BoatMA.com NewsBrief - February 12, 2006

Grow Boating Update--Grow Boating Initiative Hosts Miami Update Meeting

February 9, 2006

The Grow Boating Mission:

To formulate and execute initiatives that promote the boating lifestyle and improve the boating experience that will ultimately increase participation in boating and lead to increases in sales of marine products and services.

Grow Boating Initiative Hosts Miami Update Meeting

Discover Boating Lead System Training Sessions to be Held at MIBS

Grow Boating, Inc. Governance Appointments Underway

GrowBoating.org Set to Re-launch

Dealers Invited to Register for the Discover Boating Dealer Program at End of February

Manufacturers Embrace Dealer Certification

Grow Boating Committees Set to Meet at Miami International Boat Show

Grow Boating – Some Frequently Asked Questions...

Rising Tide Contributors Pouring In

Timeline

Grow Boating Initiative Hosts Miami Update Meeting

The Grow Boating Initiative will host a special meeting to update all industry stakeholders on Grow Boating programs and their progress on Wednesday, February 15, just prior to the start of the Miami International Boat Show. The meeting will be held in Room A204-205 at the Miami Beach Convention Center from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.

The meeting is designed to give the industry an update on all Grow Boating programs. The program will start with the marketing program, ads, media buy and consumer research, and continue with updates on Dealer and Product Certification, Water Access and will help industry stakeholders understand how they can take full advantage of these efforts. In addition, the Discover Boating Lead Generation System will be discussed, and examples of the updated Discover Boating advertisements will be shown.

With so much happening so quickly this year with the Grow Boating Initiative and the Discover Boating campaign, it is important to stay informed.

For more information on the Grow Boating Initiative, visit www.growboating.org, or call Tadd at (312)946-6246; stadd@nmma.org.

Discover Boating Lead System Training Sessions to be Held at MIBS

The Grow Boating Initiative will host a series of Manufacturer Training Sessions at the Miami International Boat Show to introduce the Discover Boating Lead System.

There will be five one-hour sessions:
When: Wednesday 2/15 at 11 AM and 1 PM
Thursday 2/16 at 9 AM, 11AM, and 1 PM
Where: Miami International Boat Show, Room A106

Each session will feature:
• Overview of the lead system and instructions on how to make it work for you.
• Information on tools that can enhance your lead management and direct marketing capabilities.

If you plan to send a representative to one of the meetings, please RSVP by Friday, February 10, to NMMA internet marketing manager Armida Markarova at (312)946-6284; amarkarova@nmma.org.

Grow Boating, Inc. Governance Appointments Underway

Advisory Council
The Grow Boating Advisory Council will come together for an organizational meeting on Friday, February 17th at the Miami International Boat Show. The meeting will help to bring Advisory Council representatives up to speed on Grow Boating strategies and to better define their role moving forward.

The following organizations will each be represented on the Advisory Council:

• National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA)
• Marine Retailers Association of America (MRAA)
• Sail America
• Canadian Marine Manufacturers Association (CMMA)
• Association of Marina Industries (AMI)
• Trailer Manufacturers Association (TMA)
• Houseboat Industry Association (HIA)
• States Organization for Boating Access (SOBA)
• American Boat Builders and Repairers Association (ABBRA)
• National Marine Trades Council (NMTC):
- New York Marine Trades Association (NYMTA)
- Michigan Boating Industries Association (MBIA)
- Southern California Marine Association (SCMA)
- Marine Industry Association of South Florida (MIASF)
- Boating Trade Association of Metropolitan Houston (BTAMH)
- Northwest Marine Trade Association (NWMTA)
• Personal Flotation Device Manufacturers Association (PFDMA)
• National Marine Distributors Association (NMDA)
• National Marine Bankers Association (NMBA)
• National Marine Representatives Association (NMRA)
• Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF)
• American Sportfishing Association (ASA)
• National Association of Marine Surveyors (NAMS)
• Society of American Marine Surveyors (SAMS)
• Yacht Brokers Association of America (YBAA)
• Representative of Marine Insurers
• Representative of Marine Mass Retailers

Board of Directors
The Grow Boating Initiative was recently incorporated and the Grow Boating, Inc. Board of Directors will be announced in Miami.

