KOA Touts April 21 Work Kamper Boot Kamp in California

Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) is offering a free one-day session of its popular KOA Work Kamper Boot Kamp training April 21 at the Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Campground.

“Our KOA Work Kamper Program provides our KOA owners with a well-trained, experienced work force, so keeping our Work Kampers up to date is a top priority,” Mike Booth, assistant vice president of franchisee services for KOA, stated in a news release.

The KOA Work Kamper Program currently has approximately 1,500 active Work Kamper teams who are matched with KOA owners offering jobs in their parks. KOA Work Kampers who complete a full camping season are eligible to become KOA All Star Work Kampers with increased benefits, including travel vouchers at KOAs when traveling to a campground for work.

“We train KOA Work Kampers to be fully versed in top-level customer service practices and we make them familiar with our quality and facility standards,” said Booth. “Once they become familiar with KOA’s service culture, it’s very easy for Work Kampers to move from one KOA to the next.”

A portion of the April 21 training session will include a “Virtual Job Fair,” where KOA Work Kampers will be able to meet via the Internet with KOA owners throughout North America.

The KOA Work Kamper Boot Kamp session at the Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA is free for subscribed KOA Work Kampers, and will include a free breakfast and lunch. To register for the April 21 training or to learn more about the KOA Work Kamper program, go to www.workatkoa.com.

Work Kampers who want to stay at the Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA are responsible for their own reservations. Just call the Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA at (800) 562-7701 after registering for Boot Kamp.

After Boot Kamp, KOA Work Kampers will have the opportunity to meet with KOA Work Kamper support staff individually to help them build their resumes and search for jobs. The group will also be invited to attend one of Branson’s popular shows at a discounted rate.

 

KOA Firms Up Work Kamper Boot Kamps

Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) is offering two free one-day sessions of its popular KOA Work Kamper Boot Kamp training for subscibed KOA Work Kampers, according to a news release.

The first training is scheduled for March 28 at the KOA Campground in Branson, Mo.  The training session is going forward as scheduled, despite the major tornado which hit Branson earlier this week. The tornado did not damage the KOA Campground.

The second session will be April 21 at the Santa Cruz/Monterey, Calif., KOA Campground.

“Our KOA Work Kamper Program provides our KOA owners with a well-trained, experienced work force, so keeping our Work Kampers up to date is a top priority,” said Mike Booth, assistant vice president of franchisee services for KOA.

“We train KOA Work Kampers to be fully versed in top-level customer service practices and we make them familiar with our quality and facility standards,” said Booth. “Once they become familiar with KOA’s service culture, it’s very easy for Work Kampers to move from one KOA to the next.”

A portion of the training sessions will include a “Virtual Job Fair,” where KOA Work Kampers will be able to meet via the Internet and in person with KOA owners throughout North America.

The KOA Work Kamper Boot Kamp sessions are free for subscribed KOA Work Kampers, and will include a free breakfast and lunch. To register for the training or to learn more about the KOA Work Kamper program, go to www.workatkoa.com or contact the Work Kamper Support Team by email welovekamping@koa.net or call (800) 562-0899.

Registration for the Branson Work Kamper Boot Kamp closes March 12.

KOA, Keystone RV and Coleman Partner on Contest

Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA), the world’s leading provider of quality camping experiences for North American families, has teamed with Keystone RV Co. and the Coleman Co. for KOA’s 50th Anniversary Giveaway.

Beginning today (March 1), campers will be able to register each week for a chance to win one of 50 weeks of free KOA camping anywhere in North America, according to a KOA news release. Then, once each month, one entrant will also be selected to receive a $500 shopping spree at Coleman.com. And, in October, one extremely lucky camper will be selected to win a $40,000 Vantage recreational vehicle courtesy of Keystone RV.

Campers can enter their names once each week at www.KOAKompass.com. For a complete list of contest rules, go to www.KOAKompass.com.

