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More than 530 dealers have already registered for the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas’ Dealer Week annual conference, after nearly 300 dealers registered during the month of October alone. Dealer Week registrations accelerated rapidly with the announcement that the conference would be held online. 

The total of 294 dealership personnel, who registered during the month of October, eclipsed the previous single-month record for dealer registration, which was set in October of 2014, by more than 11 percent.

“We took a calculated risk this year, making the decision to delay the creation of our educational programming to help us ensure that our courses meet the needs of the evolving market place,” said Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “We saw our normal early-registration curve pushed back by the uncertainty the pandemic caused, but we have believed all along that, with the move to an online environment, followed quickly by the announcement of a powerful educational line-up, the dealers would find great value in the event. And that’s exactly what we have seen happen.”

Dealer Week’s planned registration launch, scheduled for April, was delayed until June due to the pandemic. Throughout June, July and August, uncertainty around in-person events limited registration numbers to only 35 total dealer registrations. Comparatively, Dealer Week 2019 saw 302 registrations through August of last year.

Once the announcement that Dealer Week moved online and became easier to access than ever before, registrations began to flow in. The early-bird registration, where dealers could save $50 off of the standard rate, expired on Oct. 31, and nearly a third of the month’s registrations were logged on the last two days of the month.

“Now that we have the ability to communicate exactly how Dealer Week will deliver its educational programming and exactly what that educational line-up will entail, dealers are taking a look at the agenda, seeing the value and signing up,” says Mike Davin, MRAA Brand Director. “The online format is different than past MRAA conferences, but the core of the conference hasn’t changed, and it’s actually easier for dealers to attend than it has ever been, with dealer registration at half of previous rates, no travel costs and the ability to stream the sessions to any device you’d like.”

The annual conference of the MRAA, Dealer Week offers key insights, ideas and inspiration for dealers to use as they begin preparing for 2021. With nearly 30 individual sessions on critical topics such as boat shows, digital marketing, pre-owned boats, the customer experience and service department opportunities, Dealer Week is the only event that equips dealers with timely solutions they can implement immediately.

Dealer Week registration begins at only $299, and all registrants will retain access to the educational content and exhibits for three-and-a-half months (through March 31, 2021). All courses will offer tips and advice, chat conversations with dealers and experts, as well as downloadable resources. MRAA is already offering registrants an advanced opportunity to plan for the year ahead through a webinar series exclusively available to registered dealers, as well as a Dealer Week Preview event that took place on Oct. 29. When dealers register, they will gain immediate access to the recordings from that event, as well as access to all recorded and future webinars.

“The 2020 selling season was one of the most up-and-down years ever,” says Liz Walz, Vice President of MRAA. “With the uncertainty that many expect to persist into 2021, MRAA continues to do everything it can to help answer questions, provide solutions and give dealers every opportunity find greater success in the year ahead. That’s why we exist, and it’s something we are very passionate about.”