GrowBoating.org Set to Re-launch

Beginning in a few shorts weeks, industry stakeholders will be able to find up-to-date information on Grow Boating and its programs at the new GrowBoating.org, set to re-launch March 1st. When it re-launches, visitors on the site will be asked to register and log-in to receive detailed industry information including:

• Discover Boating Marketing and PR Information
• Marine Industry Dealership Certification Information
• Water Access Protection Research and Plans
• NMMA Product Certification Information

Additionally, GrowBoating.org is the industry resource where:

• Contributing Boat Manufacturers will be able to upload, update and/or verify information displayed on DiscoverBoating.com
• Contributing Boat Manufacturers will be able to sort and retrieve sales leads
• Contributing Marine Dealers will be able to request marketing materials through the Discover Boating Dealer Program (see below)
• Contributing Marine Dealers will be able to register for the Discover Boating Dealer Finder
• Marine Dealers will be able to sign up for a Marine Industry Dealership Certification Launch Meeting
• All Stakeholders will be able to access images, logos, best practices and results for Grow Boating marketing efforts and programs
• Stakeholders will be able to pledge support for Grow Boating and contribute through the Rising Tide Fund and view other contributors
• Stakeholders will be able to access information and results for all campaigns and programs
• Stakeholders will be able to monitor program results through the Grow Boating "Dashboard"

GrowBoating.org is the industry interface to DiscoverBoating.com

DiscoverBoating.com will focus on consumers and generate leads for contributing companies.

At DiscoverBoating.com consumers will be asked to share information when they:

• Request the Discover Boating DVD
• Sign up for magazine subscriptions
• Subscribe to Discover Boating newsletters
• “Ask the Boating Guy” specific questions

Leads will be generated when consumers request information and/or contact from manufacturers and dealers and/or Discover Boating’s, ‘Boating Guy.’ These leads will be housed in the Discover Boating Lead System and may be sorted and retrieved by manufacturers at GrowBoating.org.

Only boat manufacturers who are paying the Grow Boating Engine Assessment will be qualified to retrieve leads. Dealers will receive leads through their manufacturers.

Dealers Invited to Register for the Discover Boating Dealer Program at End of February

After re-launch of the Grow Boating website, contributing Marine Dealers* will be invited at the end of February to register at GrowBoating.org to participate in the new Discover Boating Dealer Program, which recognizes the critical contribution of the dealer community to the process of “growing boating.” This program gives dealers,
marine trade associations and marinas the chance to integrate their businesses with the boating industry’s national Discover Boating campaign.

Benefits of registering include:

• Free Listing on the DiscoverBoating.com Dealer Finder
• Discover Boating point of sale materials, including Poster, Window Clings, DVDs and Brochures (additional supplies may be purchased at cost)
• Access to Digital Boating Lifestyle Pictures and Logos in the Discover Boating Image Bank
• New Discover Boating Print Ad Builder
• Online Resource Guide, Marketing Tool Box, Best Practices

An additional Grow Boating update will be sent out as soon as the new GrowBoating.org website re-launches.

* Only Dealers that sell boats built by boat manufacturers contributing through the Grow Boating Engine Assessment are eligible to receive these free benefits.

(Note: the Discover Boating Dealer Program is separate from the Marine Industry Dealership Certification program.)

Manufacturers Embrace Dealer Certification

In an effort to help their dealers become certified, several NMMA manufacturers have agreed to help offset the costs for members of their individual dealer networks to become certified through the Grow Boating Initiative’s Marine Industry Dealership Certification Program.

Some of the manufacturers incentivizing their dealers thus far to participate in the program include:

• Decatur, Indiana-based manufacturer Formula Boats Inc. has agreed to reimburse exclusive Formula dealers 50 percent of the cost of certification under the Grow Boating Initiative’s Marine Industry Dealership Certification Program. Non-exclusive Formula dealers will receive reimbursement equal to 25 percent of certification costs. The reimbursements may be redeemed by all Formula dealers upon completion of the certification program.

