Nashville to You Tour to Visit 45 Morgan Resorts

Morgan RV Resorts announced today (May 25) that it will be hosting the 2010 Nashville To You Campground Tour at many of its 45 resorts throughout this summer and fall beginning with multiple performances during Memorial Day weekend at Morgan’s Indiana Beach RV Resort and amusement park in Monticello, Ind.

Many of the host resorts on the tour will mix the live country music performances with their new NASCAR-themed activities, which include live broadcasts of NASCAR races that feature exclusive broadcast content available only at their NASCAR RV Resorts.

The N2U Campground Tour is produced by Nashville, Tenn-based Nashville To You and features several of Music Row’s hottest emerging artists, including Columbia Records’ Jordyn Shellhart, N2U Artist Emma Jacob, Kate and Kacey and JB Rocket of Country Music Television’s “Can You Duet” fame and Dan Evans from Season 5 of the reality TV hit series “The Biggest Loser.” Other artists will join the tour throughout the summer.

“Providing live country music performances for many of our 4 million guests this summer will add to the quality of the camping experience they have come to expect at our resorts,” said Robert J. Moser, owner and CEO of Morgan RV Resorts. “Our guests have always enjoyed the multiple amenities that our resorts provide like golf, fishing and swimming and now they’ll cap off their days with the great live family entertainment that this tour will provide.”

“We are grateful to Morgan RV Resorts for their support in opening their campgrounds to us and allowing our emerging artists access to hundreds of thousands of their campers,” said Rick Barker, president of Nashville to You. “Performing live is critical to the development of a new artist, not just for the development of their performance skills, but for the development of their fan base as well. We are doing multiple performances over a weekend and that means increasing the playing time and the opportunities to build a connection between the artists and the fans.”

The concept and execution of the Tour is a result of the collaboration between Barker and Kurt Hunt, a former marketing director for RV industry leader Camping World. Hunt is a recent addition to the Nashville To You team and will direct the marketing and sponsorship programs for the Campground Tour and other Nashville To You artists and properties.

In addition, the 2010 N2U Campground Tour will make stops at racetracks hosting NASCAR events throughout the racing season including weekend dates at Road America, Chicagoland, Dover and Miami Homestead race tracks.

A complete schedule for the 2010 Country Campground Tour will be released soon.

Signature’s 2nd Resort Set for Grand Opening

Randall Henderson, president of Nashville, Tenn.-based Signature Resorts, says the Feb. 12-13 grand opening of Signature’s second upscale resort, in Naples, Fla., sends a message to the industry and the American Class A motorhome enthusiast that good things are still happening in the high-end resort market.

“We think it’s time to start looking positive again,” Henderson told RVBUSINESS.com. “I mean, we’ve all had the same experience of shrinkage. But at some point, recovery has to start and someone has to recognize it. And we’re glad to recognize it. We think it’s here, and we’d just as soon lead off by adding some new facilities to the marketplace.”

Henderson, the founder and former president of upscale Outdoor Resorts, has been working diligently of late to reestablish Signature Resorts, previously a unit of Monaco Coach Corp., as a stand-alone brand under the 50/50 ownership of Morgan RV Resorts, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and Sunland RV Resorts, La Jolla, Calif., respectively. Signature’s new owners purchased the company’s assets after Monaco’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Signature currently has two resorts, 125-site Signature Resorts at Bay Harbor, Bay Harbor, Mich., and the new 184-site Naples Motorcoach Resort, which opened its doors on Jan. 4 to both purchasing and renting customers. Twenty-six of those sites are canal frontage, and 32 boat storage sites are available.

The clubhouse at Naples Motorcoach Resort.

“This is one of the first motorcoach resort openings in a long while,” says Henderson. “You know, it’s on the water, which is unique down here – to be on a navigable waterway out to the Gulf of Mexico. We’ve got three swimming pools with hot tubs; that’s a lot of amenities for 184 sites, a smaller property. We’ve got a great clubhouse with card and billiard rooms and a home theater and a full-size health club. If I do say so, it’s the nicest facility that’s been built east of the Rocky Mountains in this country. I mean, it’s the Ritz-Carlton of RV resorts when you take into account the physical plant and the location. The amenities are simply nicer than anything that’s been built.”

Henderson says a good representation of industry people, from manufacturers to association execs and area dealers, are expected to attend the grand opening, which is to include a motorhome display, including a $2.2 million Liberty custom coach and the formal rollout of the redesigned high-end Newell coach.

Henderson says the resort will always retain a certain percentage of short-haul rental sites for overnight travelers in addition to the sites that are sold to long-term buyers because it’s a great way to market and remarket the facility’s sites, giving potential customers a first-hand look at the Florida resort.

So, renters will always be welcome. “That’s a norm,” he added. “We don’t really ever expect someone to just drive in and buy something. We expect them to utilize it and determine whether or not they like the area, whether or not they want to stay for extended periods, whether or not they like our services. You know, it isn’t just a matter of a good location or quality amenities any longer. It’s a matter of good services, which the hotel business has had to deal with for a long time now.”

NASCAR/Morgan to Bring Racing to RV Parks

NASCAR, Morgan RV Resorts and Silver Companies have announced a license to create “NASCAR RV Resorts,” a new branded concept to bring the sights, sounds and thrills of NASCAR to family camping locations across the country.

The first 13 locations include sites in eight different states and future expansion goals are for hundreds of additional locations in the next 10 years, according to a news release.

