KOA Expects Good Crowd at Upcoming Confab

The campground business may have been a little sluggish this season, but there is nothing sluggish about Kampground of America’s (KOA) annual convention, set for Nov. 6-9 at the South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev.

Woodalls Campground Management reported that nearly 500 franchisee representatives from across the 475-member chain are anticipated at the four-day convention, the largest serving the outdoor hospitality industry.

Some new features have been added to this year’s convention, starting with the early-bird registration incentives, which attracted double the number of registrants by the first of August, according to Jenny McCullough, director of training and events for KOA, who is heading up her first KOA convention.

This incentive will likely put attendance over the 485-attendee mark of last year’s convention, she predicted – a good thing for the nation’s largest campground chain, as business this year has been spotty. “The year started very soft, mostly due to poor weather, flooding, etc., and it was all immeasurably exacerbated by the economy,” said Mike Gast, KOA vice president of communications. “As the summer has progressed, however, we are closing the gap to last year. But it’s unlikely that we are looking at another record summer.

“We did, however, have a record single-day camper registration total for the Friday of July 4th Weekend – the most in our 49-year history,” says Gast.

Conventioneers will have several opportunities to get rejuvenated as well as educated during the convention.

Pat Hittmeier, KOA president, will give the welcome at the Monday morning breakfast.

Kevin Freiberg, noted author, consultant and professor who has specialized on the customer service philosophy of Southwest Airlines, will be the keynote speaker on opening day of the convention and will lead a workshop following his presentation. His focus is on customer loyalty, creating a customer culture and leadership.

On Tuesday, speakers include Dave Mitchell, speaking on the power of understanding people, and customer service expert Ruby Newell-Legner, back by popular demand. Lucas Hartford, president of Evergreen Insurance, also will speak on Tuesday on the subject of optimizing parks’ property and liability insurance.

KOA will hand out a number of awards to franchisees on Monday and Tuesday. Both days also are packed with seminars and other educational sessions.

KOA Chairman Jim Rogers will share his annual “Fireside Chat” to franchisees Tuesday afternoon. His talk ushers in the opening of the Expo in the 80,000-square-foot exhibition hall, which will feature an anticipated 120 vendors, at least 20 of who are first-time convention exhibitors.

Also new is a presentation stage which will be used on Wednesday during the Expo. Any vendor who signed on for a premium booth option will qualify to do a 15- to 30-minute presentation about their product or service on the stage, McCollough explained.

The convention will again end with the annual KOA Care Camps Auction. Each year, KOA owners support KOA Care Camps for children with cancer through a variety of fundraising events including the annual convention auction. Funds raised through the auction go directly to send children with cancer to one of 44 specialized summer camps throughout North America

It’s not too late to register for the convention. The registration fee is $395 and the nightly room rate is $65 Monday through Thursday. The Friday/Saturday rate is $95 per night. KOA also is running a Kids Camp in conjunction with the convention.

Vendor registration will be available into October, McCollough noted.

Franchisees and others who do not attend the convention can stay in the loop just the same, thanks to the daily “KOA Today” videos. Gast said he’ll be posting the videos on YouTube starting on Sunday and each morning through Wednesday.

For those looking ahead, the 2012 convention, held in conjunction with KOA’s 50th anniversary, will be staged Nov. 15-19 at the Gaylord Palms Hotel in Orlando, Fla.

 

KOA Launches New Online Campfire Community

Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) has launched a new online community that aims to give tent, cabin and RV campers an interactive and social experience.

According to a news release, KOA’s “Around the Campfire” community (powered by BlogFrog) is led by six bloggers who provide lively conversations and expertise on road trips, traveling with kids, campfire cooking, outdoor lifestyles and photography.

“As a forward thinking outdoor brand, KOA is truly embracing the power of the blogosphere and social media to its fullest potential by launching the industry’s first online camping community,” said Rustin Banks, CEO of BlogFrog.

From novice campers to those who live outdoor lifestyles, the KOA online community is a virtual place for all outdoor enthusiasts interested in learning and sharing camping strategies and tips, favorite locations, and of course campfire songs and stories. Community members can participate in the latest and hottest discussions, join a forum, share a photo, start a new discussion and live chat with like-minded campers.

“We’ve built a fully interactive online community where our campers can ask experts questions, share stories, find recipes and meet one another,” said Toby Hedges, director of digital marketing at KOA. “We chose BlogFrog for their cutting edge social media conversational marketing technology platform and their relationships with over 65,000 bloggers.”

The “Around the Campfire” community was kicked off with a launch party live chat on Tuesday (Aug. 23) that received over 1,500 replies from hundreds of active participants. The “Around The Campfire” community’s expert leaders discussed travel destinations, outdoor activities, camping tips and more. They also gave away several prizes from Coleman and Cabelas.