• Grady-White Boats of Greenville, North Carolina, announced at its October dealer conference it will cover 50 percent of the cost for any Grady-White dealer to become certified under the program. In addition, Grady-White is supplementing its own Dealer Standards Manual with some of the requirements from the Marine Industry Dealership Certification process, in an effort to encourage all its dealers to raise the bar of their respective organizations to achieve even higher standards.

• Regal Marine Industries of Orlando, Florida, has agreed to reimburse any Regal dealer up to $1,000 toward the cost of certification. The reimbursement may be redeemed by Regal dealers upon completion of the certification program.

• Edenton, North Carolina-based Regulator Marine announced it will allow dealers to use Regulator Co-Op funds to cover up to 50 percent of the costs associated with becoming certified. In addition, Regulator has also agreed to cover 50 percent of it dealers’ travel costs to attend one of the several Marine Industry Dealership Certification launch meetings currently taking place around the country.

Besides manufacturers, local marine trade associations are also getting involved and encouraging their membership to become certified.

In a move to bolster the Grow Boating Initiative's Dealership Certification program, the Northwest Marine Trade Association in Seattle has agreed it will cover 10 percent of the early registration fees for the first 20 members participating in the process.

For more information, contact Terry Leitz at (312)946-6212; tleitz@nmma.org.

Grow Boating Committees Set to Meet at Miami International Boat Show

The Grow Boating Committees plan to take advantage of the industry wide gathering at the Miami International Boat Show.

The following Committees will meet:

- Grow Boating Water Access Committee
- Grow Boating Marketing Committee
- Grow Boating Web Committee
- Grow Boating Advisory Council

Grow Boating – Some Frequently Asked Questions...

Marketing:

When will we see the ads?
Discover Boating ads will air from March through June. Research shows that due to weather, this is the best time to drive interest in the hearts and minds of non-boaters. Public Relations and web marketing efforts occur year-round.

Is there a geographic difference in advertising?
No. All ads will air equally in all 50 states. The national media buy means that east coast and west coast see the same ads at the same frequency. Regional viewership differences are miniscule.

Funding:

What is the difference between the Grow Boating Engine Assessment and the Rising Tide Fund?
The Grow Boating Engine Assessment is an assessment on engines through which boat and engine manufacturers and their dealers are making their contributions. The Rising Tide Fund is a voluntary contribution model for all other industry stakeholders.

Is Grow Boating only for NMMA members?
No. Grow Boating is for anyone with a financial stake in recreational boating. All contributing boat manufacturers will be eligible to receive leads from DiscoverBoating.com.

What is the difference between the Discover Boating Boat Show Surcharge and the Grow Boating Initiative Assessment?
The Discover Boating Fund is raised through NMMA Boat Shows and will now be used to supplement the efforts of the Grow Boating Initiative, through additional event marketing and PR, within those boat show markets. Discover Boating is the consumer brand name associated with the marketing communications element of the Grow Boating Initiative.

Ask your questions here...
please contact Steve Tadd at (312)946-6246; stadd@nmma.org

Rising Tide Contributors Pouring In

Just introduced last month, the Rising Tide fund is a voluntary contribution to help fund the programs of the Grow Boating Initiative, including the Discover Boating marketing campaign, the Marine Industry Dealer Certification program and Water Access Protection programs.

The following companies have contributed to the Rising Tide Fund so far:
- 3M
- Accon Marine
- Bank of America
- Commercial Products International, Inc.
- E.S. Ritchie & Sons
- ITW Philadelphia Resins Corporation
- Kropf Industrial
- Michigan Boating Industries
- Professional Boat Builder Magazine
- Raritan Engineering
- Raymarine, Inc.
- Shakespeare Electronic Products
- Sumerset Acquisition, LLC
- The Astrup Co.
- Weems & Plath

To download a copy of the Rising Tide Fund pledge form, click here.

For more information, contact Grow Boating director Steve Tadd at (312)946-6246; stadd@nmma.org.

Timeline

What to look out for in the coming months:

- GrowBoating.org re-launch – March 2006
- DiscoverBoating.com re-launch – March 2006
- Discover Boating DVD available – March 2006
- Discover Boating Lead System active – March 2006
- Discover Boating Print and Online ads launch – March 2006
- Discover Boating commercials air – April 2006