NEWS

Bonnier’s Motorsports & Outdoor Group Strengthens and Expands Leadership Team 

For Immediate Release
For inquiries, contact [email protected]

  • Tracy Feinsilver to head group as new SVP
  • Kyle Cunningham named Director of Operations
  • Recruiting underway to expand marketing team

January 29, 2025 – Bonnier LLC, operator of several national hunting and automotive consumer event properties, has announced organizational changes and investments that will expand Bonnier’s footprint within the outdoor enthusiast community. 

Leading this expansion is Tracy Feinsilver, who has been named as Senior Vice President of Bonnier’s Motorsports & Outdoor Group. Previously, Feinsilver served as the group’s Vice President of Operations. For Feinsilver, the advancement represents a natural progression, given the sustained excellence he has demonstrated for the past six years across a broad spectrum of event management responsibilities. 

“When we considered the leadership needs this group had for 2025, we didn’t have to look far,” said David Ritchie, Bonnier CEO. “In fact, we didn’t have to look at all, because the solution was already staring us in the face. Not only was Tracy Feinsilver a proven executor of events, he was universally respected within the team, and by our exhibitors, for his steady hand, thoughtful approach, and solutions-based thinking. Once we began exploring this opportunity with Tracy, it became clear that he was not only the right man for the job, he was the only person fully equipped to execute Bonnier’s vision for growth.”

Tracy Feinsilver

Feinsilver will lead a proven team of full-time and contract employees, focused on growth and expansion within the group’s current footprint of event properties. Supporting Feinsilver is a strong cast of industry veterans.

The highly successful sales team of Melissa DeMonaco, Joe Sebergandio and Brandon Censky will continue to lead sales activities, while Kyle Cunningham, an automotive industry authority and member of the Bonnier operations team since 2021, has been named Director of Operations. “In his previous role as Special Features Manager, Kyle showed tremendous initiative and ingenuity, and was a gifted, reliable right hand in effectively managing a complex event operation,” Feinsilver said. “ I will rely heavily on him as we continue to introduce new features and activations across our entire portfolio.”

Kristie Leader, a brand activation and event marketing specialist with strong experience with clients including NASCAR and the Super Bowl, has been leading the group’s marketing initiatives since May of 2024. Leader works the dual purpose role of marketing Bonnier’s properties to potential sponsors and exhibitors, while also ensuring strong consumer attendance at every stop throughout the year. Leader is currently recruiting for a full-time marketing coordinator.

Tina Rollins will continue to manage Bonnier’s Exhibitor Services, a role she has excelled at for the past six years. Robert Eldridge will continue to manage Box Office operations. Their commitment and proactive approach ensure that all client needs are met seamlessly, making them vital parts of the team. 

“We are fortunate to have an incredibly talented team of specialists who each bring a set of strong, complementary skills to the table,” said Ritchie. “Under Tracy’s steady and thoughtful leadership, they will most certainly thrive.” 

About Bonnier
Bonnier is an outdoor adventure company that fuels passion for big-game fishing, motorsports and hunting. In its Motorsports & Outdoor group, Bonnier engages with more than a million outdoor enthusiasts annually through a nationwide series of experiential events, including the Sand Sports Super Show, Off-Road Expo, Open Season Sportsman’s Expo, Street Machine Nationals car shows, and professional watersports shows. Bonnier also owns The Marlin Group, the world’s largest big-game fishing network. As publisher of Marlin magazine, the industry’s No. 1 source since 1981, The Marlin Group operates the Offshore World Championship in Costa Rica; Los Cabos Billfish Tournament in Cabo San Lucas; Scrub Island Billfish Series; and the Bermuda Triple Crown. Bonnier is owned by Sweden-based Bonnier AB, a globally operating conglomerate with more than 200 years in publishing. Learn more at bonniercorp.com.

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The Marlin Group Names Industry Veteran, Dave Morel, as Publisher

Dave Morel headshot

Natasha Lloyd, retiring after 28 years, to remain on board as Publisher Emeritus

For Immediate Release
For inquiries, contact [email protected]

January 17, 2025 – WINTER PARK, FL – The Marlin Group, the world’s largest big-game fishing network, has named industry veteran, Dave Morel, as Publisher. Morel, who previously served as the group’s Sales Director, replaces Natasha Lloyd, who is retiring from day-to-day responsibilities after 28 years of service. Lloyd will continue to manage special projects for the brand as Publisher Emeritus.

