Australia

Hitched & Pitched

Developed by one of the Future Leaders Project Teams and supported by Caravan Industry Association of Australia, Pilot Program Hitched & Pitched offers young entrepreneurs the opportunity to receive coaching and funding to kickstart new businesses in the caravan and camping industry. With a similar concept to the TV show Shark Tank, Hitched & Pitched connects investors with start-ups and entrepreneurs who are building innovative, market-changing technology, products and/or experiences suited for commercialisation in the caravan and camping industry. A call went out late 2020 to all young innovators who were seeking investment, coaching and support. What followed was a five-step process, starting with the submission of business ideas, including a three minute pitch video and brief business plan. The received applications were assessed by a panel of industry experts and four final companies got selected to go through an intensive coaching program. The coaching program included attendance at the National Conference, offering the entrepreneurs the opportunity to network with like-minded industry leaders. After months of coaching and hard work, the four selected participants are now ready to share their concepts during the Virtual Pitch Event, held late July 2021.

To find out more, visit: https://www.hitched-pitched.com

Australian adventurers feel energised by BMPRO Launch of ProSmart

BMPRO, Australia’s leading designer, manufacturer, and supplier of RV power solutions, is transforming Australian adventures with the launch of revolutionary technology ProSmart. ProSmart brings the concept of a smart home to ‘on-the-road’ travellers – equipping an RV, caravan, 4WD or boat with technology to remotely monitor ‘household’ systems. “Tracking the efficiencies across all amenities within caravans and RV’s is ensuring that Australians are able to take advantage of the expansive landscape, and travel for longer period of time without the inconvenience and worry around depleting levels of energy consumption,” said David Bayliss, Brand Ambassador of BMPRO. “App-based energy monitoring mechanisms are providing safer and more sustainable travel adventures for all RV and caravan adventurers, along with their 4WD and boating counterparts. The luxury of being able to travel for longer periods of time with improved efficiencies in vehicle management.” Designed to maintain the comfort levels of off-grid travels and/or improve the efficiency of working in remote locations, ProSmart allows individuals to monitor both wired and Bluetooth sensors, ensuring a trouble-free journey or proper resource management regardless of WIFI connection. ProSmart sensors can be used with any power management system or with a 12V battery/ power supply – allowing it to be installed across any vehicle. Beyond this, ProSmart is inclusive of a user-friendly app that enables users to monitor various functions such as tyre pressure, gas bottle levels, temperature, water levels and battery status. This can be paired with up to 40 SmartConnect Bluetooth sensors, connect up to 4 water tanks, a 12V battery and a wired temperature sensor to monitor vital parameters all at your fingertips. The technology not only brings lifestyle efficiencies but also business outcomes. ProSmart’s benefits extend beyond its suitability for campers to also include those in the boating and agriculture space. “Better control over energy consumption and assets such as water tanks or containment solutions, enables businesses to pre-empt requirements, and actively determine in real-time actions that ensure greater productivity and efficiencies,” said Bayliss. The innovation enables caravanners to monitor appliances that run their heaters and fridges on gas, café owners using outdoor equipment or a farmer looking to efficiently manage agricultural devices. It provides the simplicity of monitoring levels across a range of functions without the difficulty of decoding complex specifications. ProSmart can either be added at manufacturing level, upgraded with a dealer or upgraded by the customer at a later stage based on specific DIY requirements. With the unforeseen effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, people are now rethinking how and where they travel – moving towards adventures on-shore. As Australia’s most recognisable RV management solutions provider, backed by 50 years’ experience delivering power solutions and inspired by the great Australian outdoor – BMPRO’s latest innovation is designed to efficiently manage adventures in a way not seen before.

