MDCE Attendance, Exhibitors UP

More than 1,100 boat dealership owners and managers converged on the Orange County Convention Center for the 2015 MDCE.

According to organizers the 2015 Marine Dealer Conference and Expo (MDCE), featured more than 4 percent growth in retail attendance, a 21-percent jump in Pre-Conference Workshop registrations, and a sold-out Expo Hall with more than 100 exhibitors.

Held in November at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, the conference is one of North America’s largest trade events for the recreational boating industry, attracting dealership representatives from across Canada, the United States and Mexico. Attendance for the 2015 event was announced at 1,147 delegates, representing 238 dealerships which collectively account for 875 separate locations and employ more than 30,000 people.

Co-produced by Boating Industry magazine and the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA), the on-site MDCE trade show featured exhibits by more than 100 organizations representing almost every sector of the pleasure boating industry, filling more than 40,000 square-feet of exhibit space.

“We introduced several new offerings for 2015 to increase the value of the event for all who participated,” said Liz Walz, vice president of MRAA. “The numbers and the feedback we received during the show suggest that both dealers and exhibitors felt the positive impact of those changes.”

“The enhanced level of engagement of our attendees with each other, our experts and our exhibitors was particularly noteworthy,” said Jonathan Sweet, editor-in-chief of Boating Industry magazine.

The 2016 MDCE will be held from December 5 to 8 inclusive at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.