“When we brought Dave Morel aboard as Sales Director, we did so knowing that we were also hiring Natasha Lloyd’s eventual successor,” said David Ritchie, Marlin Group CEO. “Dave has been a successful sales professional for some of the biggest media brands in the boating and fishing industry. He’s launched his own magazine, so he knows intuitively how to balance the needs of the client against the needs of the reader. And he also has been a client, working to manage a vibrant boat dealership during turbulent times. We know the Marlin brand is in good hands under his leadership.”

For Morel, the appointment represents a natural progression of leadership after selling across Bonnier’s former network of marine brands, which included the appointment as Publisher of both Salt Water Sportsman and Sport Fishing.

“This is such an amazing opportunity,” Morel said. “We are coming off the most significant year of strategic enhancements in Marlin’s 40-plus-year history, as we transformed what was just a magazine into a fully integrated network of complementary business pillars. Where we had advertisers before, we now have brand partners who benefit from integrated products and solutions that span across traditional media channels as well as a robust portfolio of best-in-class experiential events. The Marlin Group stands as the undisputed flagship for the global big-game community, and to be named Publisher at a time where we are positioned to strengthen that standing further is truly a dream come true.”

In announcing her retirement, effective at the end of February, Lloyd looks back on an impressive legacy in the big-game fishing industry.

“For more than 28 years, Natasha has carried the Marlin pennant proudly, and we are incredibly grateful for the many wonderful years that she dedicated to Marlin and to Bonnier,” Ritchie said. “Natasha is an icon in this industry, and for good reason. Setting Marlin up for success has been her steadfast mission, and she’s done that yet again in her departure, by hand-picking her successor. We are excited for her and wish her the very best in the future.”

In her new Publisher Emeritus role, Lloyd will provide consulting services and manage special projects for The Marlin Group. Recruiting is currently underway for an Associate Publisher/Sales Director to join The Marlin Group in a leadership position, reporting to Dave Morel. Interested candidates can apply here.

About The Marlin Group
The Marlin Group is the world’s largest big-game fishing network reaching more than one million captains, anglers, mates and boat owners annually across a variety of touchpoints. The group publishes Marlin magazine, the industry’s No. 1 source since 1981, and operates the Offshore World Championship in Costa Rica; Los Cabos Billfish Tournament in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Scrub Island Billfish Series in the British Virgin Islands; and the Bermuda Triple Crown, making it the worldwide leader for international billfishing tournaments. Marlin Expeditions, formerly Marlin University, has led anglers on educational excursions to the globe’s top big-game fishing destinations for more than 20 years. The Marlin Group is a core division of the US-based outdoor adventure company Bonnier LLC.

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The Marlin Group and The Billfish Foundation Form Strategic Partnership

For Immediate Release
For inquiries, contact [email protected]

December 13, 2024 – WINTER PARK, FL – The Marlin Group, the world’s largest big-game fishing network, and The Billfish Foundation (TBF) have announced a strategic partnership in which TBF will be the foundational partner for Marlin’s new Advocacy platform. 

As part of this initiative, TBF will author regular Advocacy articles in Marlin’s print edition and contribute to a new series of Advocacy newsletters that aim to educate and engage big-game anglers on key issues affecting the fishery and the industry. 

“We at The Marlin Group are focused on a handful of pivotal issues that are really important to our audience, and chief among them is furthering our understanding, and therefore better protecting, these majestic fish,” Ritchie said. “We’re excited to sign this foundational partnership with TBF, which has been at the forefront of this movement since 1986.”

The two globally respected brands will also engage in a series of joint promotions to build and enhance TBF membership and Marlin subscription benefits. As part of this agreement, all new and renewing TBF members will receive a free one-year digital subscription to Marlin as a member benefit. 

“The Billfish Foundation and Marlin have been leaders of change in this sport since the 1980s, and this strategic partnership reflects our shared interest in the long-term viability of this fishery,” said Ellen Peel, TBF President. “We’re excited to work more closely with Marlin to ensure that everyone in this community understands how they can play a role in the protection of this great resource.”

