Big Change Afoot for Three National Shows?

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!Supplier exhibits at RVIA’s Louisville Show The industry’s quest for a more logical, efficient and timely approach to national trade shows could well lead to the consolidation of all three key current industry events as soon as 2013, RVBUSINESS.com has learned. Much of the buzz among trade groups and key manufacturers like Thor Industries Inc., based in Jackson Center, Ohio, and Forest River Inc., headquartered... Read more

Rand McNally Develops Custom RV-Style GPS

Rand McNally TripMaker Representatives of a time-honored, 140-year-old brand name in the road atlas business, Rand McNally, were working the floor of RVIA’s 49th Annual National Trade Show, Nov. 29-Dec. 1 in Louisville, Ky. And while the company’s world-famous atlas is still available in print and digital formats, Rand McNally executives were promoting a product that is nothing short of cutting edge: a custom GPS system for RV and camping enthusiasts called Rand McNally’s TripMaker RVND. First... Read more

A Big Weekend for Camping World/Good Sam

Big weekend for Camping World/Good Sam This is a big weekend for Camping World because the Bowling Green, Ky.-based company is playing a major role in two national events on opposite coasts – the Rally running July 14-17 at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center in Redmond, Ore., and at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway where the company’s Good Sam Enterprises LLC division joins RCR as the primary sponsor on the No. 33 Good Sam Chevrolet driven by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Driver Clint Bowyer. “We... Read more

Go RVing Coalition Embraces New Ad Theme

The Go RVing Coalition, in a standing-room-only session held during RVIA Committee Week in Washington  D.C., again exhibited the kind of unity that has been a hallmark of the recreational vehicle industry’s ongoing  marketing campaign since it was launched some 14 years ago. At the end of the day, the all-industry panel unanimously agreed to move beyond the cost-effective “Ambassadors of Affordability” theme that had carried it through the recession to an all-new, integrated television,... Read more

Best Parks in America Looks for More Growth

David Gorin David Gorin says he’s ready to take the five-year-old Best Parks in America marketing network to the next level as a quality brand in the RV park and campground business that will give North American travelers confidence that they are dealing with a quality facility when they pull into any of the 71 affiliated facilities. “We give them (parks) a brand that has a national awareness among consumers that allows them to expand their marketing clout way beyond what an individual property... Read more

KOA Franchisees Outperform U.S. Economy

Pat Hittmeier, KOA president Despite the nation’s challenging economic environment, business for most of Kampground of America Inc.’s 460-plus parks is relatively good right now. In fact, it’s real good in some cases. That much was evident at KOA’s Annual International Convention at which some 500 people – representing 220 parks – gathered Nov. 7-10 at the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa in Savannah, Ga. How so many entrepreneurial franchisees like Steven Jewell, of Spartanburg... Read more

Thoughts from the 46th Annual NCA Convention

Editor’s Note: For an expanded version of this story, be sure to read the April issue of Woodall’s Campground Management, in the mail this week to your office or campground. The 46th Annual Northeast Conference on Camping & Trade Show, March 18-20 at the Sheraton in Springfield, Mass., seemed to reflect – like other state and regional events held so far this year – the solid expectations many in the RV park and campground business are harboring for the 2010 camping season. “I... Read more

Promoter Changes Internet Show’s Name, Focus

Producers of the campground sector’s first-ever virtual trade show have renamed and redirected the marketing of their planned Nov. 1-3 Internet event to reach a wider spectrum of potential suppliers and attendees, according to Art Lieberman, president and producer of Campground Expo and head of MCPS of Central Pennsylvania and MCPS for Campgrounds, the New Berlin, Pa.-based credit/debit card processors. The virtual convention’s name has been changed from the “Virtual Campground Expo” to the... Read more

Signature’s 2nd Resort Set for Grand Opening

Randall Henderson, president of Nashville, Tenn.-based Signature Resorts, says the Feb. 12-13 grand opening of Signature’s second upscale resort, in Naples, Fla., sends a message to the industry and the American Class A motorhome enthusiast that good things are still happening in the high-end resort market. “We think it’s time to start looking positive again,” Henderson told RVBUSINESS.com. “I mean, we’ve all had the same experience of shrinkage. But at some point, recovery has to start... Read more

A Case for Establishing/Embracing RV Centennial

Editor’s Note: The following editorial was written by Sherman Goldenberg, publisher of Woodall’s Campground Management and www.WOODALLSCM.COM. We participated recently in a conference call with a bunch of industry people to address the upcoming “RV Centennial” and the opportunities that might exist for participating businesses if they take the time to tune into this off-the-wall idea. Why off-the-wall? Well, it just seems rather arbitrary for the leadership of the Recreation Vehicle... Read more