Lake Louise. Image Credit: Andrea Schafthuizen.

Canada is a great place for boating.  It has such a diverse range of terrain and vegetation.  From mountains to waterfalls, to forests to flat lands, Canada truly has it all.

Discover Boating is an informative website and public awareness effort that was established by the National Marine Manufacturer’s Association (NMMA) to represent the North American boating industry.  It focuses on creating interest in recreational boating in Canada while promoting an affordable and accessible boating lifestyle and, in the process, educating established and potential boaters.

The website is a repository of information about buying and maintaining a boat, Canadian boating regulations and safety legislation and information on boating certification.  The website also highlights Canadian boating hotspots, which have been rated by users.  Top destinations include:

• Muskoka and the Haliburton Highlands, which is described as the “experience of a lifetime” and noted for its “glorious sunsets, crystal clear waters and active community”;
• Desolation Sound, which was given a 77% overall user rating, specifically for its picturesque mountain landscape and
• Howe Sound, a beautiful area in British Columbia that is best known for its “beautiful vistas, and mountains with sparkling, snow-capped peaks”.

We’ve been supporters of Canadian lakes for a long time – they truly are beautiful.  If you plan on boating in Canada, don’t forget to check out the Muskoka Lakes, a stunning region of Ontario with 1,600 lakes, beautiful waterfalls and sprawling forests spread out in 2,500 square mile area and Lake Louise, an area rich with folklore and geology.

Discover Boating is also active in the Canadian boating community by organizing promotional events and educational seminars both online and across the country.  The website also has an extensive resources section that includes tips on green boating, a glossary of commonly-used boating terms and other miscellaneous resources.

Click here to discover this website for yourself! Once you’ve got your next boating expedition planned, contact us to get your vessel fitted with the right equipment!

Green Recycling Symbol. Image Source: BenefitsofRecycling.com

Here are some tips to make your next boat trip a little more eco friendly.

1. Maintain your equipment.  Make sure that all boating equipment up-to-date and well-maintained, and that your boat propellers are in good condition.  This will avoid wasting fuel and minimize the chances of hazardous waste entering the water stream.
2. Use environmentally-friendly cleaning products.  Method is a smartly-designed, widely-available and affordable line of biodegradable products, and the good people at Kiehl’s have developed a fabulous Aloe Vera Biodegradable Liquid Body Cleanser.  For shampoos and conditioners, try J.R. Liggett’s old-fashioned bar shampoo, made from tea tree and hemp oil.  Skip the shower and wash your hair while you swim – this shampoo works well and has a scent that is suitable for both men and women.
3.  Recycle.  Make sure that all antifreezes, cleaning products, oil, and used boating equipment is discarded at a waste collection facility.  Never, ever dump your trash in the water.
4. Be proactive.  Discover Boating recommends installing a device that will help prevent “overboard discharges from your trunk vent.”  There are products available on the market that will send out a warning once a tank is reaching its fuel capacity, helping to prevent spills.  Discover Boating also recommends filling the fuel tank slowly and only to about 90% capacity, because fuel naturally expands as temperature rises.  Leaving some space at the top of a tank will help to prevent overflow when the temperature warms up.
5. Stow your trash onboard.  Keep all garbage and waste onboard throughout the duration of your boating excursion.  There’s no excuse for throwing garbage into the water.  There are plenty of shore and dockside facilities available for recycling and disposing of waste.
6. Keep your blige clean.  You can easily avoid unnecessary oil discharges by using a sorbent in each blige area.  The safer the products you use, the less water pollution you will create.

The Daily Social Media Marketing Campaign News
By Howard Oliver, CEO, What If What Next, whatifwhatnext@on.aibn.com

We have an ongoing interest in the pleasure boating industry. Here is a new release from the National Marine Manufacturers Association about thier social media campaign called: Making Waves.

CHICAGO (June 24, 2010)– Discover Boating officially launched a series of online games today, titled Making Waves, to put at-home current and potential boaters and outdoor enthusiasts in the virtual captain’s chair to experience the fun of life on the water. The games are part of a larger online marketing strategy to leverage existing networks, such as Facebook, already being used by a substantial number of consumers within the Discover Boating target audience.

The Making Waves games will specifically target adults 25-54 who have expressed interest in the outdoors, boating and fishing. Placing the game within the U.S. Facebook network of 120-150 million users, or approximately 40 percent of the U.S. population, allows Discover Boating to reach a larger, targeted audience of potential boaters and communicate with them via an interactive experience, bringing boating to life. What’s more, the average Facebook user has an estimated 130 “friends”, adding a viral element to the effort as players invite their friends to play and post their game play and scores to their Facebook wall. The game complies with all of Facebook’s newest privacy standards.

“Social media marketing has become incredibly mainstream and has proven to be extremely efficient in enabling us to reach outdoor enthusiasts who use sites like Facebook as a way to connect with family and friends,” notes Carl Blackwell, vice president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and Grow Boating Inc. “We’ll be promoting an alternative to connecting on the computer by promoting connecting on the water. With so many media options available, particularly online, now more than ever it’s important to be where your target audience is spending a lot of their time. Facebook allows us to hone in on potential boaters in a very effective, measureable way.”

