifer Melsheimer, VP, Client Relations, Red Oak Marketing Group
847.457.4744

October 20th, 2009: Social Media for the Boating Industry

What is social media, why has it become so wildly popular and how can I use it to benefit my company?Namely, because there are three things all businesses need online:

1. Customer interaction
2. Lead generation
3. Word of mouth marketing

The webinar outlined useful strategies to grow your business with social media. A how-to discussion was held on using top social media web sites, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, will be covered. Also addressed, how to maximize your efforts on a limited budget and marketing staff and discover how to compete online to make your brand shine.

To listen and view this webinar program and information, click here

To review the question and answer session, please download the Word document here.

This webinar was presented by John Zimmerman, founder of eRocketFuel, a Chicago-based social media agency. He is considered one of the top 100 speakers on social media.

Contact:
John Zimmerman, President, eRocketFuel
630.618.6105