To learn more or simply join the community for free, click here.

OutdoorAfro.com Founder Taking RV Excursion

Since she launched OutdoorAfro.com two years ago, Rue Mapp has been working tirelessly to reconnect African Americans with the Great Outdoors.

According to a press release, her website is filled with stories, photos, videos and event listings that enable African Americans to network with each other for hiking, bicycling, camping, river rafting, rock climbing and other activities in nature.

Mapp will take her efforts a step further Aug. 12-14 when she travels to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada with her nephew and three children for a three-day camping trip in a teardrop RV at Ponderosa Resort in Lotus.

Mapp said that camping and RVing are outdoor activities that, for a variety of reasons, haven’t yet taken hold in the African American community. She is hoping to change that ¬ and let people know what they’re missing.

“I’m not an outsider talking about these things because I’ve always enjoyed camping,” she said. “But I do want to spread the message that these kinds of activities are possible for African Americans in California and across the country.”

To hammer home her point, Mapp plans to do live tweeting, blogging and videotaping of her trip so that the roughly 7,000 African American members of OutdoorAfro.com can follow her and share in her experiences.

The press release stated that Camp-California and Ponderosa Resort (RVonTheGo.com) are co-sponsoring her trip along with Auburn-based American River Sales and Rentals, which is supplying the teardrop trailer for Mapp’s use.

“This will be a deliberate application of social media to talk about a real experience and how the camping and RV industries can use social media to get African Americans and others involved in the various outdoor opportunities that are available,” Mapp said.

Ponderosa Resort, for its part, is eager to gain exposure among a market demographic that knows little about the opportunities available to them.

“Rue’s trip will help expose us to a new demographic, for sure,” said Dominic Pugliese, manager of Ponderosa Resort, a scenic, 135-site campground with over 2,000 feet of frontage along the American River. Many of the park’s campsites and rental cabins are located on the river.

 

First-Ever Summit on National Parks Scheduled

Leading national park interests have announced plans for a first-ever America’s Summit on National Parks on Nov. 2-3 in Washington, D.C.

According to a press release, the summit will bring together leaders from traditional national park-focused organizations and those from “additional constituencies vital to keeping America’s national parks relevant and appreciated in the future.”

The National Park Service (NPS) has agreed to play a major role in the session, including presenting its Five-Year Action Plan, which is intended to help the agency prepare for success following its 100th anniversary in 2016.

Co-organizers are the National Parks Conservation Association, National Park Foundation and National Park Hospitality Association. Among the summit topics will be strategies for boosting and improving national park experiences, reversing a decline in annual park visits over more than two decades and new strategies for partnerships and cooperation.

Park friends groups, education and health community entities and tourism organizations will join key NPS staff, federal and state elected officials and park advocates at the two-day session. Participation will be limited to approximately 300 persons and is by invitation only.

For information about becoming an invitee, contact Julia Mitchell at jmitchell@funoutdoors.com.

 

KOA Adds Ohio Campground, Ups Total to 477

The newest campground to join Kampgrounds of America Inc.’s (KOA) North American system is the Salem/Lisbon KOA, located in the northeast corner of Ohio.

The Salem/Lisbon KOA Campground, formerly known as Stoneridge Terrace, is the seventh new location to join the 477-park KOA system in 2011, according to a news release.

Other additions in 2011 include the Murphy/Pease Valley, North Carolina KOA; Deerpark/New York City NW KOA; Chautauqua Lake, New York KOA; Meadville, Pennsylvania KOA; Montrose/Black Canyon National Park, Colorado KOA; and the Cross/Santee Cooper Lakes, South Carolina KOA.

“The Salem/Lisbon KOA is another great fit for the KOA system,” said KOA President Pat Hittmeier. “We are very selective when it comes to fitting the needs and desires of our campers, and it’s always wonderful when we are able to welcome a campground like this, with owners like the Kuders, to the KOA family.”

The Salem/Lisbon KOA will be adding to its already substantial camping offerings, including more campsites and lodge accommodations.

Owner Barb Weikart-Kuder said KOA’s KampSight online campground operating system will make things easier for both staff and campers.

“We will be able to offer live and online reservations now,” she said. “Becoming a KOA gives us more exposure on a local, regional and national level.”

The campground has an Olympic-size, heated swimming pool, extensive clubhouse and 3.5-acre catch-and-release fishing pond.

Report: People of Color Not Using State Parks

The National Park system is often called “America’s Best Idea,” but according to a new report, it remains more like terra incognita for many people of color.

Released Wednesday (Aug. 3), “The National Park System Comprehensive Survey of the American Public,” conducted by the Wyoming Survey & Analysis Center at the University of Wyoming, is a follow-up to a much-cited report on race/ethnicity among park visitors conducted in 2000, msnbc.com reported.

