Episode 108: Boat Shows, Customer Retention & the Future of Boating | Alisdair Martin | The Boat Princess Podcast

Welcome back to The Boat Princess Podcast.

This episode was recorded when I caught up with Alisdair Martin, now Head of Industry Relations for Boats Group, at IBEX 2025 in Tampa, Florida. Much has changed for Alisdair since we recorded this interview (his title on Linked In for a start), but the conversation is just as relevant today. Alisdair has built an impressive career in the global boating industry and is President of the Marine Marketing of America Association and Vice President of Strategy and Sales at the NMMA too, but as you'll hear, his start in the United States was a little more daunting than most—making his journey to one of the marine industry's most influential leadership roles all the more inspiring. It's a story that's absolutely worth sharing even if a little after it was recorded, and I think you'll really enjoy it.

Our conversation goes far beyond boating marketing. We explore some of the biggest opportunities and challenges facing the recreational boating industry today, including how we attract new people into boating and, perhaps even more importantly, how we retain them for years to come. We discuss the evolving role of boat shows, changing consumer behaviour, customer retention, boating industry trends, and why great marine marketing is about creating lifelong boaters—not simply making the next sale.

Whether you work in the marine industry, exhibit at boat shows, own a marina, sell boats, market marine products and services, or simply love the boating lifestyle, this episode is packed with insights and practical ideas from one of the industry's leading voices.

So grab a coffee, settle in, and enjoy my conversation with Alisdair Martin from Boats Group, recorded live at IBEX 2025.

Going to IBEX in 2026?

Find out more here: https://www.ibexshow.com/

To find out more about the Marine Marketers of America Association of which Alisdair is the President go here:

https://www.marinemarketersofamerica.org/