American Boating Congress Connects Boating Industry Leaders with Congress for Face-to-Face Dialogue in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, D. C., May 11, 2015 –More than 250 business leaders from across all sectors of the U.S. recreational boating industry are gathering on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. today to kick off the annual American Boating Congress (ABC), a three day advocacy event.

With the unofficial start to boating season just under a month away on Memorial Day weekend, ABC gives members of the U.S. recreational boating industry a timely platform to meet with legislators and other decision makers on Capitol Hill, hear from prominent economic and political speakers all while meeting with colleagues from around the country.

Segments of the industry attending ABC include boat, engine and marine accessory manufacturers, boat dealers, distributors and retailers, marine lenders and banks, members of the fishing industry, marinas, trade organizations, government groups, publishers from marine industry media, and boat owners.

Recreational boating is no small contributor to the U.S. economy. During the three-day event industry stakeholders will communicate on Capitol Hill the significance of our industry’s $121 billion annual direct, indirect and induced economic impact in addition to the priority issues facing recreational boating. Recreational boating supports more than 650,000 direct and indirect jobs and nearly 35,000 businesses nationwide. In fact, with summer upon us, an estimated 87 million Americans are expected to take to the water in the U.S.. What’s more, 72% of boat owners earn a household income of less than $100,000, making recreational boating a decidedly middle class activity.

“Whether it’s that boating is a uniquely American manufacturing industry with 95 percent of boats sold in the U.S., made in the U.S. or the sheer number of jobs and small busineses supported by boating, we have an important story to tell,” notes Thom Dammrich, president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). “Sharing our story on Capitol Hill during ABC is a critical element of our industry’s advocacy efforts and will go a long way toward an accurate understanding of the middle-class Americans creating a positive impact across the country.”

While meeting with policy makers, ABC attendees will also address some of the more pressing issues facing boaters and the U.S. boating industry including the Renewable Fuel Standard and E15, corporate tax reform and its affect on small businesses, aquatic invasive species and how the industry is responding, as well as many other legislative and regulatory concerns. A total of twelve concurrent issues workshops will be held during this year’s conference, each covering a different priority area affecting a specific industry segment.

Prominent speakers addressing areas of interest for the U.S. recreational boating industry include a keynote address from David Gregory, former NBC Meet the Press moderator as well as: Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1), Congressman Curt Clawson (FL-19), Mayor Tomas Regalado, City of Miami, Rear Admiral Paul Thomas, U. S. Coast Guard and Eileen Sobek, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

ABC would not be possible without generous support from sponsors:

President's Level

Yamaha, Yamaha Watercraft, Brunswick, Mercury

Captain's Level

Tracker Marine, SeaStar Solutions, BRP, Evinrude, Indmar

First Mate's Level

MasterCraft, Volvo Penta, ILMOR, Florida Yacht Brokers Association, Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, Center for Coastal Conservation, Avala Marketing

Purser's Level

SeaTow, Marine Concepts, Caterpillar, BoatUS, Raven Offshore Yacht Shipping, ARI Network Solutions, Inc., Dometic, Water Sports Industry Association, Beneteau Group, Chaparral, NASBLA, American Sportfishing Association, US Superyacht Association, Syntec Industries

This year's co-hosts are an integral part of planning ABC, contributing time to program development and encouraging their members to attend and participate.

American Sportfishing Association ♦ Association of Marina Industries ♦ Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association ♦ BoatU.S. ♦ Boating Industry ♦ Boating Trades Association of Metropolitan Houston ♦ Center for Coastal Conservation ♦ Connecticut Marine Trades Association ♦ Florida Yacht Brokers Association ♦ Lake Erie Marine Trades Association ♦ Marina Dock Age ♦ Marina Recreation Association ♦ Marine Retailers Association of the Americas ♦ Marine Trades Association of New Jersey ♦ Megayacht News ♦ Michigan Boating Industries Association ♦ National Boating Federation ♦ National Marine Distributors Association ♦ National Marine Lenders Association ♦ National Marine Manufacturers Association ♦ National Marine Manufacturers Association South Carolina ♦ National Safe Boating Council ♦ National Yacht Broker Certification Program ♦ Northwest Marine Trade Association ♦ Professional BoatBuilder ♦ Rhode Island Marine Trades Association ♦ Sail America ♦ Sea Scouts - Boy Scouts ♦ Soundings Trade Only ♦ States Organization for Boating Access ♦ U.S Superyacht Association ♦ Water Sports Industry Association ♦ Wisconsin Marine Association ♦ Yacht Brokers Association of America ♦ Yachtcloser

For more information on ABC, contact Lauren Dunn at ldunn@nmma.org or 202-737-9752 or visit http://www.nmma.org/abc.