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.

KOA’s Free Camping Weekend Runs May 11-12

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

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

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/

 

KOA Offering ‘Work Kamper Boot Camp’ Training

Kampgrounds of America (KOA) is offering a free one-day session of its KOA Work Kamper Boot Camp training March 28 at the Branson, Mo., 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 Billings, Mont-based KOA.

The KOA Work Kamper Program currently has approximately 1,500 active two-person Work Kamper teams who are matched with KOA owners offering jobs on 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 for KOA stays 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 proprietary KOA KampSight campground operating system,” said Booth. “Once they know how to operate KampSight and 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 March 28 Branson 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 Camp session at the Branson KOA is free for subscribed KOA Work Kampers, and will include a free breakfast and lunch. To register for the March 28 training or to learn more about the KOA Work Kamper program, go to www.workatkoa.com or contact Leah Estep, KOA’s franchisee services programs coordinator, at lestep@koa.net, 800-562-0899.

 

Upscale Park Models, Cottages Attract Campers

Frederic Lepitre and wife Chantal Theriault rented a condo when taking their first family vacation in Florida several years ago.

According to a report from the Fort Myers News-Press, it was comfortable, but not the ideal environment for the couple’s four active offspring, he said.

This week, the family from Quebec is ensconced in a 12-foot-by-33-foot park model trailer at the Naples/Marco KOA. It rents for $145 a night this time of year, and boasts a flat-screen TV, full kitchen, bunk beds — and separate master bedroom.

“Nobody wants to do primitive anymore,” said Ted Mangels, manager of the KOA off State Road 951, east of Marco Island.

The campground setting, with its swimming pool, shuffleboard and bicycle rentals makes it easier for Lepitre’s children, ages 13 to 17, to play outside.

“We don’t want to pull an RV here all the way from Canada,” Lepitre said. “That’s a 27- to 28-hour drive. And, it’s really good to have a cabin with a full bathroom.”

Like Lepitre and family, more people are spending weekends holidays and vacations in campgrounds. And, because not all guests own RVs or care to rough it in a tent, many commercial campgrounds are responding by purchasing and installing cabins and cottages with all the comforts of home.

More than one-third of the nation’s privately owned campgrounds offer upscale rental accommodations, according to Bill Garpow, executive director of the Recreational Park Trailer Industry Association (RPTIA).

The trend includes independently owned campgrounds and some of the biggest chains in the country, including the Billings, Mont.-based Kampgrounds of America.

In south Lee County, the San Carlos RV Park stretching along Hurricane Bay has eight one- to three-bedroom manufactured homes available for rent. It used to have 19, “but we traded them out for big-rig sites,” said Carolyn Morrissette, who owns the park with her brother, Dave Kline. Those big rigs mainly are 40- to 45-foot-long motor homes that campers bring in for their stays.

For campgrounds in Florida, park model cabins are a win-win, according to Garpow: First, they attract snowbirds and vacationers during camping’s high season from December through mid-April.

And, when the weather gets hotter and more rainy, these cabins “extend the camping season into the summer, when Florida families go on weekend getaways,” said Garpow, a former Tampa resident who now lives in Georgia.

A growing number of seasonal Florida residents also are buying park model trailers to install on property they rent or purchase from an RV resort or campground.

Retail prices range from about $25,000 to $60,000, with an average in the mid-$40,000s, Garpow said.

A recreational park trailer with wheels is considered an RV if its area is less than 400 square feet. However, in Florida, bigger models are permissible in campgrounds if they are built to current hurricane wind codes, said Joe Follman, Ocala-based sales manager for Chariot Eagle Inc., a maker of park model homes.

Said Follman: “We’re seeing growth all over the state.”

 

KOA, Coleman, Foundation Release New Study

Almost 40 million Americans participated in camping last year, according to a new study released today by The Outdoor Foundation, The Coleman Co. Inc., and Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA), which equates to more than 14% of Americans over age six. The findings are part of the 2011 Special Report on Camping, an industry-leading report tracking American participation in camping.

“Despite instability in the economy, the Special Report on Camping illustrates that camping continues to be a major part of the American experience,” said Chris Fanning, executive director of The Outdoor Foundation. “Thanks to the support and commitment of Coleman and KOA, the report provides first-of-its-kind information on camping trends, which should be of great interest to everyone in the outdoor community – especially those of us focused on inspiring future generations of enthusiasts.”

The extended 54-page Special Report on Camping provides data and analysis on camping participation in the United States, including psychographic profiles, camping preferences and buying behavior. The report also explores opportunities in the camping industry and the overall future of camping. The findings are based on an online survey of more than 40,000 Americans ages six and older and a supplemental survey of camping participants 18 and older.

