By David Gee
nflation , interest rates , inventories , pricing problems , tariffs , lack of consumer confidence , decreased showroom traffic , and a continuing postpandemic disruption are just a few of the challenges facing the recreational boating industry .
As we welcome in a new year , wouldn ’ t it be amazing to have some place to turn to where you could get help and gain new insights and information around those challenges and others ? A place where you could also make valuable network connections and even have some NASCAR-themed fun ?
Well , it turns out there is such a place . It ’ s called the Boating Industry Elevate Summit , and it ’ s happening January 20-22 in downtown Charlotte , N . C . And we ’ d love for you to be there !
Before the programming begins in earnest , we head to the NASCAR Hall of Fame for the Opening Night Welcome Reception . We ’ ll be joined by attendees from our co-located conferences , Powersports Business Accelerate Conference and OPE + Power Forum as we take over the third and fourth floors of the NASCAR Hall of Fame , known as Inside NASCAR and Heritage Speedway .
You can explore NASCAR history while engaging with interactive content , such as the Pit Crew Challenge and NASCAR Racing Simulators . And don ’ t worry , you don ' t need to be a hardcore NASCAR fan to enjoy it . You can eat , drink , play and repeat at your own pace . Sure to be a highoctane way to ignite your conference experience and connect with others from the outdoor recreation space .
Then on Tuesday morning , we ’ ll kick it off with Opening Keynote Speaker Jay Samit . He is the international bestselling author of Disrupt You ! and Future Proofing You and is widely recognized as one of the world ’ s leading experts on disruption and innovation , the future of brick and mortar , e-commerce and on and on . He has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for startups , sold companies to Fortune 500 firms , transformed entire industries , revamped government institutions , and for three decades continued to be at the forefront of global trends .
A former Vice Chairman of Deloitte , Samit helped grow pre-IPO com-
10 december 2024 / january 2025 www . boatingindustry . com