KOA Sponsoring U.S. Teams at Winter Olympics

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Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) will join forces with some of the U.S.’s best winter athletes as an official sponsor of the 2010 U.S. Olympic bobsled and skeleton teams.

“We are very excited about our newest sponsorship with Kampgrounds of America,” said Darrin Steele, CEO of the United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation (USBSF). “KOA is a great company and proving to be an enthusiastic partner. The timing of this couldn’t be better as we are in our final push toward the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada. We depend on sponsorships like this one with KOA, and it puts us one step closer to reaching our fundraising goal for the season.”

For Kampgrounds of America, the connection to the Olympic movement is a natural, according to a news release.

“KOA is all about pride, franchisee teamwork, excellence and outdoor fun,” said KOA CEO Jim Rogers. “The Winter Olympics bring the world’s elite athletes together to demonstrate the very best in outdoor recreation. Both KOA and the USBSF share a passion for dedication, hard work, competitive excellence and national pride and we are proud to be a member of the USBSF family.”

Oscar Tang, chairman of KOA, is serving as an honorary USA bobsled and skeleton team captain for the Winter Olympics and will attend the Winter Games.

Other team sponsors include Allianz Life Insurance Co., Under Armour Athletic Gear and Luminox Watches.

The team’s final three World Cup events are under way now through Jan. 10 in Konigsee, Germany; Jan. 11-17 at St. Moritz, Switzerland; and Jan. 18-24 at Igls, Austria. Winter Olympic bobsled competition begins Feb. 20 in Vancouver, and the skeleton competition will get under way Feb. 18.

Based in Lake Placid, N.Y., the USBSF is a non-profit corporation and national governing body for the sports of bobsled and skeleton in the United States. It is recognized by the Federation Internationale ed de Bobsleigh and Tobogganing as well as the United States Olympic Committee. The USBSF is responsible for the selection of the U.S. team, and enables our U.S. athletes to achieve sustained competitive excellence in Olympic competition and promotes the sports of bobsled and skeleton nationally.

KOA is the world’s largest system of family campgrounds, with 475 locations in the United States and Canada. KOA is dedicated to providing the best possible camping experience to the nearly six million campers it hosts each year. KOA was founded in 1962 on the banks of the Yellowstone River near Billings, Mont.

RPTIA Adds KOA’s ‘Lodge Guy’ to Its Board

Mike Atkinson, Kampground of America Inc.’s (KOA) facilities development manager, has been elected to the Recreation Park Trailer Industry Association (RPTIA) board of directors.

Newnan, Ga.-based RPTIA is a nonprofit trade association that represents and provides information and assistance to all segments of the park model and trailer industry, government agencies, media and product owners or potential owners.

Atkinson, known to KOA franchisees as ‘The Lodge Guy,’ is considered to be one of the leading experts on park models in the camping industry, according to a news release, and has been facilities development manager for Billings, Mont.-based KOA for three years.

Since 2006, Atkinson has collaboratively designed, engineered, manufactured, marketed and sold a new line of park models specifically for the outdoor hospitality environment, branded the KOA Lodge. Prior to working with KOA, he was a franchise owner himself, as well as a business owner in the construction and engineering fields.

“I am looking forward to sharing a campground perspective that incorporates an understanding of marketing, sales and end-user demands,” said Atkinson. “I’m honored to help RPTIA successfully navigate future challenges and leverage exciting opportunities.”

KOA’s Rogers, Airstream’s Wheeler on Today’s Video

Watch today’s video featuring Airstream Inc. CEO Bob Wheeler and Kampgrounds of America Inc. CEO Jim Rogers.

Rogers and Wheeler were interviewed today (Dec. 29) on the Fox Business Network. The two were interviewed concerning the rebound of the outdoors industry from the 2009 recession, as well as the prospects for camping and RVing in 2010.

Stuart to Lead KOA’s On-Site Consulting Service

Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) has promoted Michael Stuart to head its industry-leading program of Business Development Consultants who provide on-site consulting services to all of KOA’s 475 campgrounds in the U.S. and Canada, according to a news release.

Stuart began his KOA career in 2004 in the KampSight Support department. Later, he served as the manager of KampSight Training and Support. He then moved to the Franchisee Services Department, where he co-directed KOA’s Quality Review program. His last assignment, as the Business Development Consultant (BCD) team’s new owner specialist, led to the promotion to senior BDC, when that position was vacated by Louise Everett.

