The biennial Sail America Industry Conference (SAIC) wrapped up a productive two days in Milwaukee last week, leaving over one hundred attendees excited about the industry and engaged with each other. “With sailing, learning, brainstorming, and laughing, what was the best part of the Sail America Industry Conference?” asked Jim Abel, Regional Vice President, West Marine and Sail America President. The answer was a resounding, “The people.” Attendees hailed from Washington to Tennessee to Newport to Los Angeles with nearly a third attending for their first time.

“This conference was full of useful ideas, and actionable content. I encourage anyone involved in the sailing industry to plan on attending in 2019,” Laurent Fabre, President of Beneteau America. According to Katie Kelly, Association Manager of Sail America (and a member of the Lighthouse staff), the biennial Sail America Industry conference will next be presented in 2019, with dates and location to be announced by early 2018.

Sail America has been a client of Lighthouse Consulting Group for over five years.  Sail America is the trade association for the US sailing industry, providing leadership and a unified voice. Established in 1990 by members of the sailing industry, Sail America now has over 200 members representing all segments of the sailing market. For more information, visit SailAmerica.com