KOA’s Jim Rogers Recounts Notable Milestones

Editor’s Note: The following is a portion of an interview conducted by Woodall’s Campground Management with Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) Chairman and CEO Jim Rogers. KOA, celebrating its 50th year, records over 15 million camper visits annually. To watch a video of the entire interview click here.

WCM: KOA has a storied history. Your brand is the best known in camping circles and among non-campers as well. The company was recently named one of the Top 50 Franchises in the U.S. Tell me what you think are the major company developments and accomplishments and milestones along the way in the past 50 years.

ROGERS: Well gosh, I’d need an hour to do that, maybe even longer. But let me just try to identify some top ones. I think the recognition that we continue to receive that you just mentioned is essential in any franchise organization. The fact that we are receiving great feedback from our franchisees, and that’s what we were measured for, to be one of the Top 50 Franchises in all those hundreds of them out there, so that’s an accomplishment for sure.

A milestone is we just did a Harris Poll in 2011; the Harris organization is a very prominent research group. And we learned that 25 percent of American adults have stayed at KOA at some point in their lives in the last 50 years. So we’ve touched a lot of Americans. And obviously at the heart of our business is the whole idea that we’re helping Americans and visitors to our country and Canada to get outdoors with their family and friends, and that’s certainly a part of our culture.

I think the other milestone is the consistency of our brand. We are known for a great experience no matter where they travel. And again, that’s a tribute to our wonderful owners and staffs. KOA.com, as a website, does twice the traffic of all the others in our business combined. It is a horse. It is a great source of information, and I think the technology that we’ve created to support that effort serves the entire industry well.

I think a milestone of reaching halfway around the world to find a sister company or a partner in the Australian KOA, called the Big 4 Holiday Parks, is another accomplishment. We’ve looked a lot of places, and these people are so great and ahead of us in many ways, and we’ve been working on that for about seven years.

And I think lastly, the greatest milestone of our business and of KOA is that we’re guest-driven. We have done so much in the last 10 to 15 years to indeed orient ourselves and our evaluations, based upon the ultimate umpire, which is our guests.

So I think we’ve had a super history and we’re not going to dwell too much on where we’ve been. We have so much going on that’s going to focus us on where we’re going in the next 50.

WCM: Jim, that was a great segue into my next question. KOA is constantly monitoring its customers’ likes and dislikes, and you have a very sophisticated way to do this. Tell me what you learned in 2011 about your guests.

ROGERS: We started with guest feedback the day we opened 50 years ago. Dave Drum, our founder, actually would go down in the evening and handed out a survey, and we actually have the results from that original survey. So guest feedback and impacting our strategies and driving our business has been critical.

Specifically about what we learn, you have to appreciate is that our owners and operators receive today specific verbatim detail on the experience of their guests yesterday and the day before. So it’s not about necessarily a trend. Certainly at KOA headquarters we look at the data and the verbatims and see if there’s something common, is it a fact or if it’s Wi-Fi problems or is it cleanliness problems or, you know, general kinds of things. But the real true benefit here is there are owners and operators that have such pride about the performance of their parks that are getting specific details, both positive and constructive criticism about what the guests experienced just recently, and that has made it incredibly strong in terms of upgrading the overall quality.

And I think the other thing that has been accomplished in the last four or five years, because we have this measurement and this monitoring, KOA’s overall system quality is improved. Last year alone in what we call the ‘net promoter score,’ which is a device that many, many organizations are using to question their customers about whether they would recommend the brand or their service to others, we saw an 8 percent increase across our system. So KOA continues to make a tremendous commitment to that guest feedback and the fact that we get verbatim detail for each franchisee, makes a tremendous impact on where we’re going.

Early-Bird Price Ending for ARVC Spring Seminar

Early-bird pricing ends March 31 for the first Spring Seminar Series sponsored by the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC).

The event is scheduled for May 16-17 at the Embassy Suites Denver Tech Center in Denver, Colo.