“As a global outdoor recreation leader, the insights provided by the Special Report on Camping are vital to our ability to continue to create innovative products for outdoor enthusiasts worldwide,” said Robert Marcovitch, president and CEO of Coleman. “The intelligence gathered from this year’s report is already proving valuable, and we are pleased to continue our partnership with The Outdoor Foundation and KOA to discover even more about key outdoor trends in 2012 and into the future.”

As the outdoor industry moves into 2012, it will become even more vital to engage parents of young children. The study found that a vast majority of adult campers were introduced to the activity at a young age; in fact, only nine percent of all adult camping participants tried camping for the first time after age 19. To maintain growth in camping, adults will have to be energized to introduce it to their children.

“KOA has been serving the camping public for 50 years and believes that it is essential to evaluate key outdoor sector and camper trends to continually respond to the diverse outdoor hospitality needs of Americans and international visitors”, said Jim Rogers, chairman and CEO of Kampgrounds of America. “KOA was pleased to have participated in this special report and looks forward to working with its outdoor partners to use this information to better serve and grow the outdoor marketplace.”

The insights detailed in the 2011 Special Report on Camping are critical to understanding both campers and non-campers and building participation in the activity. Additional findings include:

Overview of Camping Participation

• Almost 40 million Americans went camping in 2010 for a total of 514.8 million outings.

• On average, each camping participant spent almost 13 days camping.

• More than three-quarters of participants are planning three-plus camping trips in the next year.

• Over three-quarters of campers participate in multiple outdoor activities.

Profile of a Camper

• Family is the most popular camping companion for 35 to 54 year olds.

• More than 90% of campers hiked during their last in-season trip.

• In the last 12 months, 86% of campers went on a camping trip during the summer.

• Over 50% of campers are motivated to go camping simply because they enjoy the act of camping

Buying Behavior

• Younger campers are most likely to buy backpacks, while older campers are most likely to buy propane lighting.

• Sixty-one percent of campers say they spend about the same amount on recreation in 2010 as they did in 2009.

• Most new and replacement camping purchases are planned at home before taking the camping trip.

Future of Camping

• Nearly a quarter of frequent campers say their camping trips over the last three years have become longer and more frequent.

• The most cited reasons for reducing the number of trips are a lack of time due to work and family commitments.

• Almost half of all respondents say their fathers took them camping for the first time.

To download a complete copy of the 2011 Special Report on Camping, visit The Outdoor Foundation website at www.outdoorfoundation.org.

 

 

Meadville KOA Receives 2011 President’s Award

Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) has awarded the Meadville KOA Campground in Pennsylvania with the 2011 President’s Award, according to a press release. The award was presented Nov. 8 at KOA’s annual convention in Las Vegas.

The KOA President’s Award is awarded annually to campgrounds that receive high scores in customer service from their campers and also receive top scores in KOA’s annual quality review. KOA surveys hundreds of thousands of campers each year regarding their KOA camping experience.

“Our campers play a key role in helping us select the very best KOA campgrounds to receive these awards,” said KOA President Pat Hittmeier. “This year, as we celebrate KOA’s 50th birthday, these awards take on a special meaning. To be one of the very best in a longstanding, iconic company like KOA really is a unique honor that this special KOA campground can share with its campers.”

KOA was founded in 1962 on the banks of the Yellowstone River in Billings, Mont. To find out more about the Meadville KOA Campground, or any of the other 472 KOAs in the U.S. or Canada, visit www.koa.com.

 

 

KOA: America’s Outdoor Trend Will Fuel Parks

Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) park owners will benefit from America’s renewed interest in the outdoors, according to KOA CEO Jim Rogers.

During his annual “fireside chat” to more than 500 KOA franchisees at the company’s 2011 convention Nov. 7-9 in Las Vegas, Rogers said the best is yet to come for businesses in the outdoors sector.

“When times are tough, people want to avoid pain and stress, and we can help with that,” Rogers stated in a KOA news release. “Getting people outdoors is the prescription for what ails North Americans. It’s in our favor that the outdoors is becoming a more important feature in most peoples’ lives.”

Rogers said KOA’s efforts over the years to collect extensive data on camper behavior, as well as very specific camper satisfaction data on individual campgrounds, is paying dividends.

“Our data allows us to get to know the wants and needs of individual campers, and that is very powerful,” he said. “It allows us to make our campers ‘markets of one.’ That special recognition we can give campers drives them to us. A stay at KOA is like a hand written thank you card. It is unique and valued.”

Rogers urged KOA franchisees to use all of the specialized tools at their disposal to both simplify their workdays, and create more time to interact with campers.

