Day 1 Breakout Sessions
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Keynote Follow-up: Activating Purpose-Driven Vision & Heart-Centered Leadership This transformational workshop is designed to equip leaders and teams with the clarity of purpose and authenticity of heart-centered leadership needed to thrive in times of disruption and change. Through guided writing, visualization, and practical leadership activations, participants will uncover their individual and organizational “why,” cultivate presence, and learn how to lead with both conviction and compassion. The session will help attendees craft a purpose-driven vision that fuels resilience and performance, discover how presence, trust, and authentic connection create cultures where people truly thrive, and build sustainable practices that move leadership from outcome-driven to legacy-driven. By the end of the experience, participants will walk away with daily anchors, a blueprint for aligning vision with values, and the tools to foster belonging, engagement, and collective impact. Speaker: Keynote, Mike Lee, Mindshift Labs
Marina Acquisition and Renovation Financial Feasibility Analysis
Sponsored by Simply Marinas
The consolidation of the marina industry continues and construction of new marina facilities becomes more challenging due to environmental regulations, land costs, and riparian rights issues, interest in the acquisition of marina facilities continues to grow. Large organizations often have a team of in-house experts to evaluate market areas, document infrastructure issues and the costs to fix them, evaluate growth potential, and consider how upland areas can be most effectively utilized for associated uses to determine if the purchase price and improvement costs can be covered by existing and increased revenues to create a financially viable addition to their portfolios. For the rest of us, too often we have to rely on our instincts and limited information to make the best decisions we can. This session will use case studies from across the country to provide an overview of techniques and strategies you can use to make more informed decisions. Speaker: Greg Weykamp, Edgewater Resources, LLC
Navigating Risk and Reward in Marina Design — How Owners and Designers Can Manage Uncertainties in Design of their Waterfront
This seminar will discuss the basis of design for marinas, basic risk concepts, and the issues associated with interpretation of codes compared to “guidelines” applicable to the design of marina fixed and floating structures. This is often a grey area for marina owners/developers as each state has different requirements, and reasonable interpretation of the applicable codes and standards requires both sound engineering judgment and a clear understanding of risk by the facility owner/operator.
Two professional engineers will participate and offer perspectives from different U.S. regions — the Northeast and Southeast. Discussion will cover how the design process should include early coordination between knowledgeable design professionals, operators, developers/owners, and contractors to ensure a successful project.
The intent is to help marina owners, operators, and developers to understand the parameters and guidance that engineers utilize, how there is not necessarily only “one right answer”, and how the owner/operator plays an important role in the design process. Speakers: Timothy Mason and Devin Santa, ATM, a Geosyntec Company and RACE Coastal Engineers
The War for Talent: How to Identify, Attract & Keep Great Employees
Finding and keeping great people is one of the biggest challenges facing the marina industry today—but it’s also one of the greatest opportunities. This seminar takes you step by step through a powerful 17-point process for identifying, attracting, and retaining the best talent to fuel your organization’s growth.
From succession planning to leveraging LinkedIn and other digital tools, you’ll learn how to recruit smarter in today’s competitive market. The session will also explore how to grow your own workforce through apprenticeships, internships, and school partnerships, while mastering the art of writing compelling job descriptions that stand out. Along the way, you’ll gain fresh ideas on employee referral programs, interviewing best practices, and crafting competitive compensation packages that include wages, benefits, relocation incentives, and performance bonuses.
Whether you’re hiring your next dockhand or grooming your future general manager, you’ll leave this session with actionable strategies to build a strong, loyal and high-performing team.
Speaker: Neal Harrell, Brooks Marine Group
Smart Marinas: How AI is Transforming Operations and Elevating the Boater Experience
Sponsored by VP Fuels
Artificial Intelligence isn’t just for tech companies—it’s reshaping the marina industry right now. In this dynamic session, you’ll uncover how AI toolscan streamline operations, boost efficiency, and deliver unforgettable boater experiences that keep slip renters coming back. This seminar breaks down complex technology into simple, actionable strategies you can implement immediately. From improving communication and personalizing services to creating a seamless, boater-first culture, you’ll discover how AI can both optimize your business and ignite stronger customer loyalty.
