Profile: BIA Victoria GM Clyde Batty

“I’ve really hit the ground running,” laughed recently appointed Victorian BIA GM Clyde Batty. Only seven days into the role, Batty, who took the reins from previous GM Robert Coco, was using the show to meet and greet BIA members and exhibitors.

Prior to joining the BIA, Batty spent four years at the Royal Brighton Yacht Club after a career in the hospitality industry with a background in pubs, clubs, not-for-profit and commercial organisations. He also has a lifetime involvement with boats as a keen yachty and boater.

“I’ve got that experience in marine from yachting. As a youngster I was a member at Royal Geelong, I also had a fishing boat for a while, so there’s a cross section from fishing and boating to understanding the industry,” said Batty.

Batty is seeking to lift the BIA’s profile, both publicly and within the industry. As a result he expects higher member numbers and increased boat participation across Victoria.

“I want to get out there and meet the members and I want to increase the membership [numbers],” said Batty.

“I’m looking at a prospective list now of companies and business, not just marine, but those that are connected to the boating industry. I want o give more benefits to the members of the BIA. I want to push the BIA sign out there more. I don’t think a lot of people realise that the BIA is running the leisure festival now, and the boat show in winter, and we really need to push the logo and say ‘what does the BIA actually stand for’? There’s a lot of advocacy work we do on behalf of our members and the general public, but I don’t think many people see that, so I’m out there to lift that profile and put it out there. Once we have that I think we will have an increase in membership.”

2010 will see the industry on the road to recovery according to Batty. “I think 2010 will be a good year, I think will recover from all of that. I was at a breakfast the other morning and listening to a senior economist from Commsec and he gave a glowing output for what will happen this year,” he said.

“We’re set to have a good season in the marine industry, it is growing, it certainly slowed up last year, but it’s growing again.” Batty said the BIA will be instrumental in this role by lifting the industry’s profile and building relations across the board.

A united voice

Following the demise and subsequent reformation of AMIF in 2009, Batty believes there are obvious advantages of having a “BIA Australia association”.

“The advantage is it has more clout in talking to government departments, there’s no doubt about that. How it will be set up I’m not sure. I’m probably going to have a meeting on that very soon with the other managers,” said Batty.

“There are certainly advantages for speaking with a louder voice, as one. Yes, states have their differences and have their own issues, and that will always be the case, but the great advantage of speaking as one voice is that we can go to government and ‘say this is how many members we have state-by-state’, and speak for Australia.”