“We think this will be a very fun way to celebrate our 50th birthday,” said KOA CEO Jim Rogers. “We partnered with Keystone RV Co. last year to give away a great Keystone Springdale RV, and it proved to be wildly popular with campers. So, being able to offer a brand new Keystone Vantage – which is now in its very first year of production – is a real treat.”

“Our joint promotion with KOA in 2011 was widely successful,” said Matt Zimmerman, president of Keystone RV. Last year, KOA and Keystone partnered to give away a new Keystone Springdale RV to a family in California. “This 50th Anniversary KOA celebration is even bigger and better.”

Vantage from Keystone combines timeless beauty with modern technology to create a new travel trailer unlike anything on the market today. By utilizing curved, laminated fiberglass sidewalls and an arched roof, Vantage delivers wide-body livability and comfort in a look that clearly stands apart. And the Vantage interior is also extraordinary–tastefully incorporating contemporary-glazed maple cabinets, two-tone fascia, and an open spaciousness that is uncommon and pleasing.

For more information on the Keystone Vantage, go to www.vantage-rv.com.

Rogers said the Coleman Co. – another iconic name in camping industry – is yet another natural partner for KOA’s 50th Anniversary Giveaway.

“Everyone knows Coleman and the quality that name brings to mind,” he said. “Who hasn’t camped with a Coleman lantern or sleeping bag over the years?”

KOA-Sponsored Sleds Do Well at Worlds

Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2012 and, as part of its ongoing support for outdoor fun, sports and all kinds of “recreational vehicles,” renewed its sponsorship of the United States Bobsled/Skeleton teams through the next Olympic Winter Games.

The U.S. team is hoping to maintain momentum after a successful first weekend of World Championship medal performances on Mt. Van Hoevenberg, according to a news release. Elana Meyers and Katie Eberling secured bronze while racing in the women’s KOA bobsled on Feb. 18 to continue the program’s trajectory of success and to set the pace for Steven Holcomb and Steve Langton, who made history as the first U.S. team to win a two-man bobsled World Championship crown on Feb. 19. The bobsled and skeleton team combined efforts to claim the team event title as well to medal in all three events.

Meyers and Eberling had ballistic starts in the KOA sled, dominating their women’s bobsled competitors with the four fastest push times. The pair was 0.11 second from silver after the first two heats of racing, but they were unable to make up time in the finals. A four-heat total time of 3:49.57 secured bronze for USA-1 in a competitive field of 17 sleds.

USA-1’s medal performance was a breakthrough for the second-year pilot and rookie brakeman. Meyers is best known for her skills as a powerhouse brakeman, having won a silver medal as a pusher for Shauna Rohbock at the 2009 World Championships and the 2010 Olympic bronze medal with Erin Pac. Eberling made an immediate impact in the sport after winning the 2011 National Push Championship title after only a few runs in the back of the sled. The duo didn’t have any expectations; they were just eager to compete on home ice.

“Katie definitely didn’t act like a rookie, she fit in really well with the veterans,” Meyers said. “I guess it was her great career at Western Michigan that prepared her for this time. Who would have thought volleyball to bobsled?”

Holcomb and Langton carried the momentum from the women’s race to claim the first two-man bobsled World Championship title ever for the U.S. in the 2012 contest for the crown. All three U.S. teams entered into the competition posted top nine finishes to cap a successful two-man season for the program.

“It feels phenomenal to be World Champion,” Holcomb said. “You know, we won the World Championships here in 2009 and it was great, but this is my first two-man title. I think that the hard work we put in during the off-season and all the work we’ve put in this season has really paid off.”

Holcomb started making history when he won the first four-man bobsled title in 50 years for the U.S. during the 2009 World Championships in Lake Placid, and then again made history by earning the first Olympic gold medal for the program in 62 years in 2010. His string of record-breaking runs continued today with world push champion Langton pushing him along.

