The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and Dominion Marine Media announced today that the Michigan Boating Industries Association has become the second state marine trade association to sign on to host a Norman-­‐Spencer Marine Retail University event.

The event, scheduled for December 5-­‐6, 2012, will be held at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing, Mich., and will collaborate with the Recreational Boating Education Conference, which MBIA hosts on an annual basis. MRU will be featured as its own educational track, and the MRU will make sponsorship and exhibit opportunities available.

“We’re excited to be partnering with the MRU, and we look forward to opportunities this partnership will create for our members and our association,” says John Ropp, president of MBIA. “This is a great opportunity for us to provide a one-­‐of-­‐a-­‐kind educational track for our attendees, and we’re particularly excited about the market-­‐ specific content that the MRU offers our members.“

This Norman-­‐Spencer Marine Retail University event will feature four targeted educational sessions, an expo hall, and a series of networking sessions, including a welcome reception on December 5th. The educational sessions will feature market-­‐specific sales and dealer-­‐performance data that will offer attendees market insights that can help them make better business decisions. GE Commercial Distribution Finance will provide a session on economic trends and dealer performance; Statistical Surveys will provide detailed insights into sales trends and market performance; and Dominion Marine Media will present best practices and expert advice on how to develop your market in today’s economy. Another educational session will be added soon.

“We are excited to be a part of the MBIA Recreational Boating Educational Conference and to bring a Marine Retail University track to the event in 2012,” says Courtney Chalmers, director of marketing for Dominion Marine Media, “MBIA’s members and dealers from across the state of Michigan will find great value in the customized educational program that the MRU offers.”

“The attendees of this event will walk away with an in-­‐depth understanding of what’s making their market tick and how they can capitalize on it,” says Matt Gruhn, president of the MRAA. “We’re extremely excited to be able to partner with MBIA to create such opportunity for its members because the data and information the MRU provides will set them up for great success as they begin selling their 2013 product lines.”