The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) are currently on its fourth annual installment of its mobile marketing tour. Spanning 210 days and 35,000 miles from March through October, the first of the Discover Boating & Take Me Fishing Tour's 14 stops started in Florida and wil be in Arkansas this weekend. The tour is financed by NMMA, RBFF and industry sponsors (not with Grow Boating dollars) to promote boating and fishing to consumers throughout the country.
"The idea behind the tour is to bring boating to people who may not otherwise be privy to actual on-the-water experiences," says Amy Murray, NMMA event marketing director. "We've created an environment on land that provides a glimpse into the fun of being out on the water on a boat and getting people excited about the possibility of life with a boat."
The 2006 Discover Boating & Take Me Fishing Tour features a 34-foot trailer with approximately 6,000 square feet of display space, in addition to an outdoor showroom displaying the latest boats and marine accessories. Brand new to the mobile tour this year is the Hydro Thunder simulator. This arcade-style attraction boards riders into futuristic speed boats that race across the water to the finish line, and lets friends and family members challenge each other to simulated racing competitions.
Returning attractions include the Fishing Simulator, where attendees can try to catch "virtual" white marlin, large mouth bass and other fresh and salt water fish, and an expanded Mini Boat Show, with anywhere from 10 to 12 boats on display at each tour stop. Another popular tour feature making a comeback this year is the Next Steps Display, which offers tour visitors information on the affordability and accessibility of boating and fishing, as well as how and where to get started boating locally this summer. Visitors can also enter a sweepstakes to win $10,000 toward the purchase of a new boat at one of 23 local boat shows sponsored by the NMMA.
NMMA is the leading association representing the recreational boating industry. NMMA member companies produce more than 80 percent of the boats, engines, trailers, accessories and gear used by boaters and anglers in the United States. The association is dedicated to industry growth through programs in public policy, market research and data, product quality assurance and marketing communications.
RBFF is a nonprofit organization established in 1998 to increase participation in recreational angling and boating, thereby increasing public awareness and appreciation of the need for protecting, conserving and restoring America's aquatic natural resources.
For more information on Discover Boating and a complete 2006 tour schedule, visit DiscoverBoating.com or TakeMeFishing.org, or contact Amy Murray at (312) 946-6291; amurray@nmma.org.
Remaining stops on the tour include:
Little Rock Riverfest-Little Rock, AR, May 26-28
Strawberry Festival-Troy, OH, June 3-4
Riverbend Festival-Chattanooga, TN, June 9-17
BBQ Battle-Washington, DC, June 24-25
St. Joes Venetian Festival-St. Joseph, MI, July 13-16
Columbus Jazz & Ribfest-Columbus, OH, July 21-23
Oswego Harbor Fest-Oswego, NY, July 27-30
Wisconsin State Fair-Milwaukee, WI, August 3-13
Minnesota State Fair-Minneapolis, MN, August 24-September 4
The Big E, Springfield-MA, September 15-October 1
Georgia National Fair-Perry, GA, October 6-16
University of Tennessee Football Game-Knoxville, TN, October 21
