Young Professional in Yachting (YPY) Making an Impact

His tenure marks the family’s fourth generation in the business, his great grandfather started the firm. Jarvie runs its East Coast operation from the Fort Lauderdale office. His father, Scott Jarvie runs its San Diego and Hawaii offices.

Working in the family business gives Jarvie many advantages such as a clear career path and mentoring and introductions within the business and industry, he says.

And that’s why Young Professionals in Yachting resonates with Jarvie who is the organization’s president.

YPY, based in Fort Lauderdale, is a non-profit organization formed to educate, promote ethical business practices, and facilitate success for young professionals within South Florida’s yachting business community.

Creating a community of individuals who deal in the same industry means there is a variety of instant resources, and contacts, says Jarvie.

Forging a thread of business contacts and sources is a part of Jarvie’s fabric. He attends events for Young Professionals in Yachting, Florida Yacht Brokers Association, The Triton, Superyacht Forum and other marine industry groups.

The drill down:

Why YPY? I enjoy the opportunity to positively affect this organization and the opportunity to grow something I believe in. I joined in 2009, and first served on the board as social chair and became vice president in 2011. When the former president (and founder) left to take a job in Monaco, I stepped in to give the organization new guidance, leadership and a new direction. We restructured the board, changed the meeting location and agenda, and more than doubled membership. We’re expanding with chapters in London and Monaco.

What is YPY’s purpose and mission? The group meets monthly to share industry news and take part in educational sessions led by established industry leaders; it hosts quarterly social events, boat show related events at The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, The Palm Beach International Boat Show and the Monaco Yacht Show, as well as an annual banquet in January. Some members are on the Board of Freedom Waters Foundation, and YPY participates in the Marine Industry Cares Spin-A-Thon, which benefits Kids in Distress.

In terms of Young Professionals in Yachting, what is a yachting professional? A yachting professional can be a captain or engineer, yacht broker, professional service provider such as an insurance provider, maritime attorney or one who provides marketing services to our industry. YPY however, is made up only of shore-based professionals.

What challenges does the yachting sector of the business have in terms of relating to the marine industry as a whole? The large yacht industry is comprised of a few thousand yachts worldwide, making it an extremely elite society. However, getting into boating at the entry level is very affordable and can be achieved by almost anyone. For example the Florida Yacht Brokers Association helped create the tax cap to keep large yachts in Florida. It was about keeping jobs in Florida, not about cutting taxes for the wealthy. The alternative is to take these yachts outside of Florida for registration, which means they take all of the corresponding business out of Florida.

How does YPY bridge generations? The marine industry is often viewed as being set in its ways. These days there are many new and exciting ways to build business and communicate with customers. Placing an ad in a magazine is not the only option to reach the consumer any longer. Through professional networking, social media strategies and strategic marketing plans, the options to build and support a brand seem endless. YPY hosts accomplished senior members of the industry as guest speakers at its monthly meetings. This helps form personal and business relationships between the older and younger generations that otherwise wouldn’t have been, and also gives us an opportunity to learn from their experiences.

Source: Sun Sentinel