Walk away with a clear roadmap for transforming your marina into a smarter, more efficient, and more engaging destination—one that thrives in today’s digital age while fueling boaters’ passion for the water. Speaker: John Howie, Admiral
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1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Women at the Helm: Leadership Lessons from Industry Trailblazers
Guided by Michelle Alexandrowicz, Engage, the conversation will feature inspiring leaders as they reflect on how they found their voices, built their personal brands, and lifted others along the way. With candor and energy, they’ll answer audience questions, share career-defining stories, and reveal how they’ve navigated challenges to emerge as influential voices in the industry.
Attendees will walk away with practical strategies to strengthen their executive presence while staying authentic, resilient, and true to themselves. This isn’t just a panel—it’s a call to action for women to step into their leadership and make waves. Moderator Michelle Aexandrowicz, Engage; Panelists; Laura Gilham, Suntex Marinas; Carolina Corral; Safe Harbor Marinas; Lori Wheeler, MIASF; and Margaret Boshek, Kimley-Horn
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1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Marketing Essentials for a Digitally Healthy Marina
Busted dock pilings, shoreside trash, and that submerged derelict that’s been offshore since 1994 — these are generally not the pieces that make a marina attractive. An outdated web presence with inaccurate information and broken links gives the same impression.
How your marina looks online influences how potential customers decide where they’ll spend time with their boat.
In this breakout session, we’ll discuss the core pieces that provide a good digital foundation — an “attractive” digital foundation. These are achievable baseline marketing strategies like review funnels, sound search engine optimization (SEO), and a strong website that vibrantly represents the tone and personality of your waterfront business.
We’ll discuss how you can access the strengths of your marina’s regional history, geography, community, and unique services that will help you stand out at the top of Google search results. Every marina has a digital face that shows its unique draws. Show boaters that you care about yours! Speaker: Sam Claitor, Hammer and Nail Marketing
Wave Attenuation Strategies — How to Protect Your Marina from Mother Nature!
Sponsored by Marinetek
Among the biggest risks to any marina facility is damage to the docks or vessels from waves. Almost as bad is allowing your marina to earn a reputation for being uncomfortable or even unsafe due to a poor wave climate. The cost of wave attenuation is often one of the most expensive items in the budget. But not addressing it can lead to higher maintenance costs and lower lifespans for dock systems and utilities. This session will help marina owners learn how to establish an effective wave attenuation system from initial design, marina layout, and site selection, to determining whether a fixed or floating solution is required. We will review a series of case studies that utilize a wide variety of attenuation systems and outline the environmental conditions that influenced the design — with cases ranging from small inland marinas to one of the largest floating wave attenuators anywhere. Speaker: Alejandra Lira-Pantoja, Edgewater Resources, LLC
Safety as Strategy: A 12-Month Plan to Transform Culture, Cut Costs, and Drive Revenue Sponsored by MarineMax
What if safety wasn’t just about compliance but one of the smartest business strategies you could put into action? This high-energy session introduces a 12-month Safety Culture & Training Plan that redefines safety as more than training — it becomes a profit center, a reputation builder, and a culture shift that drives long-term success.
Over the course of a year, this plan takes safety from a checklist to a company-wide value, ensuring every team member takes ownership, while leadership sets the tone through visibility and accountability. The program emphasizes how smart safety practices directly impact the bottom line by lowering incident costs, reducing insurance premiums, and building customer confidence. It also demonstrates how safety can create entirely new revenue opportunities, from fee-based CPR and First Aid classes to boater certification programs that position marinas as both safer and more professional in the eyes of their clients.
Each quarter brings a new focus — building awareness and ownership, strengthening technical skills, developing leadership accountability, and showcasing measurable results. By the end of the year, the plan delivers a complete culture transformation supported by hard data, including improved incident rates, higher compliance, stronger customer trust, and financial savings. Leaders walk away with a proven blueprint that protects their teams, inspires their staff, and elevates their brand. Safety is no longer just the right thing to do — it’s the smartest business move you’ll make.