“I’m thrilled to be working with this experienced team, who are truly committed to sharing their extensive expertise with KOA owners,” said Stuart. “Currently, we’re making plans for our 2010 season, where we’re focusing on the many new KOA Kampgrounds, participation in regional associations and assisting KOA owners achieve our goal of being the leader in the outdoor hospitality.”

As senior business development consultant, Stuart will lead the team of five regional field consultants who assist KOA campground owners with all aspects of campground management, including:

• Campground facilities development, site analyses and business planning.
• Marketing, through KOA’s unique, demographics-based e-mail marketing program, leveraging KOA’s national marketing within franchisees’ local markets, and personalization of the camping industry’s highest-traffic website, KOA.com.
• Revenue management and business analyses through KOA’s proprietary online, real-time reservations software, KampSight.
• Identifying actionable improvements from KOA’s well-established Kamper Satisfaction Survey results.
• Learning timely information and sharing best practices through KOA’s franchisee Intranet site, eKamp.
• Participating in KOA’s camper loyalty program, Value Kard Rewards.
• KOA Kampgrounds new owner support programs, among many other services provided to franchisees by KOA.

On the Line: KOA Shifts to Park Model ‘Lodges’

 

Jim Rogers

Publisher’s Note: KOA Chairman and CEO Jim Rogers is arguably the industry’s most relentless marketeer. A former Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. executive, he has etched KOA’s yellow brand into the American psyche and now looks to change the face of KOA’s 463 parks — and American campgrounds in general — with the infusion of more and more sedentary camping “cabins” and “lodges.” Here are the highlights of an interview conducted during KOA’s Nov. 17-20 convention at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott in the Houston suburbs.

WCM: The general atmosphere of your convention was pretty positive, given all of the headwinds that the American economy has faced recently.

Rogers: KOA has just come out of its strongest summer in 47 years. If you take camper nights and registrations for the period of June, July, August and September, we’ve just exceeded anything we’ve done in the past. Where we hurt in 2009 and anticipate hurting this winter and probably early 2010 is in the Snowbird markets that are more dependent on a fixed-income lifestyle. What we did not see last year in America is the transient Snowbird.

So, we had the resident Snowbird that headed into Texas and Arizona and committed to three or four months, but the people who were going down and spending a month here and there did not show up. And that’s what we don’t have any certainty about.

Having said that, the cruise lines are indicating very strong advance reservations, which to me is the same market that we look at for this transient Snowbird. But it’s hard to predict that. Again, we anticipate the 2010 summer will be as strong as 2009’s was, if not a little better.

WCM: Looking back at September of 2008 and the economic meltdown that occurred then, could you have imagined that you’d be sitting here now coming off a near-record 2009, with gains anticipated in both camper nights and revenues?

Rogers: No. We went into our plan for 2009 very concerned. The surprise was that we quickly became the affordable (lodging) option. America traded down. They traded down everything they’ve done, and we exceeded expectations. They’ve gone to Costco more aggressively than they did previously, as they did with the camping alternative. If people were going to take a vacation, instead of staying at a Marriott or going to Europe, they decided to go camping again.

There were record tent sales last year in the United States. People found a different way to get outdoors. And, again, we continue to see people staying closer to home – even though Yellowstone Park, a distant destination, posted a record year.

And when they went to a KOA campground, they didn’t find their grandfather’s campground. They found the latte machine, they found (park model) lodges that had a bathroom and kitchen in them for $125 and a swimming pool and they were surprised. They were hooked. We continue to see 14-15% of our campers are first-time-ever campers. And among the first-timers, 50% are families. That’s great news for us that we are bringing in new people to experience KOA and the campgrounds that we’ve got. That’s going to play well long-term.

WCM: So, what do you really think these newbies are looking for in terms of camping accommodations?

Rogers: Anyone who has an investment in an RV brought their gear out of the garage this year. They might not have used it for a while. But our greatest growth will be a double-digit increase in camper nights in the lodge business — the 400-square-foot park model that offers a kitchen and a bathroom and a deck out front. That’s where our greatest growth is, and that’s why we’ve developed the new models with three suppliers, General Coach, Cavco Industries Inc. and Thor’s Breckenridge division.

WCM: What, in your opinion, is behind this evolution to more sedentary – or “destination” — styles of lodging?

