// INDUSTRY NEWS
dedication , and we thank her for setting us up so successfully for the next phase of growth .
“ We are indeed excited about the future under David ’ s leadership ,” McIntyre continues . “ David will continue Trader ’ s legacy of focusing on the customer , working as one team , driving innovation , acting with integrity and building value .”
McMinn transferred to the CEO role on December 14 after serving as an effective CFO and COO . Before joining Trader Interactive , he served as COO of Trader Corporation , playing a pivotal role in transitioning that company ’ s Autotrader business from a print business to the # 1 digital automotive platform in Canada . His background includes senior leadership roles in sales and operations with the Trader Media Group in the UK , whose Autotrader . co . uk is the largest digital automotive marketplace in Europe . He also served as the CFO of Sensis Classifieds in Australia .
“ Lori has done a phenomenal job with this organization over the last 25 years ,” McMinn says . “ She leaves an awesome legacy , which is a great bunch of people and a cool culture .”
McMinn will allocate resources and oversee the executive team . He shares that his role will also include supporting and facilitating the company ’ s strategy to continue to evolve its core marketplaces , which includes Cycle Trader , by listening to consumer feedback and continuing to evolve .
“ That ’ s always at the forefront of our plan ,” he says . “ And to continue to provide dealers with good value as well as new tools to help them make more money … There are some other great streams of revenue and different customers that we ’ re looking to evolve as well .”
He shares that Trader Interactive strives to empower dealers during the purchasing process . He recognizes that most consumers start the buying process online and younger demographics prefer online shopping over an in-store experience .
The company offers tools and insights to help dealers , including insights from its TraderTraxx platform and market share data from its Statistical Surveys Inc . brand . The company also powers thousands of dealership websites through its Commercial Web Services .
“ Consumers are changing . They expect quick feedback , they expect to do more things online and we ’ ve facilitated that on our site . Now we need to work with dealer partners to bring to life that consumer experience ,” he says .
As online sales continue to grow , he emphasizes that dealers still play a crucial role in the buying process by engaging with customers , optimizing online listings and responding to the questions of potential buyers . He stresses that dealers must embrace the changing market dynamics by offering a more streamlined and efficient buying experience .
“ It ’ s more important than ever that dealers embrace merchandising , getting the price right , making sure an ad has plenty of images , making sure the description is wholesome and answering as many questions as they can for the consumer , so they have no reason to go anywhere else ,” he says .
“ Dealers have a way to fire data from their DMS to our platform and it ’ s a way for them to embellish what is a basic VIN and a basic description and add value to an ad before they push it live onto the internet ,” he continues . “ There are pricing tools that help merchandising and a merchandising score .”
The TraderTraxx platform recently launched its ‘ Buy Now ’ product after working with 150 motorcycle dealers for the last eight months to gain feedback about the product . Consumers can purchase a motorcycle online , trade in their old one and get financed , and ultimately do everything from their living room . Data flows into the TraderTraxx system , making it accessible to dealers , and provides highly qualified leads .
“[ Online shopping ] is becoming more prevalent and we feel like we have a great tool for people to take advantage of . If a dealer wants to buy into that process and be engaged and respond to questions the consumer may have , they ’ re going to ultimately get more qualified leads and sell more units .”
Steady crowds reported for New York , Louisville shows
In partnership with Progressive Insurance , the Discover Boating New York Boat Show and Discover Boating Louisville Boat , RV & Sportshow wrapped on Sunday , January 28 , drawing steady crowds and intent boating and outdoors enthusiasts , with several exhibitors reporting quality traffic , new leads , and sales . The New York Boat Show attracted more than 27,000 attendees , and more than 23,000 cruised into Louisville to visit the annual sportshow .
Dave Schmitt with Buster ’ s Marine and New York exhibitor said , “ It ’ s been a great boat show , beating our 2024 expectations .”
Angelo Costanza with Blue Marlin Boats echoed Schmitt saying , “ We ’ re really happy with the results from this year . It ’ s been a wonderful show .”
Out of Louisville , Jason Timberlake with Still Lake Marine said , “ As always , the show was an amazing experience … Saturday was crazy busy , with great sales ! We ’ ve had a great show and definitely want more space next year .”
Steve Webb with Admirals Anchor Marine said , “ Boat sales exceeded our expectations ; it was a great show for us !”
Activations such as the Discover Boating Beach Club in New York and Discover Boating Lake Life Lounge and Paddle Sports Pool in Louisville helped immerse show-goers of all ages in the boat life and great outdoors as the brand looks to engage the next generation while retaining existing boaters and outdoors enthusiasts .
Boat Finder , which features a new design and layout to drive more shoppers to boat brands and dealers , continues to see increased activity across Discover Boating markets , with New York and Louisville attracting more than 28,000 people , resulting in approximately 690,000 boat card views – a 71 % increase compared to 2023 . Boat shoppers are using Boat Finder across mobile and desktop , helping brands gain additional exposure and attract potential buyers .
Up next , Feb . 14-18 , marks the 2024 Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show , followed by the Discover Boating Atlantic City Boat Show , in partnership with Progressive Insurance , Feb . 28-Mar . 3 .
Hertz Audio names VP of marine division
Elettromedia has announced the appointment of Brian Power as the vice president of its Marine Division , which includes both the Hertz and Audison marine audio brands .
Having most recently served as the Vice President of U . S . Retail Sales for JL AUDIO , Power brings to his new role extensive experience to strengthen the sales and marketing and
12 february 2024 www . boatingindustry . com