1. Marina Dock Age | December 2015 | 43
EVENT
44th Annual MRA Educational Conference
and Trade Show Announces New Name:
Marine Recreation Association
by James “J” Mills
The message and the mood was
engaging and optimistic at the
2015 44th Annual Marine Recreation
Association Educational Conference
and Trade Show, punctuated by a new
and expanded identity for the association
itself. MRA President, Kevin Ketchum,
kicked off the main conference event
with a formal announcement that
the association has changed its name
from the Marina to the new Marine
Recreation Association.
“The industry and our membership
have evolved beyond the scope of
traditional marina services, and are
engaged in a much broader range of
water-based businesses that encompass
not only marina facilities, but also
boatyard, marine sales and services,
hospitality, resort, and other outdoor
recreation operations. The new name,
Marine Recreation Association, better
reflects our expanded focus and
direction,” Ketchum said.
More than two hundred and twenty
The 44th Annual MRA Educational Conference and Trade Show took place in Santa Barbara, California, from October 26 to 28.
RJ Lorenzi, Yvonne Cantrell, and Kevin
Ketchum were dressed to impress for the 2015
MRA Innovation Awards.
MRA President, Kevin Ketchum presented
the “Darrell McConnell Award” to Yvonne
Cantrell in recognition of her years of
dedication and service to the recreational
boating and marine industry.

2. 44 | Marina Dock Age | December 2015
Lake Norman Carefree Boat Club Wins Award Three
Years in a Row
The Lake Norman Carefree Boat Club was awarded the Customer Service
Excellence Award for the third year in a row at the Carefree Boat Club’s annual
conference in October.
The 2014 Customer Service Excellence Award criteria is awarded to the clubs with
the highest level of member satisfaction and customer service. Along with taking
home the Customer Service Excellence Award, the Lake Norman Carefree Boat
Club also won the 2014 Outstanding Performance Award. As one of more than 40
clubs vying for the awards Lake Norman is quite happy to have received this national
recognition.
The award was accepted by Carefree Boat Club owners, Oana and Marc Graveline
who are both very grateful to have been recognized. “We are happy to have been
recognized as a top performing club while continuing to provide excellent customer
service,” said Oana Graveline. Marc added, “We are truly blessed and thankful
for our awesome staff. Because of their hard work and dedication, our club was
recognized today.”
Doug Zimmerman, president of the Carefree Boat Club Network, said, “We were
very happy to announce that the Carefree Boat Club of Lake Norman has become
our first club location ever to win both our prestigious Customer Excellence Award
and Outstanding Performance Award for two years in a row. We continue to be
impressed with the ongoing dedication that the Lake Norman team puts in to
going above and beyond in serving their customers and implementing best business
practices.”
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industry professionals attended this year’s
conferenceattheFessParker–Doubletree
Resort Hotel in Santa Barbara, from
October 26 to 28. The conference theme,
Mission Possible, focused on enhancing
customer satisfaction, improving marine
operations and regulatory compliance,
and optimizing fiscal results. The three-
day conference included seminars and
roundtable discussions covering more
than twenty key marine management,
operations,and marketing concerns,
with an industry trade show featuring 46
industry vendors representing a myriad of
marine products, services, and expertise.
“It’s really the best marine trade show
and conference in the country,” said
Erik Rulifson, director of technology
with Marina Ware, “and this year’s event
was a real success.”
Next year’s 45th Annual MRA
Educational Conference and Trade
Show is already scheduled for October
24—26, 2016 at the beautiful Hilton La
Jolla Torrey Pines Resort in San Diego,
California.
Rick Smith and Roger Otis in the Marine
Development Incorporated (MDI) booth.
The conference theme, Mission Possible,
included seminars and roundtable
discussions covering management, operation
and marketing issues.
The 2015 ‘MRA Innovation Award’ recipients
were Bellingham Marine, Seaflex Mooring
Systems, Marina Electrical Equipment, and
Wiggins Boatlifts.
Susan Casey, bestselling author of Voices
in the Ocean, flanked by incoming MRA
President, Mark Sanders, and DBW
Commissioner, Randy Short, gave the
conference keynote speech