Issue 129 Campground

The annual event, which is being rebranded as the Outdoor Hospitality Conference and Expo Presented by ARVC, will offer lower registration fees to entice couples and

family members as well as small- and mediumsize park operators who have been priced out of attending ARVC conferences in the past.

DENVER, Feb. 7, 2011 – The National Association of RV Parks and Campground (ARVC) is overhauling Continued Page 2

Continued from Page 1 the marketing and pricing of its annual convention and expo in an effort to significantly increase park operator participation in the event.

This year’s event, to be held Nov. 28th to Dec. 2nd in Savannah, Ga., is being rebranded as the 2011 Outdoor Hospitality Conference and Expo in an effort to attract participation from vendors who have an active interest in the outdoor hospitality industry, but haven’t previously been involved in ARVC events, said Paul Bambei, ARVC’s newly hired president and CEO. “We will invite interested parties to register and attend who can make our industry stronger through their alliance, and we will do this without losing the homespun, friendly spirit of the conference that has welcomed so many of our members in years past.”

Conference fees will also be restructured to attract much greater participation, particularly from owners and operators of small- and medium-size parks who haven’t previously attended ARVC conventions.

“I am putting the entire conference rate structure under the microscope to determine what we can reasonably do to attract every park owner who truly wants to come, as well as incent those couples and multi-generational family members who want to come together.”

“I’ve personally learned from recent discussions with small park owners that our registration fees went far beyond the small park owner’s affordability threshold, as evidenced by the fact that only 3 percent of 2010 conference attendance was represented by parks with 100 sites or less,” Bambei said. “Even larger parks, those with 101 to 250 sites, accounted for only 6 percent of attendance.”

“As a result,” Bambei said, “I am putting the entire conference rate structure under the microscope to determine what we can

reasonably do to attract every park owner who truly wants to come, as well as incent those couples and multi-generational family members who want to come together.”

A new rate structure for the conference will be announced during the second half of February.

The 2011 Outdoor Hospitality Conference and Expo will take place from Nov. 28th to Dec. 2nd at the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort & Spa in Savannah, Ga. “Regardless of the new rate structure, one thing’s for

Paul Bambei: ARVC President and CEO sure,” said Bambei.

“Anyone even remotely thinking about coming to the conference should register before the preregistration deadline of August 31st to take advantage of the best, most deeply discounted rates.

We will be marketing the new rate structure like never before, including a fun contest you’ll be hearing about shortly that encourages State Associations to register as many new and renewal members as possible.” For more information, please visit www.arvc.org.

More snowbirds are spending time in Panama City Beach this year than ever before, especially families with RV’s.

Some RV parks are having trouble finding space for all these visitors, and now they have to expand.

Managers at Emerald Coast RV Beach Resort say business started picking up in December. Even bike week reservations are filling up faster this year.

Currently, the park is more than 90 percent full.

“This is one of our best seasons so far with the

snowbirds,” park manager Jerry Brock said.

So, owners are resorting to construction phase number three. They are investing more than one million dollars to make the RV park bigger and better.

The facility will get 10 more motor home sites. Even a brand new retention pond is being built. Owners are adding 23 permanent models to the facility too.

“They will be built in such a manner that when you’re sitting in your living room, you look out into the pond,” Brock said.

The plan will open the space for more visitors. In turn, more visitors will bring more business for the surrounding community.

“We spend countless hours at the front desk, telling people where to eat, where to get their nails done,

where to take their dogs to the vet,” Brock said.

Several other RV parks in the southeast are spending millions in renovations also.

The expansions are attributed to the growing motor home travel industry.

Article: www.wmbb.com

It was all that Duncan McKinley, chair of the Grey County planning and development committee, could do to keep order during a public meeting about a motorcycle club's controversial plans to start a campground east of Durham.

The Association of Bikers for Awareness, Training and Education (ABATE) wants official sanction for a rally on the long weekend in August and to have up to 15 trailers throughout the year for seasonal camping.

