PADI Business Programs Result in 30% Increase for Dive Operators

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – 6 September 2006 - PADI Business of Diving Programs for dive center owners and managers provide results. One year after attending the 2005 Continuing Education Workshop, attendees are averaging a 30 percent increase in continuing education certifications with a significant number seeing increases of more than 100 percent.

What's behind these incredible increases? Program attendees build a 12-month prescriptive action plan that includes business growth goals designed specifically for their businesses. Using these business and promotional ideas, participants are seeing not only an increase in certifications, they're also seeing an increase in equipment sales. Studies show that divers taking at least one additional course (such as the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course) beyond their entry level course are 30 percent more likely to own a full set of equipment (BCD, regulator and dive computer). In addition, studies also show that divers who take continuing education programs dive more often and are less likely to stop diving altogether.

IRRA Forum 2006: Marketing Strategies to Increase Sales covers both diver acquisition and retention techniques. Topics include profit planning, increasing your customer base, expanding grassroots marketing efforts, making the most of technology, increasing continuing education certifications, building a profitable customer referral program and much more. In addition, attendees gain hands-on information on how they can most effectively take advantage of PADI marketing efforts including the Go Dive! Who’s with me? campaign, the Master Scuba Diver Challenge and the Specialty of the Month promotion. They also receive a CD-ROM packed with marketing, business and promotional tools available only to IRRA Forum 2006 attendees.

Remaining venues for PADI’s IRRA Forum 2006 include Salt Lake City, Utah, Phoenix, Arizona, Atlanta, Georgia and Tampa, Florida in September. The final PADI IRRA Forum 2006 presentation will be offered at the DEMA Show 2006 in Orlando, Florida, USA on Monday, 6 November. This one-day program is only $99 US per person and can be bundled with other PADI Business of Diving programs for even more savings. Kick off 2007 with a proven plan to increase your business. For complete details on all PADI Business of Diving Programs offered at the DEMA Show 2006 or to reserve your space, visit the Pro Section at padi.com or contact Senior Customer Service Representative Anna Bennett at 800 729 7234 (US and Canada) or +1 949 858 7234, ext. 2320.