Speakers: Tom Delotto, CMM, CRMP, CMSM; and Logan Moore, CMM, Suntex Marinas
From Waves to Words: How AI is Transforming Marina Communications
AI is transforming how marinas interact with their customers—making communications faster, smarter, and more effective. Join us to explore cutting edge applications of AI in marina communications, see examples from marinas already innovating in the field, and leave with strategies to elevate your own customer connections. Speakers: Dan Nelson and Brent Wierson, Molo|Storable
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3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Could Your Company Have Landed a Man on the Moon? A Study of Mission Command and its Role in Business.
Using the question in the title and the 12 minutes prior to Apollo 11’s moon landing as a light central thread, the talk examines mission command as a style of business management. It uses examples from its adoption by German forces in World War II as Auftragstaktik, examples from personal experiences in the Balkans, and examples of its role in modern aviation cockpit crew management and maritime search and rescue. The session concludes with discussion of the advantages of this management style for a modern, dispersed marine business. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of the principles of the mission control approach and how it could lessen "decision drag" and reduce management stress — all the while creating a more agile organization and rewarding workplace and promoting better staff retention. It's a light touch, offering heavy talk backed with clear examples. People will leave asking themselves the question, “Could my company have landed on the moon? Speaker: Darren Carey, IGY
Breaking Down the Buzz: Understanding Today’s Drystack Delivery Systems. Compare Today’s Leading Drystack Systems and What Sets Them Apart. Sponsored by Colliers
This interactive panel will provide a comprehensive look at the evolving world of marina lift systems and automation. Beginning with an overview of the various types of lifts and how they differ from traditional forklift systems, the discussion will highlight the unique functionality and applications of each solution.
Each of the three panelists will share data-driven insights, case studies, and real-world client experiences to illustrate how lifts and automation are being applied in today’s marinas. The session will explore where automation works best, where it may fall short, and the potential benefits and opportunities it creates for marina operations.
Attendees will gain a practical understanding of current trends, future directions in lift technology, and how these innovations can support efficiency, safety, and customer experience. The session concludes with dedicated time for Q&A, giving participants the chance to engage directly with the experts.
Speakers: Oscar Siches, Marina Industry Consultant – Moderator, Panelists: David Brown, Marina Partners and ASAR and Andres Capria, Capria Stacker Machinery
Smart Upgrades for Resilient Marinas: Assess, Adapt, Afford
Climate-related hazards are becoming increasingly costly and intense. In 2024, the U.S. experienced 27 separate weather and climate disasters, totaling approximately $182.7 billion in damages. These events — including storm surges, wildfires, droughts, extreme heat, flooding, tornadoes, and tropical cyclones — not only are growing more frequent, but are more severe. Many of these hazards directly impact marinas and waterfront infrastructure. Research shows that every $1 invested in disaster mitigation can save between $4 and $6 in recovery costs. This presentation explores how marina managers can assess site-specific risks, plan for resilience, and manage the financial realities of upgrading infrastructure in a rapidly changing climate. Speaker: Margaret Boshek, Kimley-Horn
The Next Set of Hands: Building Teams for the Future Michelle Alexandrowicz, Engage Sponsored by TigerDocks
This session opens a timely conversation about the generational hand off happening across the marina industry. Many experienced managers are carrying the weight of operations with no clear path to pass on their knowledge. At the same time, a new generation of workers is beginning to find its place in hands-on, technical environments. Through the lens of career development and team dynamics, we’ll explore what it takes to create strong teams, grow talent from within, and begin the slow, necessary work of preparing for the future. Whether you have a large team or limited resources, this session offers space to consider how we keep the work going—and who’s ready to step in next. Speaker: Michelle Alexandrowicz, Engage
Driving Marina Success with AI and Microsoft
Technology is reshaping the future of marinas, brokerages and marine businesses. Those ready to embrace AI and digital innovation will lead the way.
In this session, Jamaine Campbell, Founder and CEO of Elite Dynamics, will explore how marinas and marine operators can harness the power of AI and the wider Microsoft ecosystem to drive operational efficiency, improve customer experiences, and unlock new revenue opportunities.
Drawing on real-world insights from across the leisure marine sector, Jamaine will highlight practical, actionable ways businesses can begin their AI journey today and stay ahead in a fast-evolving market. Speaker: Jamaine Campbell, Elite Dynamics
