RITA’s Strategic Review

The Strategic Review was an ambitious project that was undertaken throughout 2024. RITA secured strategic planner, Liz Soutter, to take on the process. In Phase 1, through a series of surveys and one-on-one interviews with industry key players, Soutter created an overview of the industry. Her report is available to RITA members.

Phase 2 of the Strategic Review involved working with the RITA Board of Directors to update the Strategic Framework and identify short, medium and long-term action planning.

This initiative sets the stage for RITA to prioritise and tackle new goals for 2025 and beyond.

Head of the Charles Regatta

  • Purchasing a footprint at HOCR is an expensive undertaking. In 2024 RITA offered discounted space to members who otherwise would not have secured their own tent onsite. An affordable table inside the RITA tent was the perfect answer. Information on sharing with RITA next year, will come out in the spring.
  • For those companies who already had their own large footprint at HOCR, the RITA tent was a great place to get away for a quick coffee, to have a quiet meeting, or just have a breather. The tent became “the industry break room”.
  • The Saturday “Happy Hour” was a relaxed opportunity for RITA members and prospective members to come together to network and socialize over a beverage.
  • The Job Fair on Saturday saw over 200 people come through to chat with industry reps about current job openings and future opportunities. RITA will expand on promotion of the 2025 Job Fair to include more Boston area candidates.

Roundtable Discussions

On the second Wednesday of every month, RITA members get together to discuss topics of relevance to the rowing industry. It is an opportunity for business leaders to share thoughts, ask questions, and make connections. Topics vary and RITA members are welcome to propose a focus for a future roundtable or suggest a guest speaker.

Cooperation with World Rowing

RITA and World Rowing are looking to strengthen their relationship through proactive engagement. By means of meetings and discussions, RITA and World Rowing are establishing a reliable two-way conduit for information and feedback that can benefit RITA members, World Rowing, and the industry as a whole.

The World Rowing Equipment & Technology Commission listed “Strengthen relationship with equipment suppliers / Rowing Industry Trade Association (RITA),” as a focus for 2024.

Event Organizers’ Checklist

RITA members came together to create a comprehensive list that can be shared with event organizers. The list is intended to inform organizers of what they should be including, considering, and communicating in order to make the event, and vendor experience, the best it can be.

The checklist can be found here.