It's some thing that the group has been doing at Lot 45, Conc. 3 in the former Glenelg Township for at least six years without proper approval and that's irked local residents who complain of having their lives disturbed by loud parties, noisy traffic

and frightened farm animals.

Elaine Bradbury said she leaves on the August long weekend because the event is too noisy and disruptive. She has small children and disputes claims by ABATE officials that the live music stops at 11 p.m.

She worries that approving the permanent campground will devalue properties located around the campground.

"Nobody will want to buy my land," she said.

There were about 100 people who turned out, half supporters of ABATE and the other half concerned and disgruntled neighbours.

Full Article: www.owensoundsuntimes.com

(GRAND RAPIDS, Mich) – The Association of RV Parks & CampgroundsMichigan has just released its “2011 Michigan Campground Directory” just in time for the annual consumer show season.* This directory includes detailed listings for more than 180 private campgrounds around the state of Michigan.

“We are very pleased with the look and feel of our 2011 directory,” says Tom Briggs, ARVC President.

“Each year, we tweak the

layout and design to showcase each of our members and highlight Michigan as a year-round camping destination.”

for each including those that are open all year, those that have boat/canoe rentals, those with swimming pools and more.

The directory breaks out the state into three distinct areas: the Upper Peninsula, Northern Michigan and Southern Michigan, with listings for each campground.

The “Michigan Campground Directory” is available at various locations statewide, including all state Welcome Centers and member campgrounds.

The listings include the individual campground’s full campground information and a brief description, along with a code reference

It is also distributed at dozens of consumer shows throughout Michigan and around the country. A PDF version of the 72-page directory is also available online at

www.michcampgrounds.com.

There are more 800 privately owned campgrounds, RV parks and resorts in Florida and Alabama, all of which are competing with one another for business.

But with so many parks to choose from, how can visitors to these states quickly find places like Bay Bayou RV Resort in Tampa or Flamingo Lake RV Resort in Jacksonville or Bella Terra of Gulf Shores, which are arguably among the finest parks in the Southeast?

The secret is to check to see if they are affiliated with Best Parks in America, a network of independently owned and operated parks that pride themselves in providing the best amenities, services and facilities available in the private park business.

“We really represent the cream of the crop when it comes to RV resorts,” said David Gorin, founder and CEO of the Best Parks in America network, which he founded eight years ago

David Gorin

after completing a 15-year stint as president and CEO of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds.

While national campground directories have their own ratings systems, Best Parks has developed a network that excludes all but the best parks. The idea, Gorin said, is to create a brand image that RVers can use to quickly find the highest quality parks in the areas they choose to visit.

“We wanted to create something to help people find the Hilton Garden Inn or Hampton Inns of the RV park business,” Gorin said.

“With just a handful of exceptions, there’s hardly anyone in the park industry that is truly at the luxury Hilton level or the luxury Marriott level. But our affiliates are clearly a cut above the majority of parks, which are more comparable to a Days Inn or a Comfort Inn.” Since its founding in 2003, Best Parks has grown to include 75 of the nation’s highest quality campgrounds, RV parks and resorts, including 12 in Florida and Alabama.

Consumers say they like the ease of using the Best Parks brand to locate the best parks, while park operators like having a national brand affiliation to increase their visibility in a highly competitive market.

“Having a Best Parks affiliation has helped us,” said Jim Cain, who owns the Bay Bayou RV Resort in Tampa, adding that having a nationally known brand is a nice way to complement whatever ratings or other descriptions travelers find in print directories or through Internet research. Following are highlights of Best Parks affiliates in Florida and Alabama: Bella Terra of Gulf Shores, Ala.: This premier Class A ownership resort, roughly 25 miles west of Pensacola, Fla., includes customized outdoor kitchens and barbecues and a zero entry infinity edge swimming pool. In addition to selling its RV sites, Bella Terra also offers RV sites for rent. www.bellaterrarvresort.com Belle Parc RV Resort in Brooksville, Fla.: This 101site property, which is undergoing expansion, offers full-hookups for RV's up to 45 feet in length, which can easily accommodate slideouts.

