April 24 - 29 is Marine Service Technician Week!

To bring awareness and recognition to the hard-working professionals who work on boats, the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) has designated the last week in April "International Marine Service Technician Week." 

Marine technicians make up a vital part of this industry by keeping boats properly maintained and making sure recreational boaters stay safe out on the water.

Businesses, associations, and boaters are encouraged to participate by celebrating and highlighting their marine technicians!

See ideas below to celebrate Marine Service Technician Week. No matter how you choose to celebrate, the most important thing is to recognize the many marine technicians that keep boating safe, enjoyable, and reliable.

 

Get Involved!

1. Share your stories. Post pictures and stories about your favorite marine service technicians on social media accounts.

Tag ABYC in your posts so we can share your highlights and use the hashtags #MarineServiceTechWeek #ThankYouMarineTechs. You can check out these hashtags now to see what people did last year and get ideas. 

Suggested social post: It's International Marine Service Technician Week! A big thank you to our technicians who keep boating safe, reliable, and enjoyable. 

2. For additional content and to join in on contests, follow ABYC on social media and share our posts, pictures, videos. 

Facebook: @abycinc

Instagram: @ABYC_BoatSafety 

LinkedIn: /company/abyc

Twitter: @ABYC_BoatSafety

YouTube: @ABYCAnnapolis

3.  Send a press release to your local media outlets about the holiday and the outstanding technicians you have at your business! Contact marketing@abycinc.org for assistance with information to include and quotes.

4. Feel free to use this logo for your marketing outreach (social posts, press releases, website etc.). Here's a save the date flyer to help spread the word! 

5. Host an appreciation event for your techs (e.g. buy breakfast or lunch)

 

How is ABYC Celebrating?

ABYC will participate in International Marine Service Technician Week by highlighting ABYC Certified Technicians every day on social media. We also will have daily prize contests.

Outstanding Technician Award:

Do you have an outstanding technician you would like to honor? You can nominate a technician here. Submissions are due by end of day, Friday April 14th.

ABYC will select 5 winners to receive $100 VISA gift cards. The winners will be highlighted on ABYC's social media accounts and website.  

Free Education:

Throughout the week ABYC will release free and discounted online education opportunities which are perfect to help technicians keep their skills sharp and up-to-date with industry trends.

Contests & Giveaways: 

• ABYC Certified Technicians will automatically be entered to win our "Technician Prize Pack" and with each ABYC Certification earned comes additional chances to win every day! There will be 5 winners/day.

• Daily Technical Challenge on social media accounts. The best, most complete answer wins.

Daily Themes:

• For each day of International Marine Service Technician Week ABYC will be celebrating marine techs of all different backgrounds. We encourage you to tie into the themes below for your social media efforts throughout the week.
  

Monday, April 24 - Long-time industry members

Tuesday, April 25 - Marine service programs and schools (secondary and post-secondary)

Wednesday, April 26 - Female technicians

Thursday, April 27 - Outstanding Technician Announcements (Share your own outstanding tech!)

Friday, April 28 - The future of the industry; aspiring technicians and educators

 

Did you know? 

• With an estimated 100 million Americans boating each year, the recreational boating industry supports more than 690,000 jobs and 35,000 businesses. 

• According to the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract, the surge in demand for boats that began during the COVID-19 pandemic continued into 2021 and boating remains one of the most sought-after leisure activities for Americans. New powerboat, personal watercraft, and sailboat retail sales surpassed the 300,000 mark in 2021 for only the second time since 2008.  

• In order to retain new boaters, the marine industry needs skilled technicians to provide quality and timely repair and maintenance services
  

 

Thank You ABYC Certified Technicians!

There are currently over 5,000 ABYC Certified Technicians across the country. These professionals have been trained at the highest level to ensure that the work that they perform, whether design, repair or installation, is in accordance with ABYC safety standards.  Thank you to all of our Certified Advisors, Technicians, and Master Technicians who go above and beyond to keep boating safe, reliable, and enjoyable for their customers as they keep current with the industry’s newest trends and technologies

Search our nationwide database to find qualified service professionals near you. Visit www.FindaBoatTech.com.