Beginning in the spring, the first NASCAR RV Resorts will come online and incorporate a full NASCAR experience for campers, including live NASCAR races shown on giant screens. These locations are: Stonebridge Park in Maggie Valley, N.C.; NASCAR RV Resort of Mays Landing, N.J..; Indian Creek RV Resort in Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio; Westward Ho Campground in North Kettle Moraine, Wisc.; Adirondack Gateway RV Resort in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; Indiana Beach Campground in Monticello, Ind.; Wild Acres in Old Orchard Beach, Maine; Virginia Park RV Resort in Old Orchard Beach, Maine; Wagon Wheel in Old Orchard Beach, Maine; Megunticook Campground by the Sea in Rockport, Maine; Camden Hills RV Resort in Rockport, Maine, Endless Caverns and RV Resort, New Market, Va.; and Blueberry Hills RV Resort in Bushnell, Fla.

These locations will be rebranded and include activities providing the camper a full NASCAR experience away from the track such as tailgate events, televised race coverage on jumbo screens through NASCAR Media Group and DirecTV, including exclusive content from the race weekend only available at a NASCAR RV Resort. Additionally, campers will enjoy games, activities and retail opportunities with NASCAR themes every weekend, all season long.

“In a sense, NASCAR has been in the camping business for more than 60 years with NASCAR events representing some of the country’s largest campgrounds 38 weeks out of the year. The infield of any NASCAR Sprint Cup track demonstrates NASCAR fans’ strong association with camping and RV ownership,” said Blake Davidson, managing director, licensed products for NASCAR. “That passion extends beyond the track and this partnership bringing our sport to these locations through a NASCAR RV Resort is a natural connection with our fan base.”

The creation of NASCAR RV Resorts further solidifies NASCAR’s position with the camping industry. Prior to the 2009 season, Camping World was named the title sponsor for the sports truck series as well as the top weekly developmental series.

“There are tremendous synergies between what Camping World does today and the NASCAR RV Resorts and we are looking forward to bringing our partners together to maximize the benefits for the NASCAR fans,” said Davidson.

Race fans and their families and friends as well as non-racing families and friends will benefit as well with clean, safe, family friendly parks in some of the best locations in America.

“This is great news for RV Park owners and developers around the country. These new RV/Entertainment Centers will give the owner/developer the ability to convert or build their RV Park or site into a unique, one of a kind recreation and entertainment venue that fans and families alike will find exciting.” said Robert J. Moser, president and CEO of NASCAR RV Resorts. “There is no better combination of two more American sports/lifestyles/pastimes then NASCAR and camping.”

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for one of North America’s premier sports. NASCAR is the No. 1 spectator sport – holding 17 of the top 20 highest attended sporting events in the U.S. and is the No. 2 rated regular season sport on television. NASCAR races are broadcast in more than 150 countries and 20 languages. NASCAR fans are the most brand loyal in all of sports, and as a result more Fortune 500 companies participate in NASCAR than any other sport.

NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series,) four regional series, and one local grassroots series, as well as two international series. Also, part of NASCAR is Grand-Am Road Racing, known for its competition on road courses with multiple classes of cars. NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races at 100 tracks in more than 30 U.S states, Canada and Mexico.. Based in Daytona Beach (Fla.), NASCAR has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Charlotte (N.C.), Concord (N.C.), Bentonville (Ark.), Mexico City and Toronto.

About Morgan RV resorts

Morgan RV Resorts is the largest private owner and operator of RV parks in the U.S. Family owned and operated, the company provides quality, unique, affordable vacation accommodations in some of the country’s most beautiful and family-friendly destinations.

About Silver Companies

Established in 1941, Silver Companies is a diversified real estate investment and development company. Silver Companies and private real estate investment funds that are organized and managed by the company are involved in the ownership and development of commercial, office, retail, hotel, residential and apartment properties..

RV Park Chains Acquire Monaco’s Signature Resorts

Signature Resorts, the luxury RV division of the bankrupt Monaco Coach Corp., has been acquired by Morgan RV Resorts, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and Sunland RV Resorts headquartered in La Jolla, Calif.

The Signature resorts are in Naples, Fla., and Bar Harbor, Maine.

Morgan RV Resorts is the country’s largest privately owned RV park corporation. Morgan’s 41 RV resorts in 14 states offer RV owners camping and recreation facilities with over 17,000 lots in diverse  locations such as the Adirondacks, the Chesapeake Bay, Cape Cod and the Florida Keys.

Sunland RV Resorts currently owns and operates seven RV resorts in Southern California which includes Golden Village Palms RV Resort, California’s largest and RV Resort  Five of Sunland RV Resorts are strategically located in San Diego. 

In announcing the Signature Resorts acquisition, Morgan RV Resorts co-owner Bob Moser and Sunland RV Resorts President Reza Paydar said they are excited to add this top of the line group of RV resorts to their portfolio.

“Signature Resorts is and has been the unmatched leader in RV living in America. Their properties have no equal in beauty, recreation and luxury living for Class A coach owners. They are the five-star choice in the field,” the new owners stated in a press release.

E. Randall Henderson Jr. will continue as president of the new Signature Resorts, a position he has held since 2004.

“With the Sunland and Morgan partnership, we are now expanding the Signature Resorts brand with the experience, resources and the team to set a new standard for luxury. Signature Resorts will serve those owners who demand the very finest in luxury RV living,” said Henderson, who pioneered luxury RV condominium ownership and has developed 23 RV resorts in 12 states and Mexico over the past 25 years.

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