Making Waves extends Discover Boating’s online presence which includes an extensive Facebook advertising campaign. The game and advertising campaign carry Discover Boating brand messages and are tied to the same target audience, allowing for a more streamlined approach to reach potential boaters.

As an added incentive to drive traffic to the game, players receive an exclusive opportunity to register to win $25,000 towards a purchase of a new NMMA Certified boat. Players can also sign up via the application to receive a free Get Started in Boating DVD.

The campaign will be promoted to potential users via Facebook’s extensive network of users as well as through public relations and social media channels. Discover Boating will also promote the game through its existing email list of nearly 400,000 consumers.

The 2010 Discover Boating marketing campaign also includes the industry’s comprehensive consumer site, DiscoverBoating.com, various online advertising efforts, a national public relations campaign and social media program.

The Making Waves game provides players an opportunity to experience the onscreen thrill of everything you can do on water. Players choose from a selection of boat types, colors and different activity modes. Game modes include cruising between buoys with a water-skier in tow; navigating the shoreline to pickup and drop off family members; and, dropping lines to go fishing.

Making Waves is available now at http://apps.facebook.com/making-waves/.

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About Discover Boating
Discover Boating is a national awareness campaign developed by the North American recreational boating industry and managed by the industry’s trade group, the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA.org). Discover Boating programs focus on improving the boating experience and building interest in recreational boating by providing a resource for Americans to explore the benefits, affordability and accessibility of the boating lifestyle. To find out more, visit DiscoverBoating.com.

January 14-18, 2009

McCormick Place–North Building
2301 S. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60616

Show Hours

Wednesday, January 14:     11:00am – 9:00pm
Thursday     January 15:     11:00am – 9:00pm
Friday,         January 16:     11:00am – 9:00pm
Saturday,     January 17:     10:00am – 9:00pm
Sunday,       January 18:     10:00am – 5:00pm

Miss GEICO

NEW for 2009! Miss GEICO, the world’s fastest offshore racing boat. The legendary boat is powered with the same turbine engines that flew missions in the first Gulf War and is capable of reaching speeds of more than 185 miles per hour.

Power Boat Docking Challenge

NEW for 2009!  Race against the clock in daily contests that challenge your ability to dock these radio-controlled boats. Stand at an actual boat helm and steer your boat through the channel into the slip at the marina in a race against the clock. Think you are a seasoned Captain? Come test your skills for great prizes!

Texas Bass Tank

NEW for 2009! A 40′ long giant aquarium filled with 5,000 gallons of water and stocked with a variety of native fish. Casting demos/seminars will be presented throughout the day.

Green Boating Zone

NEW for 2009! Learn about environmentally-friendly boating practices and products. The Green Boating Zone will feature West Marine’s Go Green Display and “10 Green Boating Tips” to help boaters minimize their impact on the environment while maximizing the efficiency and performance of boating.

Affordability Pavilion

NEW for 2009! Premiering at this year’s Chicago show, this area showcases boats for those with smaller budgets, highlighting pricing options and displaying boats that visitors can finance for $250 or less

Discover Boating Center

Your one-stop resource for boating information and advice. Staffed by experts who can answer all your questions and set you on a course to choosing a boat that will give you and your family years of enjoyment, the Discover Boating Center is here to help you become a boater.

Straightforward answers to all your boating questions

Expert, unbiased advice on buying a boat

Information you can trust and local resources to help you get started

Contests and Giveaways

$1,000 Show Shopping Spree; Daily Giveaways; FREE Tickets to the Show, Wakeboarding Package, $50 Gift Certificate, One-weekend Night Stay. Many exciting chances to win in a variety of ways.

Directions & Parking Information

Other  Hotel Accommodations

Courtyard by Marriott Chicago

Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott

Hotel Sax Chicago

Check the Weather in Chicago before you leave

Shopping

The Chicagoland area offers a wide variety of shopping experiences. The primary shopping strip in the city is the Magnificent Mile, which runs along north Michigan Avenue from the Chicago River to Oak Street.  Maps to Shopping Malls

Restaurants and Food Events

January 14

‘Top Chef: New York’ viewing party   Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club – 3700     N. Halsted St. – Boystown
Afternoon tea  Palmer House Hilton – 17 E. Monroe St. – Loop

January 15

Crab Festival  Shaw’s Crab House – 21 E. Hubbard St. – River North
Lie jazz  Catch 35 – 35 W. Wacker Drive – Loop

January 16

The Melting Pot - 609 N. Dearborn St. – Chicago (River North)

Complimentary wine tasting 6-10 p.m., live acoustic music 8:30 p.m.

Includes two tastings each of red and white wines with food pairing recommendations.

Restaurant Reviews

Night Life

Chicago Concerts Playing & Ticket Purchase

Chicago Offers a Chance for Turning the Show Week into A Special Family Holiday!

More about the Chicago Boat, RV & Outdoor Show