All sessions support the Outdoor Hospitality Education Program (OHEP) and CPO program, according to an email blast sent out this week to ARVC members.

Seminar fees are as follows:

Members:

• Early Bird – $169 ends March 31.

• Regular – $199 ends April 30.

• Late – $229 after April 30.

Non-members:

• Regular – $399 ends April 30.

• Late – $499 after April 30.

 

Fees include entrance to all seminar sessions, seminar materials, breakfast and lunch each of the two days and an evening reception.

S.D. Jellystone Park Sees Rise in Local Campers

When Ray Aljets built the campground that later became the Sioux Falls, S.D., Jellystone Park Camp-Resort 23 years ago, most of his business was east-west traffic, particularly families from Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis who traveled westward to visit the Black Hills.

Today, however, 65% to 70% of the Jellystone Park’s business is families who live within 100 miles of the park, according to a press release.

“We still get the east-west traffic,” said Aljets’ son, Bruce, who now runs the park with his wife, Donna, and their children, Ray and Christina. “But now most of our business is local.”

Business is strong, too. Last year, for example, the park surpassed its 2010 revenues by 11%, and this year looks to be just as strong as last year, if not stronger, Bruce Aljets said, adding that his park opens for the camping season on April 1.

But the dynamics are different. Fuel costs are higher than they used to be, which encourages people to visit campgrounds that are closer to home. Today’s families also have a harder time getting away for extended periods of time.

The good news, Bruce Aljets said, is that camping is as popular as ever, with one caveat. “People don’t want to rough it,” he said. “They want the comforts of home when they camp. Even tent campers want Wi-Fi so they can watch Netflix movies.”

As a result, Aljets provides his guests with cabins with house-like amenities, including cable TV and Wi-Fi service and hot showers. The campground also has a jumping pillow, pedal cart rentals, a heated swimming pool and spa, an indoor theatre and a miniature golf course. And for those who don’t have a tent or RV, the park provides a dozen rental cabins.

Aljets’ Jellystone Park also has an activities director and provides organized family activities from May through the end of October that are designed to appeal to all ages, including Mother’s Day and Father’s Day weekend events; Mardi Gras and Christmas in July celebrations; and Bruce’s favorite, the “Messy Weekend” July 27-30, which includes a chocolate pudding Slip N Slide, bobbing for worms and other messy activities. Late summer and fall activities include a corn maze and Halloween-themed weekend events, including costume and campsite decorating contests.

 

Woodall’s/AAA Campground Guides Are Available

The Woodall’s/AAA Official Campground Guides are now available, according to a press release.

“The new series combines the expertise of Woodall’s in RVing and family camping with expanded listings and travel content,” said Bill Wood, executive editor, AAA Publishing. “This series reinforces our commitment to providing AAA members with accurate, valuable travel information for all their travel planning needs.”

Seven co-branded regional guides are now available to members exclusively through AAA/CAA offices. The guides have a cover price of $10.95 each, but AAA members receive discounted pricing.

The Woodall’s/AAA guides list more than 14,000 private and public facilities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Listings contain details needed to select the right campground or RV park, including location information, rates, Woodall’s campground ratings, hookup availability, handicap accessibility, pet policies, Internet access and the availability of AAA member discounts. To assist with trip planning, the guides also offer state and province travel information including climate, time zones, local events, attractions and shopping.

For each privately owned campground/RV park listing, Woodall’s assigns two ratings — one for recreation and the other for facilities — both on a scale of one to five “W’s.” In general, a greater number of W’s indicates more extensive offerings and development. Other features include Woodall’s point-to-point “One Tank Trips,” green-friendly park listings and Extended Stay listings for places to park RVs for a month or season.

 

Texas Campgrounds Expect Spring Break Uptick

Campgrounds, RV parks and resorts across Texas are anticipating a busy spring break this year, with occupancies at several parks exceeding last year’s figures, according to a news release.