The park also features a fenced dog park, laundry facilities, sparkling restrooms with plenty of hot water, an exercise building, complimentary Wi-Fi Internet access and free morning coffee in the clubhouse. RV's older than 10 years are subject to management approval. www.belleparcrvresorts.com Cross Creek RV Resort in Arcadia, Fla.: This 525-site

park features big RV sites that are at least 40 by 75 feet with 125-amp electrical service. Other amenities include three clubhouses with 12,000 square feet of combined space. Other amenities include a heated swimming pool, a 12person Jacuzzi, exercise, billiards and card rooms and championship horseshoe, shuffleboard and bocce courts in addition to tennis and petanque courts. About 200 of the park’s sites are used by park models. www.crosscreekrv.com Emerald Beach RV Park in Navarre, Fla.: This park is located directly on Santa Rosa Sound, otherwise known as the Intracoastal Waterway. The park has 76 full hookup sites, of which 37 are pull-thru and 39 are back-in sites. Amenities include a 300-foot private beach on Santa Rosa Sound with tiki umbrellas, beach chairs and a tiki deck overlooking the water.

Kayak rentals, geocaching activities and pet walk facilities are also available along with a park model cabin rental. Organized activities, including pet parades, parties, crafts classes and other social events are also regularly scheduled. www.emeraldbeachrvpark.c om Emerald Coast RV Beach Resort in Panama City, Fla.: This 138-site park, Continued

Continued which is undergoing an expansion, features RV pads as well as sites for privately owned park models. Park model rentals are also available along with regularly scheduled activities, including exercise, crafts and bingo. www.rvresort.com Flamingo Lake RV Resort in Jacksonville, Fla.: This 288-site resort, which sits on the only certified swimming lake in northeast Florida, offers full hook up sites including water, electricity, cable, sewer, and free wireless Internet service as well as a general store, laundry, bathhouse, pool, a sandy beach, clubroom, a pet exercise area and a restaurant. The park caters to snowbirds as well as swimming and fishing enthusiasts and medical travelers who receive specialized treatment at Shands Jacksonville, Nemours Clinic, Wolfsons Children's Hospital, University of Florida Proton Therapy, the Cyber Knife and the Mayo Clinic. www.flamingolake.com Florida Grande Motor Coach Resort in Webster, Fla.: The newest Best Parks in America Florida affiliate, this exclusive Class A motorcoach resort, located 45 miles west of Orlando, features a 20,000square foot clubhouse that includes multiple recreation and meeting rooms, a library and exercise room, a full kitchen and a 2,500square foot heated all

season swimming pool. www.floridagrande.com Frog Creek Campground & RV Park in Palmetto, Fla.: This park’s amenities include a heated pool, immaculate showers, restrooms and laundry facilities, a fenced in pet area and canoe rentals.

The park also offers daily activities, including aerobics, shuffleboard, horseshoes, movies and ice cream socials. The park’s “Toad House” also features a kitchen, library, a game room and TV. Wireless Internet service is available throughout the park. www.frogcreek.us.com Holiday Cove RV Resort in Cortez, Fla.: This 115-site park was recently rebuilt with more than $1.5 million in improvements.

Amenities include 50-amp electrical service and conveniently positioned water and sewer connections at every site; brick paver pads and patios at every site; newly paved roads; a remodeled park clubhouse and office, a new laundry and fitness center building, a salt water swimming pool and new landscaping. www.holidaycoverv.com Quail Run RV Resort in Wesley Chapel, Fla.: This 292-site resort specializes in accommodating RVers with big rigs, who are often hard pressed to find big sites in Florida’s older RV parks and resorts. “That’s why we build them the way we do. Our motto is ‘No rig