Taken together, the two surveys show that while the American public has grown increasingly diverse in the last decade, black and Hispanic-Americans remain underrepresented in visits to the 394 National Park Service (NPS) properties.

“Despite efforts by the National Park Service and its partners to engage underserved populations,” wrote the researchers, “visitation differences by race/ethnic group seem not to have changed much over the past decade.”

Conducted by telephone in 2009, the survey queried 4,103 respondents across the U.S. The results showed that non-Hispanic whites comprised 78% of park visitors in 2008–2009. By comparison, Hispanics accounted for 9% of visitors, while African-Americans were 7% of visitors.

In contrast, the U.S. population in 2010 was 64% non-Hispanic white, 16% Hispanic, 13%African American and 5% Asian, with American Indians, Alaska Natives and Pacific Islanders accounting for less than 1%each.

To read the entire story click here.

Teardrop Revival Appealing to Avid Campers

Sometimes when Joe and Leslie Kosareff pull into a campground, they encounter anything but peace and privacy. Fellow campers just can’t seem to resist their little tin can of a trailer. With its pudgy little teardrop-shaped body set low on two white sidewall tires, and measuring a diminutive 9 feet long by 4½ feet wide, it is the anti-RV.

As reported by the Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, Calif., there is just enough space for two people to cuddle up inside at night and cook out during the day from a rear hatch.

But what the Kosareffs’ trailer lacks in amenities it makes up for in efficiency, ease and an indefinable cuteness that is fueling a mini-revival of “the teardrop trailer,” which was a familiar sight on America’s highways back in the ’30s and ’40s.

“It’s like the best of everything,” says Kosareff, a builder by trade who began making custom teardrops after arthritis made it difficult for him to continue with his fine carpentry. “You’re still camping but you have the convenience of a trailer. You just hook it up and go.”

Longtime campers, the 50-something couple found themselves tiring of schlepping gear and sleeping on the ground. So after seeing a piece on teardrop “gatherings” — camp-ins with fellow Teardrop aficionados — featured on the folksy PBS show “California’s Gold,” a few years back, Leslie turned to her husband and asked, “Could you build one of those?”

“We were at that age when it was just getting too hard to get up off the ground,” says Joe.

“And then we were having to deal with air mattresses with leaks in them.”

And yet the couple wasn’t ready to succumb to an RV when their goal was to get close to nature.

“We’re not trailer people,” he says. “We’re campers.”

The beauty of the teardrops is that they’re like a hard-sided tent on wheels. The sleeping compartment includes a full-sized bed and built-in storage and drawers for the accoutrements of outdoor living and simple travel.

The back, in typical teardrop fashion, opens up to reveal a galley kitchen with drawers for pots, pans, plates and flatware, counter space for a cook stove and a deep cabinet for either a refrigerator or big ice chest.

“It just so easy,” says Kosareff, who now custom-builds teardrop trailers in several sizes starting with a tiny 4- by 8-footer that weights only about 650 pounds. “It’s all set up. All you have to do is pack your clothes. If it’s midnight when you get to your campsite, you just crawl in.”

To read the view the entire article and photos click here.

 

VIDEO #1: KOA ‘Toasted’ by President Obama

Today’s video comes courtesy of KOA, showing President Barack Obama holding a custom engraved marshmallow roaster and holding a tongue-in-cheek discussion on the proper way to prepare a s’more. The following is the accompanying press release from KOA.

What does the Leader of the Free World and Kampgrounds of America have in common? For a brief moment on July 6, the connection was a custom engraved KOA Rolla Roaster marshmallow roaster.

It was presented to President Obama on behalf of Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) by Bruce Ward, founder of the “Choose Outdoors” organization and a special advisor to KOA, during a “Champions of Change” symposium July 6 at the White House in Washington, D.C.

Ward was recently named a “Champion of Change” by the Obama Administration for his work to encourage and support outdoor recreation opportunities in the U.S.

The KOA Rolla Roaster presented to Obama was custom engraved with the words “Let’s Move Outdoors S’more,” in reference to First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” national campaign against childhood obesity.

Obama entertained those at the meeting with a story about the debate in the Obama household regarding the “perfect s’more.”

“We know that the President enjoys camping, so it was no surprise that he knew immediately the intended use of a Rolla Roaster,” said Kampgrounds of America CEO Jim Rogers.

“It’s always fun to see someone like the President holding what you consider to be one of the icons of your company and the outdoor recreation sector,” said Rogers. “Everyone involved in the Outdoors sector fully supports First Lady Michelle Obama’s efforts to combat childhood obesity, and getting kids outdoors, experiencing nature through activities such as camping, is a great way to achieve the goals of the ‘Let’s Move’ campaign.”

