YBAA International Brokers Conference in Baltimore
Since leaving Miami, I have flown back and forth to the Caribbean, up to New England and then drove down the East Coast to spend a few days with the 120 members of the Yacht Broker Association of America this week in Baltimore before landing again in Charlottesville to continue the development of the site. I enjoyed spending 2 days with this group talking bout how they are using the web to connect to their clients. During their Annual International Conference predictably many of the conversations about the business of yacht brokerage were colored by the climate of our down-turned economy. The interesting thing is that for the most part, this group remains positive and understands that there are still great opportunities to have a good year of sales. Good brokers are finding ways to provide value, customer service and opportunity through creativity, outreach, utilizing new tools on the web and good old fashioned hard work. Dawn Speros of The Gowrie Group which provides insurance, gave a great talk where she highlighted that economy aside, people love boating, it’s an emotional connection not found in other aspects of their lives and they will always find a way to incorporate it into their life. It is a true statement.
We know manufacturers are still building new boats, listings are still being posted and boats bought and sold and I can assure you as the temperatures begin to climb, boats are getting geared up to go back in the water. Remember this time last year? We were all talking about how many boats would be tied to the dock because of rising fuel costs. Its always something, but this year we know boaters can take off, leave the stress on land and get back to the activity which bonds us all together. We’re busy building the full yacht.com site for you and its easier knowing there is one common bond and activity we can surely support as a resource to connect you all.