The Role of Caravan Industry Association of Australia during the pandemic

Bushfires, floods and Covid-19: Australia has had it tough over the last 18 months. Looking at the RV production figures (breaking all records) and hearing the positive feedback from the Caravan Show exhibitors, there is no doubt that the Australian RV Industry is recovering well. All other tourism sectors had incredible lows and far bigger challenges than the RV Industry, including the Cruise Industry, Hospitality, Event Industry and Airlines. This is not just because of good luck and fortune, it is mainly because of the incredible hard work that the National Body, State Associations, and individual businesses have put in over the last 18months. These industry leaders embraced the crisis, saw opportunities, and in the end benefit from it.

Being inspired by Stuart Lamont’s presentation during the yearly National Conference, AboutCamp BtoB zooms in to what the Caravan Industry Association of Australia has done – together with the state associations – over the last 18 months to make sure the industry is blooming. Stuart Lamont: “Sense of family. As an industry I think we are pretty much a family. We don’t always like each other, but when the chips are down, we actually come together and we act as one. And that is what last year has been about.”

To understand how the Caravan Association of Australia operates, it is important to know their main vision: To lead and champion a safe, compliant & sustainable Caravanning and Camping industry.

The following seven foundation pillars provided direction and focus in putting the Industry Association’s vision into practice:

1. Develop member (Industry) value

As the Caravan Industry Association of Australia and the State Associations share the same goals, the National Association has as first and foremost responsibility to work collaboratively with member State Associations on matters that benefit the Caravan and Camping Industry as a whole. The Association increased the collaborative thought of national and state associations through consultation and communication.

2. Stimulate interest in market

Easter is normally one of the busiest times of year for caravan and camping, with up to 300, 000 Australians heading off on a trip. When COVID-19 hit in March 2020, it was clear that the greater part of the country would be in lockdown for Easter. It was the responsibility of the Association to promote the benefits of caravanning and camping to make sure that while people were in lockdown and unable to take their traditional Easter holidays, they would still remain connected with the Caravan & Camping industry. This is when Camp at Home Heroes was born: an initiative to inspire the travel community to think outside the box and embrace the fun, educational and family connection that comes with caravan and camping. From their own living rooms, backyards, and driveways! With the mass volume of negativity in the market, news outlets were desperate for some positive news, which made the campaign go viral in a few days.

3. Deliver meaningful research

Caravan Industry Association of Australia invested heavily in consumer research in 2020, in order to create informed marketing collateral to keep caravanning and camping top of mind during COVID-19. The increase in research was not only used by the National Body for marketing purposes, more important was to share all this knowledge with the state associations to give them the most up to date information and tools to lobby with state government to open the industry up.

4. Improve legal and regulatory compliance within the industry

After seven years of lobbying, a new era of road vehicle regulation started on 1st July when the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 (RSVA) replaced the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 (MSVA). This new regulation is the greatest opportunity for change for the Australian Caravan Industry in years. The lobbying by Stuart Lamont and his team resulted in additional regulation for caravans and they will keep working closely with Australian Government to make sure the right powers are being used to guarantee a safe and compliant product for the end consumer.

5. Advocate key industry messages

Caravan Industry Association of Australia regularly meets with senior Federal Ministers and Senators to actively raise the profile of the industry, and to advocate industry issues with key decision makers, their advisors and federal departments. It is the role of the National Association to contribute to discussions around safety, funding and grants to keep our industry on the radar of the national government.

6. Build a strong & effective organization

As Caravan Industry Association of Australia is a support system for the members and entire industry, it is crucial to run a strong and effective organisation. The seven fundamental pillars help to keep the focus. Furthermore, the Caravan Industry Association of Australia is an advocate for promoting females and youth (Future Leaders) in the workplace.

7. Undertake leadership activities

If you would ask Stuart Lamont today what the most important activity in this particular year has been, he would probably say it has to do with saving three people’s lives. The Federal Government in partnership with Caravan Industry Association of Australia, launched a Caravan Park Defibrillator Subsidy Program for Caravan Parks to encourage operators to install these devices to help save the lives of those experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest. This initiative already resulted in three lives saved, including those of two 4-year-old children.