So, Dealer Week is digital. How do you feel about that? Are you grieving the opportunities you’ll miss by not being toe-to-toe with your industry friends and business partners? Or maybe you’re relieved you won’t have to decide whether to travel in these strange times, whether to shake hands or not, wear a mask or not, or make myriad other decisions that were once much easier. Or maybe you feel a little of both. No matter what, you are not alone. We are right there with you.
As the marine industry demonstrated this summer, sometimes tough circumstances can lead to unexpected opportunities. We believe that is the case with Dealer Week 2020.
Here are the top 5 reasons you will benefit from participating in Dealer Week this year.
1. Virtual is more affordable for you. You want to connect with dealers in the most effective way possible, and this year Dealer Week’s online event is clearly that path. Let’s do some math: No shipping, no drayage, no airfare, no rental car, no meal expenses, no bar tabs. Why risk missing out for such a low investment? P.S., MRAA Partner Members receive a discount on their exhibit AND companies who supported Dealer Week in 2019 and exhibit with us in 2020 will be able to lock in 2019 booth pricing for Dealer Week 2021!
2. Don’t wait a full year to display your products and services. Dealers had a great summer, with an influx of cash, and are looking to keep the momentum going in 2021. Now is not the time pull back on marketing to them. With your exhibit, you can upload video, provide documents, display products, have demos, and schedule meetings. Get in front of them now, when they are making purchase decisions and looking for partners for a successful new year.

3. Online means more access and more dealers. Just a week after launching the online event, we have already seen dealerships sign up who have never attended or who haven’t traveled to an in-person conference in years. We have invested in a robust event platform that gives you the opportunity to connect with dealers and showcase your product and service solutions to our attendees. Don’t miss out on this opportunity just because it is virtual – embrace it!
4. Show up for the dealers and deliver this event for them.
Your name on the Exhibitor list is meaningful and the investment you make in Dealer Week is much more than just booking a virtual exhibit space – you are supporting the dealer community, endorsing the education and resources that will contribute to their success in the coming year, and making a commitment to help deliver these valuable resources to dealers in a year where the in-person event is not possible.
The MRAA is a non-profit trade association, focused on fostering our shared industry support for dealers. Everything you invest in MRAA or Dealer Week gets re-invested right back into our dealers and our industry. For MRAA, we don’t produce Dealer Week to collect revenue, but our work IS dependent upon your willingness to support us. The annual Dealer Week Conference and Expo drives 70 percent of MRAA’s annual revenue and contributes significantly to our team’s ability to execute our mission all year long. Even though the MRAA is a non-profit, it is a business just like yours. Except we are unique in that without support from our industry — from the businesses and individuals we work so hard to support — we don’t exist. Your commitment to Dealer Week 2020 ensures that MRAA can not only deliver a world-class event this year, but that we can come back with an equally powerful Dealer Week 2021 … and beyond.
We appreciate your support in 2020. And marine retailers appreciate your support. Join us at Dealer Week.
Reserve your exhibit here. Questions? Head to our FAQ section of the website.
Questions? For more information on becoming a sponsor of this event, email Allison Gruhn at allison@mraa.com.