Designs on the future
Highfield dealers from all over the Asia-Pacific region gathered at the company’s headquarters in Weihai, China, for the annual Highfield Boats Asia-Pacific Dealer Conference and awards.
19 October 2023
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At Highfield Boats’ Asia-Pacific Dealer Conference and Awards, Sundance Marine took out Highfield Boats Dealer of the Year.
Based at Sandringham with another showroom dedicated to Highfield RIBs in Braeside just a 20-minute drive from Port Phillip Bay, Sundance Marine has represented Highfield for five years.
Sundance Marines’ Michah Shuwalow, Brand Manager for Highfield Boats Victoria, was thrilled to bring home the top award. “It took a lot of hard work to get this far, but we’re very proud to be recognised for our efforts,” said Shuwalow.
“It’s great to see we’re making headway into the RIB market, each year getting stronger and stronger. We’ve developed a strong relationship with Highfield over the past five years, and we’re looking forward to continued support. The Highfield range is top quality, offering our customers lots of choice.”
Sundance was commended for their outstanding sales results, brand presentation, owner events and consistently impressive presence at boat shows, specifically the two Melbourne events at St Kilda and Docklands.
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“We hold an owner barbecue at Sorrento Sailing Club with our suppliers in January. It’s a laid-back, social occasion, and it’s a good opportunity for owners to meet and share experiences.
“A lot of them have young families, and they’re keen to move up through the Highfield fleet. So, it’s ideal for them to speak to other owners and get their feedback. They’re so passionate about their Highfields, they do the selling for us!”
Commenting on the Highfield Dealer Conference, Shuwalow said the event was a valuable opportunity to catch up with fellow Highfield dealers and to hear directly from the company’s management about the innovations and initiatives that will be rolled out in the coming months, and Highfield’s long-term vision.
Dealers were treated to a sneak peek into the future of the brand, which Shuwalow described as sensational.
“It’s a new and unique design that will suit all kinds of activities, such as wakeboarding, angling, exploring and getting to remote locations. It has the same great handling with a slightly different design and heaps of user-friendly features.
“The new Highfield range will really open up Australia’s coastline.”
Bill Hull, General Manager, Northside Marine on his first trip to China was very impressed with the organisation, content and calibre of the event.
“The Conference was well structured, from the factory visit to the sight-seeing, Highfield put in a lot of effort. It was great to meet all the dealers from our region who are all very knowledgeable.
“I was pleased to see the factory and get an in-depth understanding of their plans for the future. It was an eye-opener, the calibre of the factory and its sophistication.
“I’ve been in the marine industry for 35 years, and as a new dealer for Highfield, it instilled a lot of confidence. The future is very bright. These guys are serious!”
Peter Pembroke, Highfield Boats Australia stated, “It was an invaluable opportunity for our Dealers from Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the Pacific to get together at the factory, to view the impressive facilities and to gain an insight into the future of the Highfield brand.
“We were delighted to present our inaugural Dealer of the Year award and Sundance Marine were deserving winners.”
Up next for Highfield is the Melbourne Boat Show from 26 to 29 October, which coincides with the Adelaide 4WD & Adventure Show where Lenta Marine will represent Highfield.
Internationally, Highfield Boats will have a major presence at the 2023 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, 25 to 29 October, followed by METSTrade Show in Amsterdam in November, then Boot Dusseldorf in January 2024.
“Boot is an incredible show – one of the world’s largest, and certainly an important event to kick off each year,” said Peter.
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