Norfolk, VA – (February 9, 2015) – Boats Group (Boats Group), a division of Dominion Enterprises, will join forces with the NMMA to kick-off the Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show at its annual industry breakfast event on Thursday, February 12, 2015. The event will include an exclusive review of the recreational boating industry from NMMA president Thom Dammrich, as well as the prestigious NMMA Innovation Awards and Neptune Awards presentations.
Thom Dammrich’s “State of the Industry” presentation is always a key feature in the lead-up to the show, giving an in-depth review of the market, setting the scene for the year ahead and providing essential insights for attendees from across the industry. The presentation will be based on the NMMA’s detailed analysis and industry figures.
Dammrich said: “NMMA’s Industry Breakfast at the Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show is an opportunity to join together and kick-off one of the most important events in our industry. We’re delighted to have Boats Group on board to support the event and provide helpful insight into digital developments for our industry and beyond.”
Boats Group’s president Ian Atkins will also present at the event, where he will outline Boats Group’s plans to support the industry through one of the biggest changes the internet has ever seen, launching two new generic top level domains (gTLDs) – .boats and .yachts. Over the coming years domain endings will grow from 22 generic terms such as .com and .gov to in excess of 1,300. This will lead to the internet being safer and more efficient, as well as streamlining the internet user’s experience online – with Boats Group playing an integral role in this development. As Boats Group launches .boats and .yachts in 2015, marine organizations will be interested in seeing the impact these new top level domains have on the industry.
Also presenting at the breakfast, Frank Peterson, President & CEO of the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation, will share new research into the Hispanic audience’s attitude, awareness and behaviors around boating and boat ownership, unlocking key insights on this increasingly influential market.
Ian Atkins, president of Boats Group, commented: “We are proud to support the NMMA in hosting this event, especially as we are so well-aligned with its key goal of sharing information and insights that will help the industry drive boat sales globally. It will be great to recognize the achievements of the award winners who will be announced on the day, and I’m also looking forward to sharing news of Boats Group’s continued online innovation to support the marine industry.
“Vying for domain name space has become increasingly difficult at a cost-effective level for businesses, and we are helping to lead the way in addressing this with the launch of .yachts and .boats to support our mission to drive boat sales globally. Just some of the benefits of registering a .yachts or .boats domain include safeguarding your brand name, benefiting from increased online visibility through better SEO, helping consumers search for businesses that don’t currently have an obvious domain name, and securing a site for a specific region. Consumers see more value and trust a site that is clearly relevant to their search.”
Boats Group’s sponsorship of the NMMA’s Industry Breakfast emphasizes its support of marine retailers by driving online engagement and sales around boat shows. With 71% of visitors searching Boats Group’s sites before attending a boat show and nearly 20% contacting a dealer or broker after the event, the group is perfectly placed to support boat show organizers with data, insight and support that will enhance value for consumers and exhibitors alike.
About Boats Group
Boats Group (Boats Group) is the leading partner of the recreational marine industry, offering comprehensive digital business solutions including the world’s largest marine web portals: Boat Trader, YachtWorld, boats.com and Cosas de Barcos. In 2013, more than 52 million unique visitors spent time researching products on Boats Group web and mobile sites, apps and social media outlets. Boats Group’s global reach includes 23 localized web portals which are translated into 13 languages. With offices in North America (Norfolk, Virginia; Seattle, Washington; and Vancouver, British Columbia), as well as in Europe (United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and Italy), and customers in 106 countries, Boats Group is a global organization that strives to bring the boating industry to the forefront of the digital world.
Boats Group is a division of Dominion Enterprises, a leading marketing services and publishing company that provides businesses with a comprehensive suite of technology-based marketing and business solutions including dealer management software, online advertising, lead generation, CRM, website design and hosting and data management services.
