Marine Recreation Association

What Marine Recreation Association does

Marine Recreation Association (MRA) is a 501(c)-style nonprofit trade association founded in 1972 and headquartered at 1215 K Street, Suite 1150, Sacramento, California. It represents marinas, boatyards, and allied businesses across the Western United States and claims a worldwide member footprint. MRA's core function is industry advocacy — primarily before the California Legislature and regulatory agencies on environmental, moorage, and operational rules affecting marine recreation businesses — alongside member services such as the Nautical News newsletter, Under the Dome webinars, a Member Directory, and business tools.

The association's product surface is anchored by two recurring events: the long-running Educational Conference & Trade Show and the California Boating Congress, launched in 2016 to convene members, legislators, and regulators in Sacramento. Documented regulatory outcomes include defeating the Float Bill (AB 2916), securing a gubernatorial veto of the Flare Bill (SB 1066), and funding a Regulatory Matrix clarifying boatyard toxin-level thresholds. Government-affairs capacity was expanded in 2019 through engagement of Platinum Advisors.

MRA's revenue model rests on three membership tiers (Marina, Boatyard, Allied Business) generating recurring dues, supplemented by conference registration and exhibition fees, plus advertising in Nautical News. The association maintains cross-affiliations with BoatUS, NMMA, RBOC, CYBA, and CAHMPC, and lists among its members both multi-property operators (Safe Harbor Marinas, Suntex Marinas) and independent facilities (Village West Marina, Keefe Kaplan Maritime, Derecktor Companies, The Maritime Centre). No headcount, revenue, or financial disclosures are publicly available.

Name

Marine Recreation Association

Legal name

Marine Recreation Association

Website

https://marina.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Marine Recreation Association is a Sacramento-based nonprofit trade association founded in 1972 that advocates for marinas, boatyards, and allied marine businesses in California through lobbying, annual conferences, and member services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lodi

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The primary revenue stream comes from annual membership dues paid by marinas, boatyards, and allied businesses. The association recently implemented a new billing system providing detailed breakdowns of how dues are calculated, ensuring consistency across membership tiers.
2. Annual Educational Conference & Trade Show: Revenue generated from attendee registration fees and exhibitor booth fees at the annual Educational Conference & Trade Show. The three-day event features expert-led seminars, industry exhibitors, and networking opportunities.
3. California Boating Congress Registration: Revenue from the annual California Boating Congress event held in Sacramento, where marine businesses meet face-to-face with government officials and policymakers.
4. Advertising & Promotional Services: Revenue from advertising opportunities including member directory listings, prime advertising spots in monthly newsletters and email campaigns, and boater email outreach services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Marine Recreation Association is a nonprofit trade association that sells tiered annual memberships (Marina, Boatyard, Allied Business) to marine recreation businesses. Members receive legislative advocacy, industry education, networking events, advertising exposure, and access to business/compliance resources, anchored by its annual Educational Conference & Trade Show and California Boating Congress.

Product overview

The Marine Recreation Association is a nonprofit trade association offering a membership-based service portfolio centered on advocacy, education, networking, and business resources for the marine recreation industry. The organization operates through three membership tiers (Marina, Boatyard, and Allied Business memberships) and delivers value via signature annual events (California Boating Congress and Educational Conference & Trade Show), monthly publications (Nautical News newsletter), recurring webinars (Under the Dome), an online member directory, and business/compliance tools and templates. The offerings function as interconnected services under the MRA brand rather than a unified software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Marina Membership Tiered annual membership for small, medium, large, and municipal marina operators providing legislative advocacy, compliance resources, networking, education, advertising, and access to the member directory. Pricing varies by marina size and type and is billed annually.
• Boatyard Membership Annual membership for boatyard operators providing boatyard-specific legislative advocacy, compliance resources (stormwater management, environmental rules), networking, education, and advertising exposure tailored to boatyard operations.
• Allied Business Membership Annual membership for vendors, suppliers, service providers, and facilities serving the marine recreation industry. Members receive directory listings, newsletter advertising placements, networking access, and lead-generation exposure to marina/boatyard buyers and boaters.
• Educational Conference & Trade Show Three-day annual conference featuring expert-led seminars, industry exhibitors, keynote speakers, and networking opportunities for marine professionals at scenic coastal venues. Open to members and non-members; generates revenue through attendee registration and exhibitor booth fees.
• California Boating Congress (CBC) Annual advocacy event held in Sacramento since 2016, bringing together marine professionals, recreational boaters, and government officials to address boating industry legislation and policy issues. Revenue from attendee registration.
• Nautical News Newsletter Monthly newsletter providing event updates, legislative updates, boating, and marina industry news to subscribers. Distributed via Constant Contact; also a vehicle for allied business advertising.
• Under the Dome Webinar Series Free monthly advocacy webinar featuring guest speakers from the legislative, regulatory, and advocacy sectors providing real-time updates on policy developments impacting marine recreation.
• Member Directory Online directory of MRA member facilities and businesses serving as a referral resource for boaters and a marketing channel for allied business members.
• Business & Compliance Tools Ready-made templates, guides, legal documents, environmental reports, and compliance materials designed for marina and boatyard operations. Available to members via the member resources portal.

