BEST IN CLASS : BEST EVENTS
SENECA , IL
Operating with five locations across Illinois , Ohio , Wisconsin and Michigan , events are among the biggest asset Spring Brook Marine Group keeps in its diverse business toolbox to keep the organization top of mind for both current and future customers .
And while events of all types are of the utmost importance to all marine retailers , Spring Brook Marine Group has found its niche in creating small , but extremely powerful , events for current and prospective clients .
“ Pivoting from 2021 , we changed our event marketing to more intimate style events ,” Spring Brook Marine Group marketing manager Kristen Keegan said . “ We have decided we are more successful at small events with the right partners rather than throwing big parties with an open invite .”
Keegan explained that with Spring Brook Marine Group ’ s “ extremely niche customer base ” casting a wide net at events and their corresponding invites doesn ’ t necessarily suit the style of business that the organization operates within .
With this in mind , another big pivot in events for Spring Brook Marine Group in 2022 was to move from less sponsorships to more mutually beneficial partnerships .
Keegan provided the 2022 example of a working partnership with SolJets , where each business traded participation at the other ’ s 2022 events . This offered the opportunity to meet prospects at the events , rather than simply being listed as a sponsor .
The partnership mentality led to a brand-new event in 2022 for Spring Brook Marine Group ,
Wings , Wheels & Waves . A partnership between Spring Brook Marine Group , SolJets Brokerage and Lake Forest Ferrari , the event brought together some of the most qualified potential clients for the dealership ’ s brands .
“ The clientele is absolutely more than qualified to purchase what we have to offer so the goal of the event is networking for our sales team ,” Keegan said . “ We were able to bring the Hermes Speedster as we obviously can ' t bring our larger yachts out of the water for one event , but the networking was second to none .”
With the Chicago Boat Show cancelled , Spring Brook Marine Group turned what could ’ ve been a loss on the year into an internal opportunity to funnel clients into the marina at its Seneca location . “ It was a two-day open house with Prestige Yachts , Jeanneau Power and Barletta Pontoons all on display in our showroom and service center . We had an open bar , light hors d ' oeuvres and luxurious treats including custom logo cookies for all who attended ,” Keegan explained . “ Results were fantastic , as boaters in our neck of the woods were itching to look at boats with all of the cancelled winter boat shows and we were able to capitalize with sales .”
By changing its focus to more luxury , small-scale events , Spring Brook Marine Group was able craft meaningful partnerships across all of its markets and the payoff proof is in the numbers for the business , with consistent leads and customer satisfaction in every experience across the board .
“ Our differentiator is our approach to the marine industry as a whole ,” Keegan said . “ We pride ourselves on being disruptive , different , and not the typical ‘ old school ’ boat dealership . We love boating , we love being on the water , and we believe the value that brings to people ’ s lives . Our sole goal is to grow boating through experiences and we have brought so many new people into boating based on all of these efforts .”
www . boatingindustry . com january 2024
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