is too big,’ ” said park coowner Frank Gilmore. The park, which provides free cable and free Wi-Fi, has added 140 sites in the past two years, all of which are 40 by 70 feet, with the exception of pull through sites, which are 85 feet long and 40 feet wide. Even the park’s older section includes 35 by 50 foot sites with 35 by 70-foot pull through sites. www.quailrunrv.com Road Runner Travel Resort in Fort Pierce, Fla.: This 452-site resort is within three miles of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian River and the Fort Pierce Inlet. Amenities include a swimming pool, golf course, tennis and petanque courts, walking and jogging trails and a full activities schedule with activities ranging from exercise classes to painting and line dancing. www.roadrunnertravelresort. com Vacation Inn Resort in West Palm Beach, Fla.: This 400site park offers sites for rent and for sale. Amenities include a heated pool, spas, a recreation hall with a kitchen and big screen TV, an owner’s clubhouse, a craft and game room, a pet run and petanque courts. www.vacationinnrvpark.com Whisper Creek RV Resort in LaBella, Fla.: This park features large lots on welllit, extra-wide paved streets.

Rental lots are 40 by 50 feet and feature 10 by 30 foot concrete patios. All lots are wired for telephone and cable service. Each electric

hookup is individually metered, read and billed for the convenience of our longterm guests. Water, sewage and trash removal are included in all lot rentals.

Amenities include a 5,000 square foot climatecontrolled clubhouse, with elevated stage, library and an oversized community kitchen. Exercise, billiards, card and computer rooms with broadband Internet access are also available.

The park also features a heated swimming pool with the newest in comfort decking, a large screened pavilion with seating, shuffleboard courts, horseshoe pits and a fenced in “Critter Corral.” www.whispercreek.com Based in MacLean, Va., Best Parks in America is the only nationwide RV park brand comprised entirely of highly rated RV parks and campgrounds.

With 75 affiliated parks in 29 states, the Best Parks brand is rapidly gaining RVer recognition as the place to go when you are looking for the best RVing and camping experiences.

There are currently 12 Best Parks affiliates in Florida and one in Alabama, while others are expected to affiliate in the next few months.

For a directory of all parks, please visit www.BestParksinAmerica.c om.

Over a thousand people gathered on the outskirts of Tokyo on Sunday with their shovels to dig for the top prize.

It is the Japan All-National Hole Digging Competition.

The contest, now in its 11th year, attracts participants from all over the country.

Prizes are awarded not only for the deepest hole, but also for most creative hole and most original costume worn during the digging.

All sorts of people take part in the contest.

"As for the participants, there are of course, a lot of families and groups of friends. However, the most numerous are those who are "professionals" who dig for a living, such as gas company workers or those who deal with the water supply."

Approximately 210 teams participated this year.

An additional 30 teams made up of either ladiesonly or groups of elementary school-age or younger children also took part.

The winning hole this year was approximately 10.6 feet deep and the winners took home a 1,200 U.S. dollars cash prize.

The contest uses a campground as its venue and staff explained that the event originally started as a

way to attract visitors during the off-season.

Once the contest is over, staff refill all the holes using machinery instead of shovels to turn it back into a camp ground and level the area for next year's contest.

Attorney General signed the final revisions to the Department's ADA regulations last July. But what does this mean for you?

A: Any pool that is open to the public at any time, receives government funding, or receives revenue from the pool such as membership dues.

Answers to your ADA questions.

Q: What is a point of access?

A: A point of access MUST be either a pool lift or sloped entry.

Q: Does my pool need a pool lift?

A: Any commercial pool with 300 linear feet or more needs two means of access. Any commercial pool with less than 300 linear feet needs one access point.

Q: What is a commercial pool?

Q: Does my spa, wave action pool, leisure river, wading pool or sand bottom pool need a pool lift?

A: They all need one access point. A wading pool must have a sloped entry. A spa must have a pool lift,

transfer wall or transfer system.

Q: How do I know if my pool lift is ADA compliant?

A: Here are some basics to check on your lift.

1. Lift must have a capacity of 300 lbs or more.

2. Lift must have a solid seat and a footrest. Sling seat styles are not compliant and should be replaced.

3. Lift must be self operable from the deck and the water. A lift with manual rotate or hand crank is not compliant and should be replaced.

There are also specific requirements for clear deck space and water depths.

Always check your local codes for any additional requirements.

Law goes into effect March 15, 2011.

