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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF David Gee | dgee @ epgacceleration. com
MANAGING EDITOR Krystina Skibo | kskibo @ epgacceleration. com
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ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Roberto Almenar | ralmenar @ epgacceleration. com | 763.383.4494
Show Up, Speak Up and Level Up
There are moments when an industry gets to decide whether it wants to manage the present or shape the future. This is one of those moments.
For too many in the recreational boating industry,“ business as usual” has become a comfortable disguise for hesitation. A way to keep moving without really moving forward. And in a market like this one, that is a risky place to be.
Dealers face a customer who is more cautious, more comparison-driven and far more conditioned by speed, convenience and digital expectations than the customer of even a few years ago.
Manufacturers are navigating cost pressures, tariffs, inventory realities and a consumer climate that still feels uneven at best. None of that is imaginary. None of it is minor. And none of it will be solved by waiting for things to“ normalize.”
That is why the upcoming American Boating Congress matters more than ever. Set for May 4 – 6 in Washington, D. C., ABC is the premier advocacy event that unites all segments of the recreational boating industry. With critical decisions on the horizon affecting manufacturing, trade, sustainability, and boating access, there has never been a more important time to step up and get involved.
However, advocacy is only one part of the equation. Another critical piece is innovation, and not the kind we admire from a safe distance. We need the kind that forces us to rethink how we sell, market, train, lead and serve. The kind that makes some people uncomfortable before it makes them better. Which brings us to AI. For some in this industry, artificial intelligence still sounds overhyped, impersonal or vaguely threatening. Fair enough. Boating has always been, at its core, a relationship business. It is built on trust, experience, craftsmanship and people.
That is exactly why AI deserves a more serious conversation. Not because it replaces human judgment, but because it can sharpen it. Not because it removes the human touch, but because it can free up more time for the human work that matters most. That is not a threat. Used wisely, it is leverage.
Curious to learn more? Check out April’ s Boating Industry Insider podcast with serial boat building entrepreneur Mark Overbye, CEO of Anthem Marine. Overbye has built, launched and led across multiple ventures, and he has never seemed especially interested in protecting stale assumptions just because they are familiar. That kind of mindset matters right now. He has also developed a new sales and marketing app for boat dealers, using AI of course. Be sure to listen. The marine business has never rewarded complacency for very long. So as ABC approaches and the selling season accelerates, this feels like the challenge in front of all of us: speak up, show up, think sharper and get more intentional about the future you want to build.
Because the next chapter won’ t belong to the most comfortable players. It will belong to those most ready to embrace the challenge of change.
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4 April 2026 www. boatingindustry. com