Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/173871
INDIVIDUALS IN ASSOCIATION a boost to the many small marine businesses throughout the coastal state. "It's difficult to sell this concept without somebody saying, 'That's just a tax break for the rich,'" she said. "It took a lot of relationship development to get over that obstacle, a lot of marina workers calling their elected officials and saying when that larger boat pulls into this marina they spend approximately 10 percent of their vessel value on repair and maintenance, which means I have a job." JOHN THORBURN Vice President of communications and marketing Northwest Marine Trade Association Depending on the show and whom you ask, boat shows are either the best profit center of the year or a fading sign from a passing era. Ask John Thorburn, the so-called front-of-the-house guy for the Seattle Boat Show, and he'll tell you a show's success is about keeping it fresh by engaging new, diverse groups of people. Through his position at the Northwest Marine Trade Association, which organizes the annual Seattle Boat Show, Thorburn has added wine tasting event called Uncorked, a craft beer sampling night called Sails and Ales and a Cirque du Soleil-style acrobatic events, among many others, to maintain the relevance of one of the country's largest boat shows. "My primary focus is to get people into the building when it comes to the boat show, drive attendance, get the media talking about us [and] get the brand out there," he said. "I'm the communications arm for the association. That involves the website, newsletter [and] the last 4 or 5 years we've really taken a big leap into social media." Instead of just a place to sell boats, he views the 10-day show as a celebration of boating that should excite attendees of all ages, including demographics that may be entirely new to the marine lifestyle. "It's become increasingly easy for people to buy whatever they need on their iPad sitting on their couch at home," he said. "We need to find a reason for them to come and tour 32 | Boating Industry | October 2013 P30x32-BI13OCT-Associations.indd 32 the show, touch the boats, climb on them, immerse themselves in boating for those days and really catch on to that passion." MELISSA DANKO Executive Director Marine Trades Association of New Jersey Raising the profile of a once-sleepy association doesn't happen without countless hours of behind-the-scenes effort. With 12 years as executive director of the Marine Trades Association of New Jersey, Melissa Danko has waged countless legislative battles, increased focus and communication and built the MTANJ into a visible force with increased firepower. Then Hurricane Sandy made landfall on Oct. 29, eviscerating beaches, boardwalks, buildings and docks along its swath. Danko and her staff immediately leapt to action. Two days later, she was on the phone in her garage with the U.S. Small Business Administration and FEMA urgently trying to get information for her members. To this day, much of her time is spent aiding relief efforts, trying to funnel support to small businesses and encouraging dredging and clearing of waterways. "There were personal issues and professional issues on all different levels," Danko said. "And [it's] upsetting because we love it here, we love New Jersey and we love the shore — I live at the shore, and it's been a hard, long road." Beyond that critical work, Danko and the group share numerous significant victories, including an effort to extend public access to marinas as a condition of their state permits. After six years, MTANJ prevailed. Other efforts include developing a conference for industry and government leaders, creating an online presence for MTANJ, hiring consultants to follow more legislation, conducting an economic impact study and creating the I BOAT NJ program to assist marinas with environmental compliance issues. "I've spent so much time trying to demonstrate how important our industry is, how precious it is, how fragile it is and how much of an economic contributor it is," she said. WENDY MACKIE CEO Rhode Island Marine Trade Association A rising leader in the Ocean State, Wendy Mackie has significantly increased membership numbers and used her enthusiasm and spirit to increase the effectiveness of the Rhode Island Marine Trade Association. Mackie was formerly a very active committee member focused on educational training, but became the organization's CEO this past August. She has used her new position to further efforts to fund worker-training grants and showcase the appeal of marine industry employment to young people in the state. "I love being able to tell young people that people enjoy their jobs in this industry," she said, speaking about an upcoming ad promoting the working lifestyle in the marine business. "They're outside, they're talking with people, they're working hard, but they like to be there, project-based work, they like to be in the air, and you see kids' faces light up." Beyond growing membership ranks, Mackie also focused on making the association meetings more enjoyable, encouraging greater participation and attendance. Meetings in cool places, cocktail networking and better speakers have dramatically increased meeting attendance. "We engaged … our committee members to bulk up our events to make them more exciting and flow better, more socialization and increased networking opportunities, having a cocktail with the industry," she said. "I mean, who doesn't want to have a cocktail with anybody in the marine industry?" Her fun-based approach has shown results. Membership increased by 60 within the past year, 38 incumbent workers received training within the last year and the most recent meeting attracted 75 of its 270 members, a sizable increase over previous years. "I'll tell you, what I like best is driving into the parking lot at Bristol Marine where my office is located, and as I'm walking from my car to my door there are 12 smiling faces saying hello to me," Mackie said. "That's what drew me to this industry to begin with." www.BoatingIndustry.com 9/5/13 11:44 AM