Start Date: 1/6/2027 12:00 PM EST
End Date: 1/6/2027 1:00 PM EST
Organization Name:
Association of Marina Industries
Contact:
Your Marina Is Already a Hospitality Business
A marina may be a waterfront real estate asset, but customers experience it as a hospitality business. The condition of the property matters, but so do the consistency of the service, the confidence of the team, the communication with customers, and the way each department works together. During this practical, case-based discussion, Jeremy Parks of Trident Marine Group and Grant Johnson of Troon will examine where otherwise strong marina operations commonly lose performance. They will look at communication gaps, unclear accountability, inconsistent service standards, limited staff training, missed ancillary revenue opportunities, and operating structures that have not kept pace with the property. Using examples from marina, club, hospitality, and recreational operations, the discussion will show how owners and managers can distinguish among people, process, systems, and capital issues before deciding where to invest time and money. Jeremy and Grant will also share a marina case study in which stronger operating discipline, improved communication, and better use of existing amenities helped move occupancy from approximately 25% to nearly 60% and materially improved bottom-line performance without a major capital project. Attendees will leave with a Marina Hospitality Operating Scorecard and a practical framework for identifying the priorities that should shape their own 30- and 90-day improvement efforts. The session will also help owners and operators recognize what can reasonably be addressed internally and when the current operating model may require additional expertise, capacity, or support.
Audience Takeaways
- Recognize the operational issues that affect customer retention, team performance, ancillary revenue, and asset value.
- Separate visible symptoms from the underlying people, process, systems, or capital issue.
- Identify practical priorities that can inform their own 30- and 90-day improvement efforts.
- Determine which problems can reasonably be addressed within the current team and structure.
- Recognize the warning signs that additional operating expertise, management capacity, or outside support may be appropriate.
Speakers:
J. Jeremy Parks | Founder and President, Trident Marine Group
Jeremy Parks is a marina and hospitality owner and the founder and president of Trident Marine Group, a marina management and consulting company supporting approximately 16 properties and 4,000 slips. His experience includes marina ownership, daily operations, development, financial oversight, customer experience, and the repositioning of underperforming waterfront properties. Jeremy also owns hotel properties, giving him a firsthand perspective on the operating similarities between marinas and the broader hospitality industry. His approach is grounded in the belief that long-term asset value is created through consistent leadership, strong teams, disciplined systems, and attention to the customer experience.
Grant Johnson | Senior Director, Business Development, Troon
Grant Johnson is Senior Director of Business Development at Troon, where he works with golf clubs, facilities, municipalities, developers, and strategic partners to identify opportunities for stronger operations and long-term growth. His experience gives him a broad perspective on how leadership, service standards, team development, programming, and operating discipline influence customer loyalty and property performance. Through Troon’s strategic alliance with Trident Marine Group, Grant also brings a direct perspective on which operating principles translate effectively to marinas and where the marina business requires a more specialized approach.
