Where the industry comes for clarity and connection – and leaves stronger
By David Gee
The boating business doesn’ t need more noise. It needs more clarity. That was the quiet theme running underneath the Boating Industry Elevate Summit at the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Disney Springs resort- a leadership gathering designed more like a strategic reset.
Elevate isn’ t built just for speakers and breakout sessions. It’ s also built for the conversations that happen in hallways, over coffee, or on the ride to the airport- only here, they happen on purpose.
By the time the final sessions wrapped, the takeaways felt less like a list of trends and more like a collective exhale: the market is evolving, the customer is changing, and the industry’ s advantage will come from decision-making ― faster, sharper, and more disciplined.
If you wanted a single image that captured the spirit of the week, it wasn’ t a particularly poignant PowerPoint slide or pithy line from an industry professional. It was simply the sight of leaders leaning in: dealers trading operational lessons and suppliers pressure-testing what’ s actually working in the field.
The agenda pushed toward practical realities: consumer confidence, inventory strategy, service performance, staffing and culture, and the ongoing need to build trust with buyers who have more choices – and less patience – than ever.
That practicality is one of the things that makes Elevate stand out. The event doesn’ t pretend uncertainty or challenges don’ t exist. It acknowledges it, then hands the room better tools.
Entertaining economist( usually an oxymoron, I know) Dr. Elliot Eisenberg kicked things off as the opening keynote with his forecast for 2026 – and beyond. He’ s generally an optimistic economist, and he did outline some bright spots. However, he also found some data points that don’ t bode well for purchasers of discretionary recreational products such as boats.
6 february 2026 www. boatingindustry. com