Rogers: A lot of things are. Initially, it was this trend toward staying closer to home. People didn’t want to spend the gas or didn’t have the RV and they wondered what to do. In the process, people began to realize that these accommodations were there.

If you talk to our franchisees, they’re going to tell you they had 20 requests (for park model “lodges”) that exceeded what they could fulfill.

At the same time, the lodge customer gives us the highest satisfaction rating by 10 points. If you ask our lodge customer what they think of the experience, they are way above the average. They have the highest intent to return and they tell us they get the best price value. And they are paying the most for the experience. It’s all there. What a future!

WCM: What’s the demographic profile of a “cabin” or “lodge” customer?

Rogers: They skew more to families and first-timers and people who drive up in a car. It’s basically a customer who is right now using a motel or hotel. That’s where we’re going. We are learning from our Australian friends (Big 4 Holiday Parks, with whom KOA has a marketing partnership), who have 32% of their inventory in cabins and lodges.

You are going to see KOA on Travelocity, Orbitz, hotels.com. You talk about a new market and what we’ve got to offer; we’ve got to get the inventory out there.

Plus, KOA is going to produce a million directories in 2010. We intend to mail 400,000 to our Value Kard holders, and in the middle of the directory is a five-page, full color lodge brochure. You are going to begin to realize there is indeed a different offering in that experience. The fact is, with a motel, you get a room. What we are going to tell people is that this is a social activity.

WCM: To what extent do you anticipate expanding your lodge business?

Rogers: We’ve got 4,000-plus cabins (smaller units without water), but we only have about 1,000 lodges (generally park models with full facilities) among our 56,000 sites. That’s about 10% that are currently this type of accommodation. We’ve got to increase that inventory to go out to the market and grow this segment of our business – tremendously.

In the next three to five years, we hope that gets closer to 15-20% of our total inventory. It won’t happen that fast. That’s an aggressive goal. We are going to lead the charge at our 25 company-owned properties.

WCM: Needless to say, this would be a huge shift in the basic character of a so-called RV park or campground if it actually occurred to the extent that you’re describing it.

Rogers: There’s no question that the mix is dramatic. We have RV inventory with full hookups that is going unused that is getting $40 to $45 a night, and we put in a unit and we get $150 a night using the same real estate using the same hookups and the demand is right there behind it.

WCM: Do all of your lodges exude that “rustic” look that we’ve seen so much of lately?

Rogers: KOA has a team that has gone to the manufacturers, CAVCO and Breckenridge and General in Canada, and designed eight different models that run from a studio model that is probably 199 square feet to the big baby, which is 400 square feet. They all have bathrooms and kitchens and they all have concrete siding that looks like wood. They look like something from New England. Most of the inventory will be a log-side perceived look. That reinforces the cabin look that we’ve created. This is where we have an incredible growth opportunity.

By no means are we going to say adios to the RV industry. But we see the ability to be more diverse to whom we appeal to and we’ve got to reorient how we meet the demand for the supply that is out there.

WCM: So, do you also see growth in the entry-level type campers who, in some cases, prefer tents?

Rogers: We’ve definitely seen an increase in our tenter business. But the problem we’ve had is that over the last few years, we’ve reduced the inventory of tent sites. It’s a matter of figuring out what we have, and, ultimately, we see the tenter converting to a lodge or cabin.

WCM: With regard to private parks, many states are under extreme economic financial pressure. Your thoughts on all that?

Rogers: We all have to realize that public parks are as diverse as commercial parks. And we need to make sure that national parks still draw people for vacations and do a good job of taking care of them.

The more localized experience, the state parks that are indeed in dire shape, I think they will continue to be in difficult shape, and, hopefully, American campers will consider the commercial option more so than they have in the past.

The states need to find a new economic engine.

The other thing is that campers are coming to expect a certain level of services and the states aren’t going to be able to provide that.

So, some people who are partial to public parks have now begun to try the commercial side, and they’re pretty happy. They are more entertained and they are staying closer to home. They are staying longer and they expect a little more. Fishing for four days isn’t going to keep them entertained. They need something else going on. So, while I want public parks to continue to operate, I know that some of the business is going to swing over to us.

Cavco to Build KOA ‘Kamping Lodges’ in Virginia

For the past nine years, Cavco Industries Inc. has been supplying Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) franchisees with park model “Kamping Lodges” manufactured at its factories in Arizona and Texas.