“Being part of the KOA system gives you a rebate of time,” he said. “Other campground owners may have the same dreams as you, but they don’t have the KOA tools to make it all happen.”

“Share KOA with others, and your dreams will follow.”

During his opening remarks at the convention, President Pat Hittmeier told franchisees that KOA, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, will continue to invest heavily in the KOA system, including launching a major new version of KOA’s KampSight proprietary campground operating system. KOA is working with BIG4 Holiday Parks of Australia (see below) to evolve KampSight into the most robust campground operating software on the market.

“Technology will become KOA’s competitive advantage,” Hittmeier told the group. “Our mobile device technology, as well as the www.KOA.com website and our marketing database will all be about providing the right message to the right guest at the right time.”

Hittmeier also said KOA will continue to add lodging units, now called KOA Deluxe Cabins, which feature full bathrooms and often kitchens.

“We are adding new floorplans to our units this year that better fit the needs of this new camper market and our KOA operators,” Hittmeier said. “Our owners are becoming much more professional in their management of this roofed accommodation segment.”

He said the key to KOA’s continued success is to use all of the varied tools available to allow campground owners to serve guests “one at a time.”

“The personal touch, based on all we’ve been able to learn about each camper, will continue to set us apart,” Hittmeier said.

 

KOA Announces Pact, Honors Key Franchisees

Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) and BIG4 Holiday Parks of Australia announced Monday (Nov. 7) that they will join forces to further enhance KOA’s KampSight campground management system into the worldwide leader in campground management technologies.

According to a press release, the announcement came during the first day of the annual KOA International Convention in Las Vegas, delivered by KOA Vice President of Franchisee Operations Jef Sutherland and Ray Schleib, CEO of BIG4 Holiday Parks of Australia.

In an unprecedented move three years ago, BIG4 Holiday Parks acquired the KampSight System and adapted it to better meet the needs of its campground owners. The latest partnership is “the result of a longstanding operational relationship between the two world camping industry leaders,” the release stated.

“In the next 24 months, we’re both going to work to make KampSight even better for KOA, and that will also mean many improvements and advances for our parks in Australia,” Schleib said. He said he expects 600 campgrounds will be using the improved operating system worldwide within the next two years.

“It’s all about making managing campgrounds quicker, easier and ultimately better for our owners and our guests,” said Sutherland. “By pooling our resources from two different parts of the world, we’ll be able to accomplish that goal.”

In other convention news from Monday’s slate of events:

• Recreation Adventures Co. President Richard Cutler was honored with the first KOA Darrell Booth Lifetime Achievement Award. Cutler, a native of Wessington Springs, S.D., and a founder of the Cutler and Donahoe law firm in Sioux Falls, owns and operates 10 KOA campgrounds in North America – more than any other single franchisee.

• The Montpelier Creek, Idaho, KOA Campground, owned and operated by Stuart and Kathleen Marshall, received the KOA Rising Star Award. The Rising Star Award is presented annually to a KOA owner who has been part of the system for less than five years, yet “exhibits all of the superior business habits and practices of a much more seasoned owner.”

• The Durango, Colo., KOA Campground, owned by Carol and Jay Coates, was selected as the KOA 2012 Campground of the Year. The Coates have owned the Durango KOA for the past 20 years and, according to KOA, “have worked tirelessly to make it one of the jewels of the system of more than 475 campgrounds in North America.” The Coates are also the former owners of the Estes Park, Colo., KOA Campground.

 

KOA Convention Rolls Out Next Week in Vegas

More than 500 Kampgrounds of America Inc. franchisees from throughout North America are expected to arrive in Las Vegas next week for the start of the 50th Anniversary KOA Convention and Trade Expo at the South Point Hotel and Casino, set to run Nov. 6-9.

“These annual get-togethers always feel more like a family reunion than a convention,” said KOA CEO Jim Rogers in a press release. “The real benefit of belonging to a system like KOA is the knowledge of all of those fellow owners around the country. It’s always magical to see those connections get made, and all of those longtime friendships get renewed.”

The year 2012 will also mark the 50th anniversary of KOA, which was founded in 1962 on the banks of the Yellowstone River in Billings, Mont., by local entrepreneur Dave Drum.

Guest speakers for the four-day event include author and executive coach Kevin Freiberg, who will speak on “Service from the Inside Out.” Also presenting will be Dave Michell, the founder of The Leadership Difference, who will speak on “The Power of Understanding People: Celebrity Style!” The convention will also feature workshops by popular customer service expert Ruby Newell-Legner, and Lucas Hartford, president of Evergreen Insurance MG, as well as workshops by KOA home office staff.