“It feels pretty fantastic,” Langton said. “I have had some success, but to come out here and win my first big championship is pretty amazing. The feeling is really indescribable; it honestly really hasn’t sunk in yet.”

“I drive the sled, Langton pushes it-I mean I help push it- but there are so many other people that go into the little things of the day to day operation of the team,” Holcomb said. “I know I gave Shimer a hard time about being in the garage that late, but he really did spend that much time out there making sure the sleds were perfect. We were in the garage late last night making some adjustments that we thought might help and you saw the first run and it worked out.

“I can’t say enough about Holcomb, he is just unbelievable,” Shimer said. “He is such a talented pilot and anything you throw at him he just seems to get down the hill quickly. This is just a really great moment for USA bobsled. A little more history being made.”

Holcomb and Langton’s historic title was won with a total time of 3:42.88. Rush and Lumsden earned silver with a four-run combined time of 3:43.34, while Germans Maximilian Arndt and Kevin Kuske clocked an aggregate time of 3:43.43 for bronze.

Just hours after Holcomb captured the two-man bobsled World Championship title, he helped the U.S. earn the team competition crown to cap a successful weekend of medal performances.

“Two World Championship titles in one day is pretty great,” Holcomb said. “Competing in the team event is always fun, so it’s really awesome to be up here with my teammates.”

Athletes in women’s and men’s skeleton and women’s and men’s two-man bobsled take one run each for a four-run combined time in the team event. The nation with the lowest combined time is declared the winner.

The team was victorious by a huge margin of 0.73 second after posting a combined time of 3:44.98. Germany posted a total time of 3:45.71 to claim the silver medal, while team Canada was third with a four-run combined time of 3:46.28.

World Championships continue Thursday through Sunday with the women’s and men’s skeleton races and the four-man bobsled contest for the 2012 title.

KOA Again Named One of Top 50 Franchises

Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) has again made the list of Top 50 franchises in North America, according to Franchise Business Review’s 2012 Franchisee Satisfaction Awards.

Each year, Franchise Business Review surveys more than 22,000 franchisees representing more than 300 franchise brands in a wide variety of industries. This year, KOA ranked 30th among the top 50 franchises in the Large Systems category, according to a KOA news release.

This is the fourth year in a row that Kampgrounds of America Inc. has ranked in the Top 50 franchises on Franchise Business Review’s annual list.

“For the past 50 years, we’ve dedicated our efforts to building trust and confidence among our franchisees,” said KOA CEO Jim Rogers. “Our campers are very faithful to the KOA brand, and we find the same is true among our franchisees. We have continually added support systems and mechanisms for our franchisees that allow them to spend more time with their guests, and they recognize that spending time working directly with guests to meet their needs is the secret to success.”

Franchise Business Review President Michelle Rowan agrees with Rogers.

“We’re seeing more of a focus from franchisors on unit profitability,” Rowan said. “Franchisees are rating support from franchisors better than they were a few years ago. Everyone is more optimistic going into 2012.”

Franchise Business Review annually recognizes franchisors with the highest overall franchisee satisfaction based on its survey of franchisees. The survey includes 33 benchmark questions, relating to the franchisee’s experience and satisfaction as well as market area, training, support, system quality issues, business lifestyle and overall satisfaction. Franchise Business Review contacts each franchisee individually with an average franchisee participation rate of 70 percent.

But Kampgrounds of America doesn’t stop there. KOA uses additional mechanisms to track how franchisees feel about the company and their individual businesses. KOA conducts its own internal Franchisee Satisfaction Survey each year, and holds an annual convention where franchisees are encouraged to voice their successes and concerns. Additionally, KOA has franchisee advisory groups that meet regularly with KOA leadership to help shape future strategies.

Camping: An Oasis of Genuine Interaction

Editor’s Note: The following story appeared in today (Feb. 21) issue of The Huff Post.

This May, Kampgrounds of America is giving away a free night of camping at all of its nearly 500 locations around the U.S. in an effort to convince families that enjoying the outdoors doesn’t have to be a hassle.