The Marlin Group aims to bring additional strategic Advocacy partners aboard later in the year.

About The Marlin Group
The Marlin Group is the world’s largest big-game fishing network, closely engaged with more than one million boat owners, anglers, captains and mates annually. The group publishes Marlin magazine, the industry’s No. 1 source since 1981, and operates the Offshore World Championship in Costa Rica; Los Cabos Billfish Tournament in Cabo San Lucas; Scrub Island Billfish Series in the British Virgin Islands; and the Bermuda Triple Crown, making it the worldwide leader for international billfishing tournaments. Marlin Expeditions, formerly Marlin University, has led anglers on educational excursions to the globe’s top big-game fishing destinations for more than 20 years. The Marlin Group is a core operating unit of the US-based outdoor adventure company Bonnier LLC. Learn more at marlinmag.com and bonniercorp.com. To subscribe, go to marlinmag.com/subscribe

About The Billfish Foundation
The Billfish Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works globally to advance the conservation of billfish and associated highly migratory species to improve the health of oceans and economies. TBF combines data collection, research, and advocacy into one collective voice on behalf of anglers, the fishing community, and billfish. Learn more at billfish.org.

Image credit Jon Whittle

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The Marlin Group Announces Substantial Investments in Marlin Magazine

Marlin Issue 285 cover

For Immediate Release
For inquiries, contact [email protected]

  • New bimonthly publication schedule
  • Special “bookazine” annual issue commemorating the best of big-game angling
  • Heavier paper and wider format to showcase enhanced design

October 31, 2024 – WINTER PARK, FL – Bonnier LLC, publisher of Marlin magazine, has announced massive investments that will further strengthen Marlin’s position of leadership within the big-game fishing industry. Collectively, the investments will represent the most substantial enhancements to the magazine since its launch in 1982. 

Beginning in January 2025, Marlin will feature a new publishing schedule that will include six bimonthly issues plus a seventh “bookazine” special issue in late 2025 commemorating the best of big-game angling. Every issue of Marlin will feature heavier cover stock and improved interior paper, as well as a wider trim size to showcase enhancements in editorial and design.

“Print remains a vibrant component of our audience strategy,” said David Ritchie, Marlin Group CEO. “In 2025, we’re improving everything about the magazine. Readers will feel the difference in the paper quality, and they’ll see the design enhancements that come with our wider trim size. With a consistent bimonthly schedule, our readers and clients can look forward to their issues with anticipation, enhancing the overall reading experience.”

“What these investments really reflect is a shift in mindset,” said Jack Vitek, Editor-in-Chief. “Marlin is not just a magazine that people subscribe to. It is the journal for a close-knit community of like-minded anglers, and our product needs to reflect that. Each issue needs to be a collectible keepsake that is showcased on every salon table. Everything we have in store for 2025 is borne out of that line of thinking.”

The commitment to reader experience extends beyond print. A new publishing schedule has also been developed to drive increased engagement and retention across all of the group’s digital channels, most notably email, where caps on send volume will ensure Marlin Group emails stand out in the in-box.

“For more than 40 years, Marlin has been at the center of all things big-game fishing, and the investments we’re making in 2025 reflect our continuing  commitment to this passionate community,” Ritchie said. 

About The Marlin Group

The Marlin Group is the world’s largest big-game fishing network, closely engaged with more than one million boat owners, anglers, captains and mates annually. The group publishes Marlin magazine, the industry’s No. 1 source since 1981, and operates the Offshore World Championship in Costa Rica; Los Cabos Billfish Tournament in Cabo San Lucas; Scrub Island Billfish Series in the British Virgin Islands; and the Bermuda Triple Crown, making it the worldwide leader for international billfishing tournaments. Marlin Expeditions, formerly Marlin University, has led anglers on educational excursions to the globe’s top big-game fishing destinations for more than 20 years. The Marlin Group is a core operating unit of the US-based outdoor adventure company Bonnier LLC. Learn more at marlinmag.com and bonniercorp.com.

To subscribe, go to marlinmag.com/subscribe

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