“Many of our parks are reporting strong reservations and a good mix of visitors, ranging from Winter Texans and families to college kids,” said Brian Schaeffer, executive director and CEO of the Texas Association of Campground Owners (TACO), which represents nearly 400 private parks across the Lone Star State.

“If the weather can hold, we are looking for a banner year as we are basically sold out through March 24,” said Don Temple, managing partner of Guadalupe River RV Resort in Kerrville.

In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the Vineyards Campground & Cabins in Grapevine is also anticipating a busy Spring Break period.

“We never have to worry about low occupancy,” said Adrienne Nicodemus, activities director for the park, which has increased its spring break activities offering to include kayak lessons, bird focused crafts and hikes, an environmental stewardship seminar as well as yoga classes for both adults and children. The park is also planning a St. Patrick’s Day bike parade and an outdoor movie night.

Meanwhile, Horizon RV Resorts anticipates strong business levels at several of the parks it manages in Texas, including Hatch RV Park in Corpus Christi.

“Reservations are showing an uptick in the number of guests staying with us during this year’s Spring Break compared to last year,” said Scott Foos, Horizon’s vice president of business development, adding, “We’re fortunate to have a great group of returning guests who often return with several new friends or family members every year.”

And while Horizon RV Resorts does see college kids at some of its locations, the company’s Leisure Resort property in Fentress caters to families. “Our specialty is providing a fun family atmosphere that almost every type of guest can appreciate,” Foos said. “Additionally, the San Marcos River flows along the banks of the resort. It’s spring-fed just 20 miles away, and maintains a comfortable cruising speed and consistently warm temperatures.”

Foos said he also anticipates a bump in occupancy’s at Almost Heaven RV Resort in Manvel during the Spring Break period.

 

ARVC Urges Members to Weigh in on Pool Regs

Editor’s Note: Paul Bambei, president and CEO of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC), today (March 1) issued the following “Call to Action” for all ARVC members.

ARVC, in conjunction with the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), is requesting its members to contact the Thomas E. Perez, assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice, and their Congressional offices to urge they weigh in on the issue of seeking restoration of common sense interpretation of pool and spa entry requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The industry message to the U.S. Department of Justice and Congress is:

• Extend the March 15 Compliance deadline which will leave many operators in technical violation of Federal law and thus open to litigation and fines.

• DOJ needs to approve portable lifts that will allow operators to quickly provide access to pools for travelers with disabilities while safeguarding children and costly lift equipment.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) issued an overly burdensome interpretation of the pool entry requirements, forcing many operators to scramble to meet the March 15 implementation deadline for pool lifts. DOJ noted that all pools and most spas will need an affixed lift to be made available any hours the pool is open to the public. Operators who have purchased a portable lift under an earlier understanding of the 2010 ADA Standards will need to replace these lifts or find a method of affixing them to the pool deck.

ARVC provided a recommended template letter for contacting Perez, which can be e-mailed to him at tom.perez@usdoj.gov. This same template can be used to send a similar letter to members of Congress.

 

Branson KOA Escapes Tornado Damage in Area

A strong tornado that caused heavy damage to the famous Branson Strip entertainment district in Missouri appears to have affected only the downtown area of the famous resort community.

According to a press release, the Branson KOA Campground only reported a few downed tree limbs. No other damage was reported to the campground.

Branson KOA owner Ralph Newell said that the power was out and there was no telephone service at the campground Wednesday (Feb. 29) morning, but he expected both to be restored to the park later in the day. He added that no recreational vehicles were damaged and there were no injuries at the campground.

“We are still open for business,” Newell said. “The severe damage seems to be very localized to the Walmart Store and a few of the theaters along the Branson Strip.”

 

 

 

 

Baby Boomers Altering Snowbird Demographics

A generational change is under way in the nation’s snowbird population. According to a press release, sounds of the “Big Bands” are increasingly being replaced by the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Foreigner.

