Sessions

Keynote Sessions: 
Why Strategic Planning Matters, and How to do it Better

Innovative Tourism leader, Linda Freybler, will share her enthusiasm for strategic planning. The presentation will be focused on the holistic approach to strategy management, exploring the strategy life cycle and the activities essential to successfully achieving desired strategic results. It will open your eyes to how strategic planning will help your business, even in a time of uncertainty, and equip you with some practical tools you can use to  advance your organization's success.

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The Whole You: Keys to Productivity & Resilience

Are you stuck in the weeds from burnout, anxiety, labor shortages, or lack of motivation? Certified Health & Wellness Coach, Deborah Grischke, will explore the Seven Dimensions of Well-Being with you and reveal how little changes at home and in the workplace can effortlessly lead to more productivity and resilience for yourself and those you work with. You will also discover how these changes can contribute to your personal growth and bring out the best version of yourself!

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Breakout Sessions:

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Online Reputation Management—How to generate winning reviews for your business!

  • Online reputation management

  • Winning online reviews are a benefit to any business, but how do you handle negative reviews and complaints?

  • How do negative and positive reviews impact your business reputation?

Speaker: Beth Monicatti, All Seasons Communications

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Gain Customers by Partnering with Your Local CVB

From event-based marketing tools such as high-resolution graphics and photos to assistance with “who to call” for other items, Convention & Visitor Bureaus (CVBs) are sometimes overlooked as resources in your community.   This session will explain some of the resources the CVBs offer, why it’s important to collaborate with your CVB, and several take-aways you can implement for the next event or promotion at your marina!  We will include examples of how CVBs are working with local marinas and boating events around the state.

Speaker: Larisa Draves, MACVB Executive Director, and CVB Panelists

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The Future of the Michigan Clean Marina Program

Having clean, safe water is essential for recreational boating, and there are many environmental challenges facing marina owners today. Our presenters will cover current issues our industry has faced this past year and how we can learn from these for the future. Some issues include program progress, invasive species, pump outs, grant opportunities, and shrink wrap recycling. Existing resources and educational tools will be shared.

Speakers: Mark Breederland, MI Sea Grant, Katie Fourner, MRC, and Brian Kelley, CMP Certification Specialist

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How to Grow as an Emerging Leader

You can spot emerging leaders because they are sought out for their advice and counsel.  Is that you? What are your goals?  What separates you and your contemporaries?  Why do you want to be viewed as an emerging leader?  Do you have what it takes?  Come to an interactive session with Greg Coyne of Gerry Weinberg & Associates-Sandler Training, as he discusses what characteristics makes an emerging leader and how to take your leadership and personal presence to the next level.  You’ll walk away with personal presence techniques and behavioral processes that will make you standout in the crowd.  Become your organization’s next emerging leader today!

Speaker: Greg Coyne, Gerry Weinberg & Associates - Sandler Training

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How Can we Sell with No Inventory? 
You’ve been selling for years.  Prospects walk in the door, and you can customize a boat for them in 4-6 weeks.  Now, you have to tell them that turnaround time is 4-6 months (or longer)!  How can you sell something that isn’t in inventory?  Greg Coyne will give you a proven method to talk to your clients and deal with their issues and anxieties upfront, and still get them to sign on the dotted line.  You’ll walk away with tips and techniques to put yourself and your clients at ease, even without inventory in the warehouse, marina, or manufacturing facility. Want to find out how?  Stop in and see!

Speaker: Greg Coyne, Gerry Weinberg & Associates - Sandler Training

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Top Legal Issues of 2021               

Jim Stewart, MBIA’s Attorney for more than 20 years will review the top legal issues facing marine businesses, including contract language during the supply chain challenges, constantly changing costs, and the selling future production slots. Plus, brush up on the Storage Lien Act and learn how this law can help you dispose of or sell abandoned boats on your property. There will also be time for Q&A, so bring your questions or send them in advance to Amanda at awendecker@mbia.org.

Speaker: Jim Stewart, Kotz Sangster

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Marina Renovation and Retrofit Strategies 
Recent record high water levels on the Great Lakes have caused extensive flood damage to many existing facilities, creating the opportunity to reimagine and reconfigure facilities to respond to the evolving marina market, address changes in electrical and accessibility codes, and prepare for the future.  This session will explore case studies in public and private facilities on Lake Michigan in South Haven and Lexington, Michigan; Geneva and Cape Vincent, New York; and Michigan City, Indiana.  Strategies will address the realities of budgeting, phasing, and implementation in seasonal marinas to reduce or eliminate marina downtime and avoiding breaking the bank.
Speaker: Colin Hassenger, Edgewater Resources

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Award Presentation

Each year the MBIA awards their highest honors during RBEC to deserving leaders in the industry. Stay tuned as recipients are announced for:

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2021 MBIA Hall of Fame Inductees:

  • Jim Adams, Freeway Sports Center - Fenton, Mich.

  • Tim Tadsen, Toledo Beach Marina - La Salle, Mich.

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Ray L. Underwood Lifetime Achievement Award:

  • Ward Walstrom, Jr.

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