All answers are derived from ADA Scoping Requirements Section 242, ABA Scoping Requirements Section, and F2422010 ADAAG Regulations Section 1009. www.recreonics.com/fyi/ada_d etail_guidelines.htm

and travel shows. He also oversees KOA.com, the world's largest camping website.

In his 10 years at Kampgrounds of America, Lorne Armer has worn lots of hats. And he has consistently taken on more responsibilities.

He was promoted to assistant vice president of finance, developing tools to help KOA franchisees operate smarter and more efficiently.

What's the toughest challenge in your business?

KOA is a franchise organization. Each franchisee is an independent owner and operator. It is their business. Though this is the case, many tools are provided to help franchisees get the most of their business. The challenge is getting owners to participate and buy off on programs and tools that can be used in a variety of ways across 475 locations. Again follow through and consistency is a great challenge.

In his newest position, vice president of marketing for KOA, Armer has a wide range of responsibilities.

He coordinates international, national state and local marketing efforts, manages public relations

What did you learn from that challenge: I learned that involving franchisees from inception through implementation relieved many of the consistency issues. Two times a year we bring in 10 franchisees

When he was hired, he helped introduce a new management system to benefit Billings-based KOA's broad network of franchisees.

"I spent my first couple of years teaching over 200 of our franchisees how to utilize the system for day-today operations, accounting and analysis," he said.

He was promoted to assistant vice president of franchise operations, a job that took him to more than 100 KOA campgrounds.

"I really wanted to know the business from the ground up. So I cleaned toilets, I took people to sites, I sat with people at their picnic

tables and listened to them," Armer said.

from across North America as an advisory group for all marketing related subjects.

We propose ideas and strategies to the operators for feedback. I can quickly identify areas that may be a struggle.

If you could make one positive change in Billings, what would it be? I have lived in the Heights for 24 of my 30 years in Billings. I would love to see more economic development in the Heights.

Which living person do you most admire? My father.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? My "work in progress," my children. I am fortunate enough to work for an organization that shares my "Family First" philosophy.

I'm happiest when I'm: Spending time with my family.

Article: http://billingsgazette.com

East Coast's Largest Campground Will Host Live Beach Music Concerts And Shag Lessons During President's Day Weekend, Feb. 18 and Feb. 19 February 3, 2011, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Ocean Lakes Family Campground in Myrtle Beach, S.C., is kicking off its year-long 40th birthday celebration with its 11th Annual Beach n' Boogie Weekend Feb. 18 through Feb. 19. Sites at the campground are still available for the weekend for this guest-only celebration.

The weekend will feature beach music by The Fantastic Shakers, known as “South's Finest Show Band” and the internationally-acclaimed group, The Embers. Beach n' Boogie will also include shag lessons provided by

award-winning shagger Judy Duke, prizes and food.

NASCAR K&N Pro Series Driver Brandon Haley will make a special appearance on the campground with his dirt track champion car and NASCAR K&N car.

“Beach n' Boogie is an exciting event that everyone at Ocean Lakes – from guests to teammates – really looks forward to each year,” said Barb Krumm, Director of Marketing and Public Relations at Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

“It’s a great event for the entire family. We're thrilled that The Fantastic Shakers, The Embers, Brandon Haley and Judy Duke are joining us, and there is a very special surprise guest.

We have activities for kids from ages 4 to 11 so that parents can have even more fun!”

http://issuu.com/industryenews/docs/getawayusamediakit1

By Art Lieberman Several years ago I went to a meeting of Marketing Unit Directors representing Merchants’ Choice Payment Solutions (MCPS) – then called MCCS Merchants’ Choice Card Services. We were treated to a stay at a gorgeous golf club in The Woodlands, Texas.

At a dinner given by the home office, I was seated next to another rep, much like myself. During a business discussion I mentioned that I never lease POS equipment. Our dinner companion was astonished. “What?” she said “that’s where all the money in this business is.”