ARVC Forges Fresh Inroads with State Parks

Editor’s Note: Paul Bambei, president and CEO of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC), issued the following letter to members on Thursday concerning the possibility of state parks joining the organization.

As an unexpected, but welcomed outcome of ARVC’s non-member mail campaign launched in mid-June, we have received several inquiries from state public parks that see the value of ARVC membership.

As a result of these discussions, I am pleased to announce the board of the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD), which represents approximately 2,200 state parks and 7,800 recreation/natural areas in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, has voted to encourage each of its 51 state directors to join ARVC on a six-month trial basis. These state park directors will be making independent decisions to participate in the trial over the next few weeks, with the possibility of joining ARVC and the state associations at the trial’s end.

Per ARVC bylaws, public parks have been allowed to join ARVC for many years and we certainly welcome their participation. Please be advised all participating public parks will be admitted as non-voting status, again per our bylaws.

If certain states do not currently allow public parks as members of their association, we encourage them to consider doing so, as these public parks may also be desirous of joining not only ARVC, but their respective state association as well. This will be mutually beneficial to ARVC and the state associations for the following reasons:

• Growth: There is strength in numbers, both financial and political. Already, states like California, Maine, and Colorado have recognized the wisdom of welcoming public parks to their associations, as does ARVC nationally.

• Industry Unity: Working together as an industry for the good of all is not only outwardly beneficial in our dealings with the press, governmental officials, and consumers, it can also have far reaching benefits to you as a local private campground owner. The natural trails, rivers, lakes and woodlands available on these public park lands could become more accessible to private parks as a result of this relationship, expanding your own amenities, which in turn makes the camping experience more enjoyable for all. Alternatively, state parks generally do not have the pools, stores and infrastructure of our private parks, opening up the likelihood of referral business from them to you.

• Government Advocacy: Together, as a more unified industry, we will have a stronger voice in Washington and at the State Capitol level on matters that affect our common industry interests. Clearly, the “unfair competition” issue between private and public parks that existed in years past has been rapidly changing as well. Due to state government cutbacks, these parks have had to survive more as business entrepreneurs these past few years, incorporating new access fees and increasing their site rental rates in the process. This trend will surely continue, eventually erasing most, if not all, price gaps that may exist today.

Times are changing and ARVC, along with its represented and non represented States, look forward to joining hands in welcoming the NASPD into our fold.

RV Travel Grabs Headlines in July 4 Coverage

As a result of outreach by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) and its agency Barton Gilanelli, RVs were a hot topic in local Fourth of July holiday coverage around the country. Media reported that five million RVers would be on the road during the July 4 weekend despite fuel prices.

RV-related stories were broadcasted more than 50 times in 39 media markets around the country. Reports reflected RVIA messaging that RVers planned to use their RVs more this summer because they save on hotel rooms, airfares and eating out.

“For a family of five it was still cheaper to travel by RV than it was to rent hotel rooms,” RVer Christine Torres told a Las Vegas TV news team. “By the time you add two hotel rooms, per night, and pay for three meals out, it gets really expensive.”

Stories appeared in major markets, including Sacramento; Pittsburgh; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; Columbus, Ohio; Las Vegas; Harrisburg, Pa.; Birmingham, Ala.; Cleveland; St. Louis; Indianapolis; Norfolk, Va.; Los Angeles; and Oklahoma City.

Capping off the holiday weekend, RVIA President Richard Coon appeared on the Fox Business cable network on July 5 to show off a luxury fifth-wheel toy hauler provided by Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc., and discuss the industry’s recovery and enduring popularity.

“The RV industry is up 57% from 2009 and eight percent from last year,” Coon told Fox Business. “People love RVing for the convenience and the savings. A family of four can save two-thirds by not spending on hotels, eating out and airline tickets.”

The four-and-a-half minute live interview took place inside the Dutchmen trailer and effectively showcased the industry and one of its more popular product types before an affluent business audience.

RVers on the Go RVing Facebook page enjoyed the segment, posting overwhelmingly positive comments about their own RVing experiences, including:

• “I love our RV,” wrote Leslie Harris on Facebook. “I like to sleep in my own bed and not worry about bedbugs in hotels and motels. We relax and have all the wonderful things our home has. If we don’t like a particular place, we are up and driving down the road.”

• “We love our 27-foot travel trailer!” wrote Becky Brown Hecker. “Knowing your kids are sleeping and playing in clean beds. Having the ocean in your backyard, or beautiful views right outside your door. Having a yard for the kids to play in. When we are in our camper, we are as comfortable as being home — just having a lot more fun. We are able to go on more vacations, and can afford to do more when we are on vacation.”

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