But as a result of Cavco’s recent acquisition of Fleetwood Homes, the company now has the ability to efficiently service hundreds of KOA franchisees in the Eastern part of the country through an 80,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Rocky Mount, Va., according to a news release.

“By Feb. 1, we will have the first Kamping Lodges available at our Virginia facility,” said Tim Gage, vice president of Cavco’s specialty division, adding that the Rocky Mount facility will save East Coast KOA franchisees significant sums of money on shipping costs.

Mike Atkinson, KOA’s director of lodging, said Cavco’s Virginia plant will help KOA franchisees keep their costs down as they continue to move into the accommodations business. KOA franchisees purchased more than 200 Kamping Lodges from Cavco in 2009, and more purchases are expected next year.

“Over 50% of our franchisees will have a lodge with a bathroom by the end of this year, and we expect to see continued purchases of these products,” Atkinson said.

While the location of Cavco’s Rocky Mount facility helps KOA franchisees from a pricing standpoint, equally important is Cavco’s continuing ability to tailor products to KOA’s needs. “If we need to modify a spec or really do something outside the box, they are our ‘go to’ guys,” Atkinson said. “They understand us. They really understand our business.”

Atkinson said that the key for KOA franchisees is to purchase only lodges of impeccable quality because lesser quality lodges don’t have the durability for rental use. “That’s the key,” Atkinson said. “To put high-quality, long-lasting Kamping Lodges in your campground.”

For more information on Cavco’s Kamping Lodges, park models, and other specialized living units, contact Gage at (602) 763-5488 or visit www.cavcoparkhomes.com. For more information on KOA’s use of park model cabins as Kamping Lodges, contact Atkinson at (406) 248-7444 or e-mail him at matkinson@koa.net.

KOA Convention Features Nine Campground Lodges

 

The annual Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) International Convention in Houston, Texas, continued its tradition as one of the most productive and lucrative camping expos in North America Thursday (Nov. 19), according to a news release.

More than 500 KOA owners and managers met with leading vendors to purchase the supplies they’ll need to keep their guests supplied and happy in 2010. Nine unique lodges, including a duplex build by Cavco Industries Inc., shown at left, were featured by park model and lodge builders from across the U.S.

See a special YouTube video summarizing the day in today’s featured video.

Today, KOA names its annual KOA President’s and Founder’s award recipients.

KOA Gives Lena, Ill., Park Its ‘Rising Star’ Award

 

Joe and Diane Long, owners of the Lena, Ill., KOA campground, received the Kampgrounds of America Rising Star Award Wednesday (Nov. 18) during KOA’s International Convention in Houston, Texas.

“What the Longs have done in just three years is truly amazing,” said Jef Sutherland, vice president of franchise services. “They added 29 new sites, renovated the swimming pool and added a new community patio complete with a firepit.”

In addition, the Lena KOA now boasts a huge new jumping pillow, Wi-Fi throughout the campground and a newly remodeled campstore, according to a news release.

“It is this type of investment in camper fun and satisfaction,” Sutherland said, “combined with the Longs’ enthusiasm and customer service, that led to the Longs receiving KOA’s Rising Star Award this year.”

The Rising Star Award is given annually to one campground, and the criteria are strenuous ones. First, owners must love the camping lifestyle that is synonymous with KOA and must initiate exceptional business practices to ensure the growth of their campground. Second, they must be committed to developing services and facilities that will absolutely enhance campers’ experiences. And they must have owned their KOA campground for less than five years.

“Since Joe and Diane purchased the campground, they have been in the Top 10 KOA Kampgrounds based on Kamper Satisfaction Survey score,” Sutherland said. “They really go out of their way to make every guest’s visit an excellent one — and that’s why their campground has steadily grown. In fact, in 2009 they had the highest camper satisfaction score of any KOA in our system.”

Open April through October, the Lena KOA is just 35 miles from historic Galena, Ill. During the season, guests enjoy ice cream socials, group campfires and “hey” rides through the campground. It’s not usual to see Joe or daughters Alexandra and Kaley grab instruments and entertain campers, or for members of the Lena KOA team to grab a hula hoop and join guests in some fun and games. And Diane is well-known for handing out giant flavored marshmallows when it’s time for delicious s’mores.