She was, of course, right. If I had leased credit card terminals for, let’s say, only $39.95 a month for 3 years, the merchant would pay $1,440 for the terminal. The leasing company would get around $250 for the lease, so, after installation of the terminal, the leasing company would send me the full balance of the lease $1,190 - the terminal would cost me approximately $350, and my profit would be $850. How wonderful for me. Of course, the merchant gets the terminal and the shaft.

But that’s not all. The lease that the merchant signs is an open end lease, meaning that at the end of the 36 months they have two options – either allow the lease to renew for an additional year at a time or

purchase the leased equipment (now 3 years old) at the “then current retail price” – which is of course the same price they could have purchased it for three years before. If the merchant doesn’t pay attention to the expiration date on the lease, it will be automatically renewed for a year at minimum. The lesson? Before leasing, or perhaps worse, renting, equipment read the small print.

changes for the better and will then lower the rates or charges of the merchant.

Then there’s that item in every single processor’s agreement called “Terms”.

There is usually a term of length that merchants sign on for with a processor.

Most processors use from 2-5 years as their term.

There’s also something in the agreement called an ETF – an “early termination fee”. That’s the fee the merchant pays if he switches processors prior to the expiration date of the agreement and it ranges from $395 - $795. Fair enough, I would think because a processor is actually allowing the merchant credit against transactions which could be charged back and the processor has established an account for the merchant, and therefore established credit for that merchant. Many processors will permit loans against future credit card transactions. In many cases, processors will permit “rate reviews” if the business of the merchant

Remember that credit card processing as a “game of numbers” Remember that a processor cannot go below the rates that they are charged by Visa,

But should the merchant be convinced by another processor to switch arbitrarily, they may have to pay an ETF, which might wipe out the alleged savings of the new processor. How much the merchant pays is often not subject to a reduction if only a few months are left in the contractual obligation.

MasterCard, Discover and American Express, no matter what they say. Ask for references of other campground owners – and finally, read the small print on the agreement – it might save you money and a great deal of aggravation.

Art Lieberman is President of MCPS for Campgrounds, a credit card processor sponsored

by Woodforest Bank NA. Art has been in the Credit Card industry for nearly 13 years. Art has been conducting webinars online and seminars on credit cards in many State and Regional Association Conventions

You read right: that SmarterThan-The-Average bear has arrived in video game format, set to take your family on an adventure through Jellystone Park™ without ever leaving the house.

“Yogi Bear™: The Video Game” is now available for Nintendo Wii ($39.95) and Nintendo DS ($29.95). In both versions, Jellystone Park is in danger of shutting down. On Wii, players act as Yogi Bear while belly sliding, zip-lining and sneaking through majestic levels to save the day! You’ll explore four unique, massive areas within Jellystone Park; use Yogi’s flying glider; sneak past campers to collect merit badges and ‘pic-a-nic’ baskets; and use the Wii motion controls to shake the bushes and uncover hidden pick-ups, all on the

way to keep the park open.

On the Nintendo DS, players again act as Yogi Bear while they explore Jellystone Park and create crazy gadgets to save the day. They’ll explore a variety of areas straight from the film; build gadgets like Slidey Skates, Propeller Hat, Spring Shoes and more; play as Boo Boo Bear™ in a special minigame to unlock photo stills from the movie; and avoid campers, dogs, skunks, squirrels and other obstacles to keep land developers from shutting down Jellystone!

You can find “Yogi Bear: The Video Game” at Gamestop, Toys R Us, Target, and Amazon.com.

It’s the perfect way to help keep kids from going stircrazy during those long snow days this winter!

North Hollywood, CA, February 7, 2011 - RV Buddies is proud to announce that Wolfgang Neuwirth has joined RV Buddies as Director of Strategic Marketing.

"RV Buddies is entering its third year online and Mr. Neuwirth brings with him expertise that will propel us to the next level" says Mark Summers, Principal of RV Buddies. "More than that, (he) has an understanding of the personal dynamic in this industry and what it takes to forge mutually beneficial long-term relationships."

"I'm glad to be a part of this new media venture," says Wolfgang Neuwirth. "RV Buddies isn't about banner sales. The monetized model is about branding, creating joint marketing efforts and strategic alliances with our clientcompanies."

