Boats Group TEAMS UP WITH NMMA TO KICK OFF PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE MIAMI INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW Major online innovation through new .yachts and .boats domains to be addressed by Boats Group President Ian Atkins

by | Feb 6, 2015 | Boats Group, News

Norfolk, VA – (February 06, 2015) – Boats Group (Boats Group), a division of Dominion Enterprises, will join forces with the NMMA to kick off the 2015 Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show at its annual industry breakfast on Thursday, February 12. In addition to the prestigious NMMA Innovation Awards and Neptune Awards presentations, the event will include an exclusive review of the recreational boating industry by NMMA President Thom Dammrich.

 

Dammrich’s “State of the Industry” presentation is always a key feature in advance of the show. He gives an in-depth review of the market, setting the scene for the year ahead and providing essential insights for industry attendees. This year’s presentation will again 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 President Ian Atkins will also speak at the event, outlining Boats Group’s plans to support the industry through one of the biggest changes the internet has seen — launching two new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) – .boats and .yachts. In the coming years, domain endings will increase from 22 generic terms such as .com and .gov to in excess of 1,300. Boats Group will play an integral role in making the internet safer and more efficient, while also streamlining the internet user’s online experience. As Boats Group launches .boats and .yachts in 2015, the NMMA and other leading marine organizations will be avidly watching the impact these new top-level domains have on the industry.

 

Also presenting at the breakfast, Frank Peterson, president and CEO of the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation, will share new research into the Hispanic audience’s attitudes, 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 at the show, 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 leading the way in addressing this with the launch of .yachts and .boats. 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 (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.