Quantifiable outcome

• Saved businesses millions of dollars by killing the Float Bill (AB 2916) through collective advocacy
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Platinum AdvisorscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019MRA enlisted Platinum Advisors, a group of experienced lobbyists, to strengthen advocacy efforts since 2019. They assist in evaluating and acting on relevant legislation from Sacramento to Washington, D.C., and help maintain vital relationships with government officials and agencies. Lobbyist Beau Biller leads the partnership, digesting thousands of bills that impact members and educating lawmakers on industry impacts.
• BoatUScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in MRA's advocacy coalition. Collaborates on legislative efforts and shares resources to strengthen advocacy for recreational boating interests.
• California Association of Harbor Masters & Port Captains (CAHMPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in MRA's advocacy coalition. Works together to address shared concerns and strengthen the collective voice for marine recreation in California.
• California Delta Chambers & Visitors BureauminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner organization collaborating with MRA on advocacy efforts affecting marine recreation in the California Delta region.
• California Marine Affairs and Navigation Conference (CMANC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in MRA's advocacy coalition focused on marine affairs and navigation issues affecting California waterways.
• California Yacht Brokers Association (CYBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization collaborating with MRA on advocacy efforts. CYBA joins MRA in bringing in partner associations when impactful bills arise, demonstrating collective industry strength.
• National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner organization in MRA's advocacy coalition. Provides expert speakers for MRA events including the Under the Dome webinars and California Boating Congress.
• Personal Watercraft Industry Association (PWIA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in MRA's advocacy coalition representing personal watercraft industry interests.
• Recreational Boaters of California (RBOC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in MRA's advocacy coalition. RBOC provides expert speakers for MRA's Under the Dome advocacy webinars and collaborates on legislative efforts.
• Sacramento Valley Marine Association (SVMA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner organization in MRA's advocacy coalition representing marine businesses in the Sacramento Valley region.
• Safe Harbor Cabrillo Isle MarinaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for 2023 Electric Boat Sea Trials at the Educational Conference, where attendees witnessed cutting-edge electric boat technology in action.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA): National trade association representing the recreational boating industry through advocacy, industry statistics, and standards. NMMA is the most direct parallel to MRA in mission and structure — both are membership-based trade associations providing advocacy, networking, and education to marine recreation stakeholders — and is already a strategic partner of MRA.
• National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA): National trade association for marine electronics manufacturers, dealers, and installers, providing certification, standards, and industry advocacy. NMEA is a directly comparable peer as a marine industry trade association with member tiers, education programs, and advocacy functions, though focused on the marine electronics sub-sector.
• California Yacht Brokers Association (CYBA): Trade association for yacht brokers in California that collaborates with MRA on legislative advocacy. CYBA is a directly comparable California-based trade association with similar advocacy, education, and networking functions, though serving yacht brokers specifically rather than marinas and boatyards.
• Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS): National advocacy and services organization for recreational boaters, offering towing, insurance, and legislative representation. BoatUS is a direct advocacy peer to MRA on recreational boating policy and is a listed MRA coalition partner, though its primary audience is boaters rather than marinas.
• Personal Watercraft Industry Association (PWIA): Trade association representing personal watercraft manufacturers and dealers, listed as a partner in MRA's advocacy coalition. PWIA is a directly comparable peer as a marine industry trade association focused on advocacy, though narrower in segment (personal watercraft only).
• Association of Marina Industries (AMI): International trade association specifically for the marina industry, offering education, certification, advocacy, and networking to marina operators globally. AMI is MRA's closest functional peer because both serve the same primary member type (marina operators) with overlapping service portfolios (training, advocacy, events).
• California Association of Harbor Masters & Port Captains (CAHMPC): California trade association for harbor masters and port captains, an MRA coalition partner. CAHMPC is a directly comparable California-based marine trade association with similar networking and advocacy missions, though serving harbor operations professionals rather than private marinas.
• Recreational Boaters of California (RBOC): California-focused advocacy organization for recreational boaters that partners with MRA on legislative efforts and provides expert speakers for MRA's Under the Dome webinars. Overlapping California advocacy scope makes RBOC a directly comparable peer, though oriented toward boater-members rather than operator-members.

Broad incumbents

• American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC): National standards-developing organization for the recreational boating industry, providing certification, technical standards, and education. ABYC is a broader incumbent peer because it operates across the entire recreational marine industry with a standards-and-certification focus, overlapping with MRA's education and training offerings but at national scale.
• International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA): International federation of national marine industry associations, coordinating advocacy, standards, and market data across countries. ICOMIA is a broader incumbent peer as the umbrella organization for national marine trade associations like MRA, providing comparable advocacy and industry development functions at global scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/yourMRA
• Facebookfacebook.com/MarineRecreationAssoc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marina-recreation-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/marinerecreationassociation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Marine Recreation Association