Rebounding RV Industry Looks to Louisville

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Photo from past National RV Trade Show.

With shipments rising and consumer demand remaining strong, the 48th Annual National RV Trade Show sponsored by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) will bring together 2011 product lines, industry officials and RV dealers at the Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in Louisville, Nov. 30 through Dec. 2.

The show comes as industry shipments continue recovering from the recession and offers manufacturers an opportunity to display their latest innovations to dealers from around the nation. This year’s show will feature 309 exhibitors — 71 manufacturers and 238 suppliers — in more than 765,000 square feet of show space, the RVIA reported.

“The industry is looking forward to the future with confidence,” said RVIA President Richard Coon. “Shipments are improving, demand for our products and for the RV lifestyle remains strong, and we are well-positioned for continued growth over the next several years. This year’s show will offer more for all to see and propel us into that future.”

Outlook 2011: “A New Era Begins”

Outlook 2011: “A New Era Begins” will kick off the National RV Trade Show with a lineup of insightful presentations from RVIA President Richard Coon; the Go RVing team of co-chairs Bob Olson and Tom Stinnett along with RVIA Chief Marketing Officer Gary LaBella; and the RVIA Public Relations duo of PR Committee Chairman B.J. Thompson and LaBella. The reports will focus on how the RV industry can meet the challenges and take advantages of the opportunities that a changing, more cost-conscious, linked-in market will present next year and beyond.

Special guests appearing at the event include NFL great Terry Bradshaw, performance artists Quick Change, and the inspiring musical prodigy Patrick Henry Hughes. Bradshaw is appearing through the major sponsorship of EverGreen Recreational Vehicles.

Outlook 2011 begins at 7 a.m. with a complimentary sit-down breakfast in the KEC South Wing Mezzanine Ballroom. As one of the industry’s most anticipated annual events, another enthusiastic crowd of more than 1,000 is expected to be on hand and attendees are urged to arrive early as lines form before the doors officially open. The program and breakfast are free for attendees on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Seminars Scheduled

Attendees can take advantage of several sales and product seminars offered throughout the three-day show.

On Wednesday, Dec. 1, Go RVing will offer a free informational seminar (with full breakfast) about the newly-announced Leads-Plus Program, scheduled to launch in 2011. It will take place in Conference Room C105, beginning with breakfast at 7 a.m. and the workshop from 7:30 – 9:00 a.m. With seating limited for the Leads-Plus Program seminar, industry members are encouraged to register immediately by contacting Go RVing’s Margie Spence at mspence@rvia.org or (703) 620-6003, ext. 357.

The following morning on Thursday, Dec. 2, RV industry sales expert Chuck Morgan will present “Harnessing the Power of the Internet and Video for RV Dealers,” taking place from 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. in the KEC Second Floor Ballroom with a full breakfast served at 7:30 am. He will focus on improving a dealership’s internet presence by discussing the proper implementation of video, search engine marketing techniques, and the do’s and don’ts of social networking. For more information or to register for this session, contact RVIA’s Huyen Dang at (703) 620-6003, ext. 305, or at hdang@rvia.org.

In addition, there will also be a series of free, hour-long proprietary seminars conducted by exhibiting companies in Exhibit Hall 1A South Wing Corridor, Conference Room 109 throughout the three-day show.

The show also offers attendees one-on-one opportunities to learn more about local resources available to them. RV dealers can stop by the Go RVing booth for information about tying into the Go RVing advertising campaign. For information about RV technician learning opportunities and certification, attendees can stop by the RVIA Education booth.