🎙️ Stephen Heese of Chris-Craft: Passion, Risk & the Story Behind an Iconic Boating Brand

In this episode of The Boat Princess Podcast, I sit down with Stephen Heese, President of Chris-Craft, to talk about far more than boats.

We explore the fascinating history of Chris-Craft, an iconic American boating brand with a story stretching back more than 150 years, and Stephen shares his own journey with the company — including his perhaps unexpected connection to Australia.

We delve into how Chris-Craft has grown and evolved while protecting the heritage and craftsmanship that make the brand so distinctive, its sale to Winnebago Industries, and what being part of a larger group has meant for a brand with such a long and treasured history.

We also look to the future of boat shows. Why do they exist? What role do they really play for manufacturers, dealers and consumers? And in a changing world where we can research, compare and even buy so much online, what does the boat show of the future need to look like to remain relevant?

One thing that becomes very clear during our conversation is something I see time and again across the marine industry: boating is an industry built on passionate people. People who genuinely love what they do, love the product and love being on the water.

We also talk about risk and aspiration. When we're younger, many of us are prepared to take career and business risks that we might think twice about later in life. But without people prepared to take those chances, where do the entrepreneurs, innovators and small businesses of tomorrow come from?

That leads us into a broader conversation about Australia’s changing capital gains tax environment, and whether tax policy can unintentionally influence aspiration, entrepreneurship and the willingness of people to take risks, build businesses and invest in their future.

From the evolution of a 150+ year-old boating icon to the future of boat shows, business ownership, career choices and calculated risk, this is a conversation about much more than boats.

Ultimately, it’s about the people, passion and aspiration that keep our extraordinary industry moving forward.

🎧 Join me and Stephen Heese of Chris-Craft for this episode of The Boat Princess Podcast.

Welcome back to The Boat Princess Podcast.

This episode was recorded in the beautiful city of Venice, Italy, where Ethan Zone and I were both attending the ICOMIA World Marinas Conference. It was the perfect setting to sit down and discuss one of my favourite topics—the future of marinas and the boating industry.

Ethan is the CEO of the Tingdene Group, a remarkable British family-owned business whose story is one of innovation, vision and diversification. Founded in 1969 as a manufacturer of high-quality park homes, Tingdene has evolved into one of the UK's leading operators of residential parks, holiday parks and marinas. Today, the Group owns and operates 12 marinas across the UK, has an extensive boat sales network, and continues to develop exciting innovations in floating homes, bringing together its decades of expertise in residential living with the ever-growing appeal of waterfront lifestyles.

During our conversation we discuss where the marina industry is heading, what we need to do to attract younger generations into both boating and careers within our industry, and why creating vibrant marina communities will become increasingly important. We also explore how changing customer expectations, sustainability, technology and floating living could reshape the marinas of tomorrow.

Whether you work in the marine industry, own a marina, or simply love spending time on the water, this is a fascinating conversation that looks beyond where we are today and into what the future may hold.

To find out more about the Tingdene Group and their marinas, visit https://tingdeneboating.com.

And if you'd like to learn more about Empire Marinas Group, our family-owned marinas, boating facilities and everything we do to help people enjoy life on the water, visit https://www.empiremarinas.com.au.

Now, let's head to Venice for my conversation with Ethan Zone of the Tingdene Group.

Welcome back to The Boat Princess Podcast.

This episode was recorded when I caught up with Alisdair Martin, now Head of Industry Relations for Boats Group, at IBEX 2025 in Tampa, Florida. Much has changed for Alisdair since we recorded this interview (his title on Linked In for a start), but the conversation is just as relevant today. Alisdair has built an impressive career in the global boating industry and is President of the Marine Marketing of America Association and Vice President of Strategy and Sales at the NMMA too, but as you'll hear, his start in the United States was a little more daunting than most—making his journey to one of the marine industry's most influential leadership roles all the more inspiring. It's a story that's absolutely worth sharing even if a little after it was recorded, and I think you'll really enjoy it.

Our conversation goes far beyond boating marketing. We explore some of the biggest opportunities and challenges facing the recreational boating industry today, including how we attract new people into boating and, perhaps even more importantly, how we retain them for years to come. We discuss the evolving role of boat shows, changing consumer behaviour, customer retention, boating industry trends, and why great marine marketing is about creating lifelong boaters—not simply making the next sale.

Whether you work in the marine industry, exhibit at boat shows, own a marina, sell boats, market marine products and services, or simply love the boating lifestyle, this episode is packed with insights and practical ideas from one of the industry's leading voices.

So grab a coffee, settle in, and enjoy my conversation with Alisdair Martin from Boats Group, recorded live at IBEX 2025.

Going to IBEX in 2026?

Find out more here: https://www.ibexshow.com/

To find out more about the Marine Marketers of America Association of which Alisdair is the President go here:

https://www.marinemarketersofamerica.org/