Advisory Group Panel at Miami Industry Breakfast Highlights Data-Driven Strategy to Grow Boating Participation

Earlier this week at the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show Industry Breakfast, members of the Market Expansion Advisory Group—marketing leaders from dealers and manufacturers—shared an update on the new, research-backed strategy developed to help grow boating for the long term.

The Advisory Group emphasized that today’s market conditions and consumer needs are changing. Their reassessment of the industry’s end-to-end marketing funnel revealed gaps and opportunities, highlighting the need to clarify the most efficient marketing roles for Discover Boating, manufacturers and dealers to effectively engage and attract the next generation of boaters.

Key takeaways:

• Growth requires adaptation. Today’s consumer is evolving, and long-term participation depends on making boating relevant to the next generation, not just relying on core buyers.
• Clearly defined marketing roles drive impact. Discover Boating builds category awareness and interest at scale (it does not generate leads); manufacturers reinforce brand value and innovation; dealers lead the ownership experience, including onboarding, service, and retention.
• Shared measurement tool shows momentum. The Discover Boating Health Score tracks awareness, engagement, and participation, providing a transparent scoreboard to track market momentum and early signals of long-term growth.

The message was clear: The industry is taking deliberate steps to secure its future. Long-term growth requires adapting to today’s (and tomorrow’s) consumers and working together to activate the next generation of boaters.

Advisory Group Panelists included: Lauren Beckstedt, Chief Marketing Officer, Brunswick (moderator); Bryan Seti, Vice President, Yamaha; Abbey Heimensen, Vice President of Marketing, MarineMax; Victor Gonzalez, Chief Marketing Officer, Sportsman Boats; Thomas Bates, Chief Revenue Officer, Correct Craft.

For questions or more information, please contact NMMA's Maggie Maskery at [email protected].