The company, which has 484 campgrounds in North America, will give away the free night on May 12 to guests that pay for a night of camping on May 11.

“It’s a perfect example of trying to get people out and get in the mindset of camping in the spring,” KOA CEO Jim Rogers says. “It’s a great opportunity to shake the cobwebs off the tent or off the rig.”

It’s part of a bigger Come Camp & Care weekend that the company organizes annually as a fundraiser for their Care Camps, a group of 44 specially-equipped campgrounds for children with cancer and their siblings. The weekend, says KOA CEO Jim Rogers, generates roughly $350,000 for the Care Camps.

“That is significant,” Rogers says. “Fundraising’s tough.”

HuffPost Travel’s Paul Brady talked camping with KOA’s CEO.

Paul Brady: Tell us more about the rationale behind the free weekend.

Jim Rogers: We continue to believe that America needs to spend more time outdoors, and the strategy that we built into this was to make it easy and very reasonable for people to go out and try a campground.

It reinforces the idea of affordability because you’re getting a free night, and it allows people to go explore the option of, Should we put up a tent? Should we try a cabin? Should we try a deluxe cabin? It’s an opportunity to test the water.

I like to go out and do a test run before I hit the road to do something serious. It’s fun to find out whether you’ve got a hole in your tent before it starts raining.

PB:How does KOA supporting the Care Camps with this weekend?

JR:We haven’t done a good job of building awareness for it, and yet whenever we do, we find an outpouring of support. What happens here is that many of the campgrounds have activities during the weekend. So they’ll have an auction of items donated by local businesses or they’ll have a parade or they’ll have a barbecue or pancake breakfast or ice cream social and all of them include some form of donation. It’s our crescendo of fundraising we kick off the year with.

This has become one of the biggest weekends of the year. It’s the eighth or ninth or 10th largest weekend that we have. We put it up against Fourth of July and Memorial Day.

PB:Do you get to travel much personally?

JR:Being based in Billings, Montana, and having 500 locations, you do spend a lot of time elsewhere.

PB:What drew you to your job as KOA CEO?

JR:My first job out of college was with KOA. I worked for KOA for about three or four years in the ’70s.

PB:What’s changed since you came on board?

JR:I think we’ve really worked hard on improving the quality of service in our system. We’ve built metrics in to evaluate overall quality from the guest perspective versus an inspector from KOA. We’re now at a point — 10 or 11 years into it — that we know that if (you) check in at a pop-up with a dog and three kids that when (you) check in tomorrow night at another KOA, we already know that information. That recognition is important to everybody.

PB:Any other changes in the camping business?

JR:Our business has gone local. Over the last 10 years, we’ve gone from about 43 percent of our guests spending the night before (staying at a KOA campground) at home to nearly 57 percent of our customers.

We just finished a study with Coleman and the outdoor industry. We tend to typecast campers. But we learned there’s tremendous cross-over. A camper may indeed drive a trailer to a location, take his bike and ride through Moab for two or three days. He may go backpacking for a week. He may hike or fish or paddle down a river and I think we have to appreciate that our audience isn’t limited.

We have to get people unplugged. People are seeking peace and quiet. When you’re camping, within five minutes, the guy that’s got a site next to you is talking to you. The kids are playing and they could be a quarter of a mile away — and you’re OK with it. Our society needs this sort of oasis of genuine interaction.

Forbes Magazine Marks KOA’s 50th Anniversary

Jim Rogers, chairman of Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA), was interviewed by Forbes magazine for a story marking KOA’s 50th anniversary in 2012.

Click here to read the interview.

KOA Campers Can Get Free Night During Special Weekend

Campers from throughout North America are making their reservations for Kampgrounds of America’s 9th Annual Come Kamp & Care With Us Weekend event May 11-12.

Campers who stay as paying guests on Friday, May 11, will receive a free night of camping on Saturday, May 12, at any of the 400-plus participating KOA campgrounds throughout the North American KOA system, according to a news release.