And while Sunbelt RV resorts still have plenty of bridge tables, today’s health conscious snowbirds are more likely to engaged in water aerobics or water volleyball, playing tennis or bocce ball or riding their bicycles or hiking on nature trails.

“The Baby Boomers have arrived,” said Paul Bambei, president and CEO of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC), the Denver-based trade association that represents the outdoor hospitality industry. “And RV parks and resorts are responding by providing a greater variety of activities and entertainment. Some have even established health and wellness centers.”

Art Martin, activities director for the Fountain of Youth Spa and RV Resort in Niland, Calif., has seen the generational change unfold before his own eyes. “When I took over as activities director 15 years ago,” he said, “we had 20 activities a week. Now we have 86 activities a week.”

This winter, Golden Village Palms RV Resort in Hemet, Calif., is offering more than 200 different activities, plus a greater variety of activities and entertainment than most small towns, including dances, dinner shows and every flavor of musical entertainment

“We are getting a lot of new RVers because of the concerts and events,” said resort manager Michael Carle. “They definitely want to be active.”

Some RV resorts are also offering on-site spa and wellness center services.

Consider the Springs at Borrego RV Resort and Golf Course in Borrego Springs, Calif. Three winters ago, the resort opened a wellness center led by Anna Morris, a holistic health practitioner and expert in Ayurvedic massage who trained with Deepak Chopra and Dr. Vasant Lad, two of the nation’s premier experts in holistic health medicine. Morris is joined by Amy Baay, a licensed massage practitioner, and Betty Patterson, a licensed acupuncturist who also does herbal medicine and teaches classes in Qi Gong, an energy building exercise with slow body movements.

The growth in activities and entertainment is helping many RV resorts to increase their occupancies this winter season.

Tim Deputy, general manager of Sun N Fun RV Resort in Sarasota, said his business is way up from last year’s figures, with a 20% increase in RV site rentals and a 27% increase in park model rentals. He said the park is “fully booked” for February and March.

He attributed the increase in part to the resort’s new indoor pool and wellness center, which was completed in time for the winter season. “It’s just insane,” Deputy said. “I’ve never seen so many people working out in the resort.”

 

KOA Again Earns Listing Among Top 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 KOA 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.

KOA also uses its own 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.

 

Forbes Q&A With Rogers Marks KOA’s 50th Year

Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from a Forbes Magazine Q&A with KOA Chairman and CEO Jim Rogers. To view the entire article click here.

Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) has been hosting campers since 1962, and in the five decades since, they think they’ve figured out what Americans are looking for in an outdoors experience. KOA is the world’s largest system of privately held campgrounds with 488 locations across the U.S. and Canada, with over 15 million camper visits per year.

FORBES: How did you get started with Kampgrounds of America?

ROGERS: I spent 26 years in the casino hotel business. I was with Harrah’s forever. I was the finance guy, I was the marketing guy and I ran Harrah’s Reno for nine years. My first job out of college was KOA and I was gone about 30 years and they called me 12 years ago and asked me to come back. Part of this whole process is to try to bring some of the sophistication of the casino business; The casino business is so cutting-edge and the camping industry is so “back of the woods,” so it’s really been a fun assignment to come back into KOA. It’s a great brand with a great reputation; a great business and to pull a few of the things I learned in the casino hotel business with Harrah’s to see if we could make a difference.

FORBES: Is there one nugget that you pulled out of Harrah’s that you’re applying at KOA?

ROGERS: We learned, and it seems so obvious, we learned the customer was what we called the “recognition driven gambler.” The same is true in most hospitality experiences. We really segmented the population in our casino and we found that our best customers or gamblers were those that we could recognize that we could know what their preferences were.

I think we were trying to bring that into camping as well especially on a system that has 500 locations. You are checking in with a 26-foot Winnebago with a Labrador and two kids and you are moving on to another location tomorrow night it would be nice if you could pull into that next location and we would know who you are and what your interests are.

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