What Boating Industry Association Ltd. does

Boating Industry Association Ltd. (BIA) is a non-profit peak industry body founded in 1960 that connects more than 600 marine organizations across Australia and represents a recreational marine industry that employs over 35,000 people and generates approximately $10.12 billion in annual national turnover. The association is headquartered in Sydney, New South Wales with a secondary office on the Gold Coast, Queensland, and operates with a lean team of 17 employees led by CEO Andrew Scott and President Tracy Souris.

BIA's product and service portfolio is operated through a set of sub-brands spanning consumer marketing (Discover Boating), member benefits (Marine Card), employment (Marine Jobs), industry data (BIA Data, delivered in partnership with DECKEE), safety advocacy (Lifejackets.org.au), and event management (Sydney International Boat Show, delivered in partnership with Exhibitions and Trade Fairs and Mulpha Events). The BIA Data product is its most technology-adjacent offering, leveraging GPS-based movement capture from recreational vessels to produce industry intelligence. Association-acquired entities Marine Jobs (acquired October 10, 2024) and Boatsafe Training Qld (acquired October 25, 2024) extend the portfolio into recruitment and regulated safety training.

The business model is membership-fee driven, with annual subscription fees billed to member marine organizations and supplemented by event-related revenue from the Sydney International Boat Show, which generated $353M in economic output in 2024. Adjacent revenue streams include advertising, sponsorship, training fees, and data products. The association's strategic posture is expansion-oriented through acquisition, partnership, and product line extension, while maintaining its core mandate as the national advocate for the Australian recreational boating industry.

Name

Boating Industry Association Ltd.

Legal name

Boating Industry Association Ltd.

Website

https://bia.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Boating Industry Association Ltd. is a non-profit peak industry body, founded in 1960, connecting 600+ Australian marine organizations. It operates through sub-brands covering consumer marketing, training, employment, safety advocacy, and industry data, funded by membership fees and event revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Industry Association Services

NAICS

Ship and Boat Building (3366)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Semi-Custom & Series Production Yacht Manufacturing (IMAJAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Boat & Personal Watercraft (PWC) Retail (CRAMAIAA)

Keywords

• Marine industry association
• Boat show events
• Membership association services
• Industry advocacy
• Marine workforce training

Headquarters

HQ city

Rozelle, New South Wales

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: BIA operates as a not-for-profit industry association generating revenue through membership fees from over 600 marine industry organizations. Members receive tailored programs, products and services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Boating Industry Association Ltd. is a not-for-profit peak industry association connecting more than 600 marine organisations across Australia. Its core offering is a membership-based platform delivering tailored programs, products, services, government advocacy, industry data, training, workforce development, and major boat show events to support and grow the Australian boating industry.

Product overview

The Boating Industry Association Ltd operates as a not-for-profit industry association offering a platform of interconnected programs and services. The core portfolio includes membership services connecting over 600 organisations, the Sydney Boat Show as the flagship event, Marine Card as an access management system for marinas and sites, Discover Boating as the national advertising campaign, Marine Jobs for workforce development, and BIA Data for boating analytics. Additional offerings include the Accredited Marine Broker program, Boatsafe Training Qld for licensing, Houseboat Holidays bookings, and Lifejackets.org.au safety resources. These products work together to support, promote and advocate for the Australian marine industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Discover Boating: National advertising campaign to promote recreational boating
• Marine Card
• Marine Jobs
• Sydney Boat Show
• BIA Data
• Lifejackets.org.au

Products and services

• BIA Membership Membership program connecting over 600 marine industry organisations across Australia, providing tailored programs, products, services, business promotion, government advocacy, training access, and industry data insights for marine businesses, dealers, brokers, marinas, and service providers.
• Sydney International Boat Show Australia's premier annual boating event held at Sydney Showgrounds, featuring marine, boating, fishing, and outdoor exhibitors; connects industry exhibitors with consumer audiences. Generated $353M in total economic output in 2024.
• Marine Card Access Management System (AMS) that tracks boater access to participating marinas and marine sites via card scanning, providing geographic location and time data for site operators.
• Discover Boating National Campaign National advertising campaign 'See You Out There' promoting recreational boating and the boating lifestyle to new consumer audiences across Australia.
• Marine Jobs Workforce development and recruitment platform acquired by BIA, connecting job seekers with marine sector employers and promoting career pathways into the Australian marine industry.
• BIA Data Boating data service delivered in partnership with the DECKEE app, providing GPS movement capture and boater data inputs for privacy-protected boating activity insights and analysis used by local government authorities, planners, and investors.
• BIA Accredited Marine Broker Accreditation program for marine brokers launched to boost consumer confidence in boat sales and ownership lifecycle services.
• Boatsafe Training Qld (BQI) Queensland-based Boatsafe training provider delivering marine training including boat driver licensing, now operating as a BIA wholly-owned subsidiary.
• Houseboat Holidays Booking platform for houseboat holiday rentals, promoting recreational boating experiences to consumer audiences.
• Lifejackets.org.au Public safety resource website promoting lifejacket use and water safety for boaters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sydney International Boat Show generated $353M in total economic output (2024)

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Boatsafe Training Queensland (BQI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 October 2024Leading Queensland Boatsafe training industry association delivering marine training including boat driver licensing joined BIA.
• Marine JobscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2024BIA acquired Marine Jobs to demonstrate its commitment to promotion of career pathways into the marine industry and workforce development.
• Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI)strategicGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 September 2024BIA teamed up with ACCI to support industry on employment legislation, representing marine sector interests at national business level.
• Exhibitions and Trade FairsstrategicImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 8 August 2024Appointed as event delivery partner for Sydney Boat Show, managing marketing and communications for Australia's premier marine event.
• DECKEEcoreTechnology or IntegrationBIA partners with DECKEE boating app to deliver the BIA Data service, offering unprecedented insights and analysis of privacy-protected boating activity informed by GPS movement capture and boater data inputs.
• Mulpha EventsstrategicImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerManages the marketing and communications associated with BIA boat show events, including the Sydney International Boat Show.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA): Global umbrella body for national marine industry associations. Comparable as the international federation to which BIA-affiliated members and peer associations belong, with broader scope but a similar membership-and-advocacy model.

Direct peers

• Boating New Zealand: The peak industry body for New Zealand's recreational boating sector, providing advocacy, industry data, and member services. Comparable in role, scale, and Anglosphere regulatory environment.
• National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA): The US peak trade body for the recreational marine industry, representing boat manufacturers, engine and accessory companies. Directly comparable as a national boating industry association delivering advocacy, boat shows (including Discover Boating), and member services.
• British Marine: The UK trade association for the leisure marine industry, representing manufacturers, brokers, marinas, and marine service businesses. Closely analogous to BIA in scope, membership structure, and advocacy-led value proposition.
• Marine Industries Association of South Africa (MIASA): South Africa's national marine industry trade association representing manufacturers, dealers, marinas, and service providers. Comparable as another English-language, mid-sized national peak body serving a similar recreational boating market structure.
• Yachting Australia: National sporting body for sailing and yachting in Australia. Adjacent but not overlapping — comparable as another marine-sector peak body operating in the same Australian market with member services and advocacy, but focused on sailing rather than the broader boating industry.

Regional players

• Asian Marine & Boating Council (AMBC): Singapore-based industry body promoting marine and boating across Asia, including industry representation and trade events. Comparable as an association-led voice for the recreational boating industry, but serving a different geographic market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCgdkdjaOWVdds2SPVpLW6aA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-boating-industry-association-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Boating Industry Association Ltd.