A special feature of this year’s KOA Convention will be a community service project as part of KOA’s “Kamp Green” program. The “Kamp Green” program encourages sustainable camping practices among campers and campground owners. This year’s community project is a desert cleanup day held in conjunction with the “Don’t Trash Nevada” organization and “Get Outdoors Nevada.” KOA owners and staff will spend the day cleaning trash from the desert near Las Vegas.

The final day of the event, will feature the popular KOA Trade Expo, featuring more than 100 campground supply vendors from throughout North America.

Vendors for the convention include: Confortaire, Inc.; Cold River Mining Co.; Perfect Petzzz/Nite Nite Lightzzz; Vulcan Signs; BadgeWest Awards; PetGifts USA, LLC; Ashby’s Sterling Ice Cream, Ltd; Legendary Games; Jax Ltd., Inc.; KOA Sales Department; CMS Mfg. – Rollaroasters; CampfireGrill LLC; JWH Distributing/Eco-Save Products; Leavitt Recreation & Hospitality Insurance; Patina Products; Everlock Systems Inc.; Utility Supply Group; Kingdom Ice; RV, Home & Marine Solutions; KOA Quickbooks; John’s Welding LLC; Philadelphia Insurance Companies; Midwest Electric; Double S Industries of Erie County Leisure Concepts Int’l Inc.; Imprint Plus; Speed Queen; Evergreen USA; American Hotel Register Co.; Unilever; Outdoor Insurance Group, Inc.; AGS/TXAD; Bari Olive Oil Co.; Ecolab; Emerald FX, LLC; Suburban Propane; Southeast Publications USA Inc.; Meissenburg Designs; Frito Lay; TUFF Coat Mfg.; KOA 2012 Travel Show Booth; Brock Enterprises; Interior Communications; Anderson’s Brochure Distribution Service; Avitus Group; KOA Green Team; KOA Facilities Development; Sugarisland Commercial Playgrounds; Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics; Flame Glow Enterprises; The RGU Group; TengoInternet Inc.; In the Swim; RoadPro; CheckBox Systems; Robert Allan Sportswear; Camper Reservation Center; Quik n’Crispy Greaseless Fryers; Colortime Crafts; MacKinnon Campground Consultants; Dometic LLC; Honey House Naturals; Yara North America; Chadwick Manufacturing Ltd.; Xcell International; Conestoga Log Cabins; KOA Convention Photo Pick-up; Gerber Manufacturing; Cleanwaste; Prairie Kraft Specialties, LLC; Phelps Honey Wagon; Smart Industry Products; Enviro Design Products Inc.; Magnum Enterprises; Digitalway Services; Berg USA LLC; The Tower Company Inc.; Independence Bank; Glacier Tent; Starting Time; KOA Owner’s Association; TEARepair Inc.; Great American Direct; WCE Inc.; Trailmate; Greenfields; Jumping Pillows LLC; Kramer Kreations; Breckenridge; KOA Care Camps Silent Auction; Graphic Imprints; Camco Manufacturing; KOA Business Development Consultants; Wilcor International; KOA Marketing Department; ParknPool Corp.; Commercial Recreation Specialists; Cavco Park Models; KOA Kampsight; Prime Karts; Solar Direct; and Peak Energy.

To follow events from the KOA Convention in Las Vegas, just visit KOA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KOAKampgrounds. For more information on the 480-campground KOA system in North America, visit www.koa.com.

Calif. Couple Wins RV in KOA/Keystone Contest

Barbara and Robert Thomas of Orland, Calif., were selected from nearly 100,000 entries as the big winners of the “Kamping In Style Giveaway,” sponsored by Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) and Keystone RV Co. The couple was surprised on their rural Orland farmstead Monday (Oct. 3) morning by a “prize patrol” that delivered a new 28-foot, 2012 Keystone Springdale camping trailer. Pictured in the photo are Barbara and Robert Thomas (at right) visit with Kampgrounds of America Inc. CEO Jim Rogers (second from left) and Kevin Warren (left), district sales manager of Springdale RV Co., after being presented with their grand prize. The “Kamping In Style Giveaway” was prominently featured in one million copies of the 2011-2012 edition of the KOA Directory, as well as on both the KOA.com website and the Keystone RV website. Barbara Thomas’s name was randomly selected from all of the entries gathered throughout North America. They also won 10 free nights of KOA camping, as well as VIP status in KOA’s Value Kard Rewards program, which affords them additional savings on all of their future KOA camping. Barbara Thomas said she and Robert first purchased a “very used” travel trailer to provide temporary housing for one of their two sons, but decided to take it camping this summer at the Westport Beach/North Mendocino Coast KOA in California. Soon after, they received an e-mail inviting them to enter the “Kamping In Style Getaway” contest.

 

 

 

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