YBAA University 2024 (YBAA U)

Early Bird (Before 5/15/24) 

9:30am - 10:45am

Keynote Speaker 

Vincent Finetti is the founder and sales strategist at the Yacht Sales Academy. He created the Academy to help boat dealers, boat brokers and boat builders sell more boats using the most effective sales & marketing strategies adapted to today's market. Vincent has trained more than 5,000 marine sales professionals worldwide and 900 students have enrolled over the last 7+ years. He is also the co-founder and director of Prestige Vision Inc. a marketing agency specialized in marine marketing, serving over 300 shipyards worldwide since he founded it in 2008. 

Join Vincent Finetti, Sales Trainer and Founder of Yacht Sales Academy, for a transformative presentation titled "The Future of Boat & Yacht Sales in 2024 & Beyond: Discover New Winning Tools & Strategies to Get More Showings & Close More Sales." In this session, Vincent will unveil revolutionary strategies to enhance your boat sales. Learn how you can showcase a boat to prospective buyers anywhere in the world in less than 10 seconds with just a single click. Furthermore, Vincent will guide you through the process of building your own AI-powered boat sales assistant in just one hour. This presentation is crucial for those who want to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving world of boat and yacht sales in 2024—don't miss out on defining the future of your business. 

11:00am - 12:00pm

Communication At Sea

Chris Sullivan is the guy who influences the influencers.  With over three decades of hands-on experience in the marine industry, Chris bring unparalleled expertise to the marine technology field. As the host of "Sundays with Sully" on YouTube for the past five years, Chris passionately share insights and innovations that keep the marine community ahead of the curve.

Listen in as Chris Sullivan discusses various connectivity options for boats at sea. The presentation will discuss methods for selecting the right communication option for your client to stay connected while afloat! This conversation will be moderated by Jonathan Chapman, CPYB - Worth Avenue Yachts. 

1:00pm - 1:30pm

Insurance and Documentation Session

Mark Gargula comes from a sailing background racing competitively and is a highly motivated sales professional with an 8-year track record of helping brokers and clients place yacht insurance. He specializes in helping High-Net-Worth individuals secure and place insurance coverage.

The YBAAU Insurance Session will focus on market trends, strong submissions (i.e Yacht APP, hurricane plans, + surveys), and the importance of starting insurance early. Mark Gargula will also take questions from the audience – please send any questions to info@ybaa.org in advance of the session.

1:30pm - 1:45pm 

Charting the Course: Navigating USCG Documentation: 

Christine Wagner is the President of New England Marine Documentation Inc., and the current President of the American Vessel Documentation Association (AVDA). A Boston native, Christine earned a BS and MBA from Simmons College. Prior to joining NEMD, Christine spent over 15 years at Fortune 500 companies in senior management roles. 

Join us for an insightful session on USCG documentation, where we'll provide a comprehensive overview of the documentation process, share best practices, and highlight common pitfalls to avoid. We'll also delve into the detection and prevention of fraud, and discuss the latest hot topics in the field. This presentation is essential for anyone looking to navigate the complexities of USCG documentation with confidence and ease.

1:45pm - 2:30pm

"The Once and Future Boat: What Keeps Us Up at Night"

 Tim Murphy is the Education Director at the American Boat & Yacht Council, where he develops marine-trades curriculum targeted from entry level to seasoned pros. Together with Ed Sherman, he is the author of Fundamentals of Marine Service Technology, the first-of-its-kind marine-trades textbook aimed at high-school and post-secondary students. He also develops professional ABYC certifications, including Marine Electrical, Marine Systems, Marine Corrosion, and others. Prior to joining ABYC, Tim worked as a marine journalist, publishing award-winning sea stories for more than 30 years as a Cruising World staff editor and Boat US Magazine contributing editor. Serving as a Cruising World Boat of the Year judge and director since 1999, he’s sailed on and inspected more than 500 new cruising sailboats. Having lived aboard a 41-foot ketch with his parents and crewed aboard a 130-foot brigantine during his teenage years, he earned a 100-ton US Coast Guard Master’s license at age 18 and worked for several years as a sailing instructor and yacht-delivery captain. With his partner, Lesley Davison, Tim sails Billy Pilgrim, a 1988 Passport 40, between New England and the Bahamas. He lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts. 

The American Boat & Yacht Council has been working since 1954 to make boats safer. Trouble is, boats keep changing. That’s what keeps us up at night. With mature technologies like diesel engines, lead-acid batteries, mechanical throttle and steering control systems, the marine industry already has a deep body of knowledge and a deep set of standards designed to eliminate or mitigate risks associated with them. In this presentation, Tim Murphy will discuss some of the emerging technologies we’re seeing on the water, as well as how ABYC responds to that new tech. We’ll explore topics like autonomous boats, electric propulsion, lithium-ion batteries, and 48-volt power systems—new technologies that today’s yacht brokers are ever more likely to encounter in the coming months and years.

2:30pm - 4:15pm

Yachtbroker.org, BoatDox, Yachtr

 Garrett Schwartz is CTO for Yachtbroker.org, an MLS PaaS platform designed to assist brokers in both managing and marketing their listing data. A graduate of Arizona State University, Garrett was a technical sales consultant for a leading sales automation firm for over 10 years before establishing a tech firm that specialized in real estate MLS and marine industry API data integration services. Garrett with wife Maria and son Max split their time between Naples Florida and Sedona Arizona.  . 

2:30pm - 4:15pm

Yachtbroker.org, BoatDox, Yachtr

Amanda Prevosk is the Marketing Manager for Brewer Yacht Sales. In addition to planning and executing the marketing and advertising campaigns for Brewer Yacht Sales, Amanda participated in Brewer Yacht Sales' transition to the industry's suite of listing management software and worked as a beta-tester on BoatDox. Amanda earned her CPYB certification in the spring of 2023.