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Sailing Industry Conference Applauded as Great Success by Industry Members

Expectations were exceeded at the widely praised inaugural “Growth Through Innovation” conference presented by GE Capital Solutions and Sail America on June 11-12 in Newport, RI. Industry members were enthusiastic about the high-quality presentations, workshops and networking events that focused on achieving business growth in today’s challenging marketplace.

Over 150 sailing industry professionals from throughout the country gathered at the International Yacht Restoration School in Newport, RI, for the conference that featured insights and relevant, take-home advice from leading minds in business and in the sailing industry. Highlights included a keynote presentation and workshops by best-selling business author Dan Coughlin, and speeches by Wachovia Senior Economic Analyst Mark Vitner and US Olympic Sailing Program Chairman Dean M. Brenner.

Keynote speaker Dan Coughlin, management consultant to Fortune 500 companies, provided practical processes and on-target ideas to fuel innovation in the sailing industry. He defined business innovation as "the creation of additional value that customers are willing to pay for at a profitable margin to the business." Coughlin also provided advice on uncovering revenue growth opportunities, finding organizations with comparable definitions to reveal insights for the sailing industry, and staying logical in the midst of the media storm about the economy.

"The sailing industry is in the aspirational product business,” said Coughlin. “People aspire to own a sailboat and even ride on a sailboat. I rode with the owners of a beautiful sailboat yesterday, and they told me that they dreamed about it for five years. Who else is in the aspirational business? Ralph Lauren. What did he do? He democratized aspiration. He made it possible for people at every price point to buy a Ralph Lauren product and feel as though they are moving on up in life. How can the sailing industry democratize aspiration?"

Wachovia Senior Economist and Managing Director Mark Vitner forecast that the economy will narrowly avoid a recession in 2008. While significant risks remain in place, he said he believed the U.S. has already seen the worst of the credit crisis and that Americans will see much more solid gains in 2009.

In his speech, United States Olympic Sailing Program Chairman Dean Brenner discussed the tactics and strategies he employs as president of his communications coaching firm, The Latimer Group, to help his Fortune 500 clients communicate more persuasively.

To explain great organizational communication, Brenner used the metaphor of a three-legged stool – the communication skills of the company leadership; the communication skills of the team members; and the collective team dynamic that both the leadership and the employee base create. If any of the three legs are out of line, organizational communication problems will begin to appear.

He said, “Companies are nothing more than a collection of people. And when the organizational communication skills are in order, the group can easily exceed the sum of their parts. When they are not, problems will arise.”

The conference began June 11 with a Welcome Reception at the Newport Yachting Center that included a special presentation by PUMA Racing Skipper Ken Read about the Volvo Ocean Race sponsored by SAIL Magazine and the Newport International Boat Show. Read noted that PUMA’s involvement in the Volvo Ocean Race would stimulate strong media coverage in the mainstream, non-marine media, a good move for sailing. While the world of the Volvo Ocean Race may seem far removed from the day-to-day life of many industry members, Read said he believes that the breakthrough technologies developed for the Volvo Ocean Race will trickle down to benefit the entire sailing industry.

The day-long conference June 12 concluded with a Gala Dinner at the International Yacht Restoration School and an after-dinner speech by Tom Ehman, America’s Cup veteran and head of External Affairs for BMW Oracle Racing, presented by The Sailing Company, publishers of Cruising World and Sailing World magazines. Ehman put in perspective the current legal controversy surrounding America’s Cup 33, his tenth straight campaign. Echoing Read’s remarks, he also challenged the industry to reach out beyond itself to broaden sailing’s appeal by persuading more high-profile companies to become involved with sailing initiatives.

Thanks to strong participation by the sailing industry, the Industry Conference was a tremendous success. It was also a success thanks to the countless number of individuals who dedicated a lot of hard work towards making this event a reality, including committee members George Day, Brenda Collins, Bentley Collins, Eric Braitmayer, Scot West, Jerry Clark, and Sail America’s Kimberly Tuchon, and all of the quality speakers and hard-working volunteers. I would like to make a special thanks to our title sponsor GE Capital Solutions and presenting sponsors Gill North America, Composites One, Marsh, Yanmar, Blue Water Sailing, SAIL Magazine, The Sailing Company, Harken, and The Moorings. Thanks also to all the other supporting sponsors.


Dan Coughlin presents his keynote speech, “Innovate to Accelerate:
Practical Processes to Propel Business Momentum,”



Bill Goggins outlines future plans for Sail America.