Sail America Industry Conference

The 10th edition of the Sail America Industry Conference (SAIC) is taking place in Florida for the first time. The three-day event, specifically geared toward sailing industry professionals, will take place at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club in St. Petersburg, FL on April 23-25, 2024. Held annually, SAIC will host speakers in addition to offering interactive roundtables and more. Attendees will learn about new topics and trends and receive industry updates.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER- Marie Rogers, VP, US Sailing

REGISTER HERE!

       Sail America Industry Conference Schedule At A Glance

Tuesday, April 23, 2024         

  • 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm      Regatta- St. Petersburg Yacht Club
  • 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm      Opening Reception-St. Petersburg Yacht Club

Wednesday, April 24, 2024    

  • 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM      Conference Registration
  • 7:30 am – 8:30 am       Breakfast Buffet
  • 8:30 am – 8:45 am       Sail America Welcome, Kevin Carlan, Sail America President
  • 8:45 am – 9:45 am       Keynote Speaker, Diversity and The Future of Sailing, Marie Rogers, VP US Sailing
  • 9:45 am – 10:45 am     Sailing by the Numbers, Peter Houseworth, Director of Client Services, InfoLink Technologies, Inc.
  • 10:45 am – 11:00 am   Refreshment Break
  • 11:00 am – 12:00 pm   Marine Research and Stewardship, why it’s Good for Business”, Dr. Bob Weisburg, USF College of Marine Science
  • 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm    Lunch (Optional Visit USF Research Ship “Weatherbird” at SPYC Pier-Dr. Bob Weissberg)
  • 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm      Building Loyalty with Aftermarket Service- Ed Massey, Massey Yacht Sales, Stanton Murray, Murray Yacht Sales, Mark Ploch, Doyle Ploch Sailmakers, Gerry Douglas (Moderator),
  • 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm      Building a Brand with Owner Events- Patrick Turner, Catalina Yachts, Jeff Johnstone, J Boats, Bill Bolin, S&J Yachts (Moderator)
  • 3:00 pm – 3:15 pm      Refreshment Break
  • 3:15 pm – 4:15 pm      Finding, signing, and keeping loyal non-traditional boat owners as customers, Franck Bauguil, THL Marine, Todd Hess, The SailTime Group, Marie Rogers, US Sailing, Beth Oliver, Offshore Sailing School (Moderator)
  • 4:15 pm – 5:15 pm      Setting New Waypoints: Innovations in the Marine Industry-David Broadbent, ABYC
  • 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm      Reception/Raffle

Thursday, April 25, 2024

  • 7:30 AM – 12:00 PM    Conference Registration
  • 7:30 am – 8:30 am       Breakfast Buffet
  • 8:30 am – 8:45 am      Welcome
  • 8:45 am – 9:45 am       Warrior Sailing: Changing Lives on the Water, Randy Smith and Local Veterans
  • 9:45 am – 10:45 am    Living With and Without Amazon: How Amazon Partnerships Work and How Some Companies Go It Alone, Ted Winston, Spinlock, Austin McCullough, Marine Supply, Jim Andersen, Harken, Cindy Kalow, Superior Charters (Moderator)
  • 11:00 am – 12:00 pm   Back to the Future: Time to Look Again at Game Changing Technology in Battery and Propulsion, Kevin Carlan, Yanmar Marine International
  • 12:00 pm – 12:15 pm  SAIC Wrap-up, Kevin Carlan, Sail America President

*Schedule is subject to change

Hotel Courtesy Room Blocks in St. Petersburg

Limited Rooms Available-Book Now!

Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront-Conference Rate-$209/night- Rate expires 3/8/2024

Hampton Downtown St. Petersburg -Please call to book your reservations: Call:  727-892-9900 or 1-800-HAMPTON (1-800-426-7866) -$299/night-Rate expires 3/23/24.

DID YOU MISS SAIC 2023 in Newport, RI? Look HERE to see what you missed! Hope to see you in St. Petersburg in April!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Title Sponsor

Premium Raffle Sponsor

Custom/Social Sponsor

Platinum Sponsor

Diamond Sponsor

General Sponsor

Official Gear Sponsor