Marina & Boatyard Conference concludes with “No Excuses” Keynote and Inaugural Women’s Leadership Breakfast

Feb 6, 2024

The Association of Marina Industries (AMI) Conference & Expo, scheduled for January 30- February 1, 2024, at the Broward County Convention Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL, kicked off its last day with an Inaugural Women’s Leadership Breakfast, sponsored by Sea Land Insurance. The breakfast was followed by keynote speaker, David Atkins, who presented “No Excuses” – Breakthrough Fear and Adversity to Play a Bigger Game in Life, sponsored by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation. The day began at 7:30 a.m. with the leadership breakfast, then the keynote session at 9:00 a.m.

The Women’s Leadership Breakfast, moderated by Gail Alofsin, president of Leadership at All Levels, hosted a panel of women leaders sharing life lessons and inspirational stories as they advanced through their careers both within and outside of the marine industry. The panel members were: Katheryn Burchett, executive vice president of Western Operations, Safe Harbor Marinas; Michele Goldsmith, vice president and general manager of Soundings Trade Only; Kathryn Ross, regional director of Suntex Marinas; and Courtney Chalmers, vice president of marketing at Boats Group who responded to previously submitted audience questions and then closed the session with open Q&A from the session attendees.

“We were extremely excited to be presenting this inaugural women’s event at the Conference & Expo this year. There has been significant growth in women being seated in leadership positions in the marina industry over the last five years. This was a perfect time for AMI to launch this important event,” says John Swick, CMM, AMI chairman. 
The AMI Conference & Expo—formed in 2002 as the National Marina & Boatyard Conference and later renamed the International Marina & Boatyard Conference—is the leading show for marina and boatyard owners, operators and managers as well as dockmasters, harbormasters, boat builders and repairers, and industry consultants.

AMI—The Association of Marina Industries (AMI) is a non-profit membership organization that provides management training, education and information about research, legislation, and environmental issues affecting the marina industry.