Guests who visit the Lena KOA can choose from RV sites, tent sites, Kabins and Lodges, and the Longs have made sure that everyone can enjoy their campground by offering ADA-friendly accommodations. The campground is frequently home to family reunions and other group activities, and offers a beautiful outdoor camping kitchen complete with hot and cold water, multiple stove tops and grills and seating for 40.

In addition to the jumping pillow and pool, there are many fun activities on site as well. Basketball hoops, horseshoe pits, a sand volleyball court and a large playground offer outdoor entertainment, and an air-conditioned and heated game room keep the party going even when it’s raining.

“The Lena KOA is an excellent example of how hard work, combined with enthusiasm and commitment, yields great rewards,” said Sutherland. “Certainly, we’re glad to have the Longs as part of the KOA family, and could not be happier to recognize them as Rising Stars.”

Herkimer Diamond KOA Named Top KOA Campground

 

The Herkimer Diamond, N.Y., KOA Kampground was named Kampgrounds of America Inc.’s (KOA) Kamground of the Year during a ceremony Wednesday (Nov. 18) at KOA’s annual convention in Houston, Texas.

“Being named Kampground of the Year is the highest award in the KOA system,” said KOA President Pat Hittmeier. It is only given to those campground franchisees who truly are the very best of the best in every aspect of what they do, he added

Purchased in 1981 by Rudy and Rena Scialdo, and now run by their daughter, Dr. Renee Scialdo Shevat, and her husband Sam Shevat, the Herkimer Diamond, N.Y., KOA has gained local and national acclaim for its excellent accommodations and outstanding customer service, according to a news release. Its beginnings were a bit more humble, however.

It is said that the farmer who owned the property would see the cattle in his pastures trip, as their hooves broke through the ground. In the hole left behind, he would find a large pocket full of naturally occurring, 18-faceted quartz crystals, now known as Herkimer Diamonds.

The Herkimer Diamond Mines first opened to the public in 1955, with prospectors leaving a dollar in a mailbox as their fee. Eventually, the mines were sold to a group of investors, who built a rock shop and a public campground to serve the needs of the prospectors. That campground eventually became the KOA gem that it is today.

At the Herkimer Diamond KOA, guests find 135 sites, including tent and RV sites. There are also 16 Kabins, five Kottages and two Lodges. Each of the heated and air-conditioned Kottages, which come with a private bath, kitchenette and dining area, have a different theme and are decorated accordingly. Those themes include “World Wide Gems,” “Fish Tales,” “Captains Quarters” and more. Each of the kabins is named after a gemstone, like “Shady Sapphires,” “Amber Annex” or “Peridot Place.”

On site, campers will enjoy spending time on the West Canada Creek, jumping in the pool or playing disc golf, and there is always something fun happening during the season (April 15-Nov. 1). And of course, everyone likes to try their hand at finding fortune at the Herkimer Diamond Mines.

For a minimal fee (kids age 4 and under are free), campers receive a prospecting admission ticket/wristband, a hammer and a collector’s bag for their finds. They watch an instructional video and head off to the mining area, where they can spend the day finding — and breaking — rocks and digging in pockets. They can then take their treasures to the rock shop to have custom jewelry made for them.

Also available are sluice bags full of rough material, perfect for young campers.

“Of course, the mines are a huge draw for the Herkimer KOA,” Hittmeier said. “But what we hear from KOA guests time and time again is how well they’re taken care of when they stay there.”

That includes, he said, the friendliness of the staff and their willingness to go out of their way to meet the needs of campers.

“At KOA, we frequently survey our campers,” Hittmier noted, “and time and time again, this campground gets some of the highest scores anywhere in North America. That’s why they won the President’s and Founders Awards this year as well.

“It’s an outstanding accomplishment that accurately reflects the outstanding efforts of the Scialdos and the Shevats.”

Watch a video from Wednesday’s convention highlights in the featured video elsewhere on this page. 

KOA Convention Posting Video from Convention

Tuesday was a day of variety at the Kampgrounds of America (KOA) Convention in Houston Texas, with the KOA Workamper University and Job Fair, as well as the naming of KOA’s Workamper of the Year.  

Today, opening sessions start the day, and the company names KOA’s top Franchisee of the Year.

KOA is posting YouTube videos each day from the convention. They are also being posted on the Woodall’s Campground Management website.

Check out today’s featured video of Tuesday’s events elsewhere on this page.

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