The event, which attracted more than 25,000 camping families in 2011, also serves as a fundraiser to support KOA Care Camps for children with cancer. KOA Care Camps is a network of 44 specialized summer campers throughout North America that provide a safe summer camping experience for children undergoing or recovering treatment for cancer.

“Come Kamp & Care With Us Weekend has become a mainstay in our efforts to support this very worthy charity,” said KOA CEO Jim Rogers. “It is so great that we have found a wonderful way to invite out campers to begin enjoying their summer camping season and also allow them to help us support camps for children with cancer.”

Last year, more than $500,000 was raised through camper donations by the KOA Care Camps Trust and distributed to the various KOA Care Camps. The funds are used to provide the summer camps to children with cancer at absolutely no charge to their families.

Participating KOAs are already planning fun events to make the weekend of May 11-12 special. For a complete list of participating KOAs, go to http://koa.com/come-camp-with-us/.

Campground Owners Work Booths at RV Show

In preparation for the upcoming summer season, the 2012 RV and Boat Show took anchor at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena in Huntington, W. Va., to showcase a wide array of recreational activities.

Jeff Scott, show coordinator, said the show catered to a wide demographic.

“This is a record-breaking year for vendors,” Scott told The Parthenon, the student newspaper at Marshall University. “There is plenty going on here for everyone to get into. Obviously, college-age students can’t afford a $75,000 RV, but there are activities here they can participate in.”

Charles Dameron, owner of the Kampgrounds of America (KOA) campground in Ashland, Ky., said visitors could do more than just camp at KOA.

“At my location, we have swimming pools, fishing, mini golf and cornhole tournaments,” Dameron said. “We are going to be adding a basketball court and a dance club will come to our site and instruct campers on different types of dance. We are open all year long.”

Dameron said about 25,000 to 30,000 people visit the Ashland campground each year.

Sheila Andrews, co-owner of the Huntington Fox Fire KOA campground, said her campground offers similar activities as the Ashland KOA site.

“We also have ‘banana bikes’ to rent and a game room,” Andrews said. “Another activity we offer is catch-and-release fishing, with no fishing license requirement. Every campsite also has its own fire ring.”

California Parks Look to KOA, Others for Rescue

Residents and business owners in northern Mendocino, Calif., met at Leggett Valley School  Jan. 16 to find ways to keep Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area open under community oversight.

A core group calling itself “Team Standish” began getting together in December to research and plan for local management of the park, which is slated to close June 30 of this year as part of one billion dollars in cuts to the California Department of Parks and Recreation, the Redwood Times reported.

“Standish-Hickey has a place in our personal dreams,” Piercy Fire Protection District Commissioner Jeff Hedin told the 30 people assembled in the Leggett Valley School library. “We need to find a way for our dreams to unite us to save this park from closure.”

Of 278 state parks and recreation areas in California, 70 were originally slated for closure as part of the state’s deficit-reduction plan, Leggett businessperson Jill Palmer explained, but the numbers kept getting smaller as the legislature struggled with this unpopular move.

Currently, 14 parks are on the closure list. Eight of them, including Standish-Hickey SRA, are in Mendocino County.

Last year, Standish-Hickey took in $157,000 in revenues but the cost of running the park came to $204,000, Palmer said. Palmer estimated that overall the state would save only $20,000 to $40,000 a year if the loss of tax revenue caused by the impact to local businesses and property values is included in the equation

Last year the state legislature passed AB42, which allows local governments and 501(c)(3) non-profit corporations to take on management of parks slated to be closed.

AB42 also created an opportunity for for-profit corporations such as Disney and Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) to bid on providing concessions in parks that would otherwise be closed. The corporation awarded the bid would be able to run campgrounds and recreational facilities in a “bundle” of parks, which would undermine the ability of community groups or non-profits to manage the parks locally.

Click here to read the entire story.

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