The Blue Ridge Chapter and ACBS International recently co-hosted a regional leadership workshop held at the Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, NC.
Ten ACBS members from 3 different ACBS chapters attended the workshop. The workshop was held the same weekend as the Mid-Atlantic Boat Show also held at the Charlotte Convention Center.
Blue Ridge Chapter display at the Charlotte winter boat show
Dan Gyoerkoe, Executive Director, led discussions on:
- an Overview of ACBS,
- What Does ACBS do for the Chapters,
- Best Practices,
- and Where Do We Go from Here? Regional Cooperation.
The discussions were lively and the ACBS members in attendance seemed to appreciate the opportunity to have a voice in moving the organization forward.
This Geiko Raceboat was directly across the aisle from the Blue Ridge Chapter display at the Charlotte Convention Center.
The vintage boating hobby faces the challenge of eliminating the perception that purchasing a vintage boat is a very big investment.
During dinner Friday night with ACBS members, we had a long conversation about a Pontoon Boat in the boat show that could be purchased for $909 per month for 220 months. Yes, that adds up to $199,980.
The Message . . .
Many ACBS Chapters have a display at indoor boat shows during the off season. This is a great opportunity to educate people about vintage boating. As we educate people on vintage boating, can we start to influence their buying decisions?
In the past, we have been focused on promoting membership with ACBS. We need to find balance in promoting membership with ACBS and promoting the hobby. Many other recreational or sporting organizations primarily promote the activity with the goal of getting more people to participate.
You may share your thoughts with Dan Gyoerkoe, Executive Director at dan@acbs.org.
Reports on this website often demonstrate the “best practices” of what is going on in our ACBS Chapters.
What activities are your chapter members involved in this spring?
How, where, and when are you participating in a regional event?
Who was the last person you told about your pride and joy – your boat?