Boating Industry

April 2014

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www.BoatingIndustry.com April 2014 | Boating Industry | 25 O ne of the best opportunities for the marine industry to affect public policy is coming up next month in Washington, D.C. This year's American Boating Congress will be May 5 -7 at the Liaison Capitol Hill, just a short walk from the Capitol. ABC gives industry stakeholders an opportunity to not only learn about the key policy issues affecting the industry, but also to help shape the debate by meeting face-to-face with elected officials, congressional staff and policymakers. ABC is organized by the National Marine Manufacturers Association and co-hosted by 36 industry organizations, including Boating Industry. "We've made, especially in the last few years, an effort to make it a more inclusive event, so it's not just about manufacturing," said Nicole Vasilaros, NMMA's director of regulatory and legal affairs. "It's really the opportunity for the entire industry to get together with one voice." ABC essentially consists of two parts: a conference to discuss key policy issues facing the industry and visits to Capitol Hill to lobby elected officials and other policymakers on those issues. The final agenda and speaker lineup hasn't been set yet, but attendees can expect sev- eral of the major issues from access to ethanol to be topics of discussion at the conference. Last year's speakers were a mix of elected officials and policy experts, including former Capital matters The boating industry heads to Washington for ABC 2014 Joan Maxwell of Regulator Marine (left) and Kris Carroll of Grady-White (right) after their Hill visit with Rep. Mike McIntyre, R-N.C., at ABC 2013. vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis.; Rear Admiral Dean Lee of the U.S. Coast Guard and Kenneth Walsh, U.S. News & World Report's White House correspondent. While government relations staff at NMMA, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas and other groups and companies lobby on behalf of the industry throughout the year, nothing com- pares to the impact a local business can have. Face-to-face meetings with elected officials or congressional staff help put a local face to industry issues. Simply explaining who you are, how many people you employ and why the issues matter can be a powerful message, said Jeff Gabriel, NMMA's legislative counsel. A large attendance for the Hill visits and con- ference also help show the breadth and depth of the industry. "I think it's lost on people a lot of times that it's really in their best interest to take some time out of the year," Gabriel said. "Having all of the groups together that have to breathe the same air: the manufacturers, the dealers, the boaters them- selves … it's worth being in the nation's capital to show policymakers this unified voice of the boating industry." P22x27-BI14APR-GovtUpdate.indd 25 3/13/14 4:25 PM

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