RV Buddies Advanced Media Marketing Group assists companies in longterm branding strategies with critical ad placement, advertorial, coordinated product launches and text and video reviews. For information and program availability, contact Wolfgang Neuwirth at 262903-5154 or email him at Wolfgang@RVBuddies.net.

Wolfgang Neuwirth About RV Buddies...

RV Buddies is an RV adventure-lifestyle show featuring reviews of RVs, accessories and gear featuring hosts Mark Summers, Elise Baughman and Robert Wittenberg.

Bob Zagami heads the new Features category.

Contributing editors include John DiPietro for Features, and Gary Bunzer, "The RV Doctor" for the Product Tech category.

The program is distributed as an Internet Television production on its own website, on Apple iTunesTM and through other distribution channels including iPad and phone friendly versions for iPhone, Blackberry and Android.

Take a look around your park and you will find that the majority of your guests are over 50 years old. It’s a proven statistic. The ARVC 2005 American Camper Survey found that the Baby Boomer Generation (aged 41-59 yrs old) is the largest percentage of active campers; making up 46% of active campers and 43% owning RVs. Unfortunately, only 26% of the Generation Xers (aged 27-40 yrs old) are active campers and only 11% of them own an RV. And the statistics only get worse the younger the audience gets – Echo Boomers (aged 26 and younger) only account for 9% of active campers and of them only 1% own an RV. Now granted, RVs are an investment and many young adults don’t have the expendable income to throw out at a $50,000 rig, but nonetheless the percentage of Echo Boomers only accounting for 9% of active campers alone is a scary statistic.

What does that mean for your park? Well, it means younger Americans are opting out of spending time outdoors and that means that as these individuals age, they won’t be choosing to camp or RV and stay at your park.

Perhaps today’s technology boom has pushed our younger Americans further away from nature and closer to the luxuries of

campaign, ‘Get Outdoors & Go Camping America…It’s Easy!’

Kera Tomlin: ARVC Marketing/Communications

instant gratification offered by tech savvy companies like Apple and Microsoft.

Folks, we’re up against the big guys! So the challenge has been set for us, we need to find a way to reach younger Americans and interest them in the outdoors and camping.

Lucky for us the leaders of this country have realized this epidemic problem and that is why President Obama and nearly all of America’s governors have proclaimed June as Great Outdoors Month. Isn’t this the perfect opportunity to encourage young families to get outdoors together and try camping as a family?! We thought so!

We’re taking baby steps to tackle this problem but our hope is that by offering a HUGE incentive and an easy opportunity to try camping, that we can encourage young families who have never camped to try it as an affordable family vacation. Please allow us to introduce our June

The goal of this promotion is to encourage young families (between the ages of 18-45 yrs old) to go camping during the month of June, Great Outdoors Month, using GoCampingAmerica.com (GCA) coupons for discounts on all things camping; and to document their camping experience on video for a chance to win an RV or other big prize.

The campaign will run June 1 – June 25 (prior to your busy season start of July 4th weekend) and during this time, consumers will be encouraged to check out GoCampingAmerica.com to find HUGE discounts on camping –everything camping! We are partnering with BIG industry retailers for discounts on RV rentals, camping gear, camping food, camping accommodations and the list goes on. You might be asking, “What?! You want us to discount camping accommodations?” Well, the answer is yes. If we are going to get young families interested in camping, we need to offer introductory camping getaways, ones that are

easy to book and affordable. Yes, we know that you may not want to discount your accommodations but if it means MORE NEW business that could potentially become repeat business down the road, the small discount upfront would easily become a wash. Parks will have the opportunity to decide on their own if they choose to accept the coupon or not, but we strongly encourage members to participate. We will bring the business to your door but if you don’t open it, you’ve potentially lost repeat business. Our June campaign will work similarly to the Groupon concept, a coupon so inviting that it encourages a mass audience to try a product or service that they may have never tried. As with the Groupon.com, the purpose of our campaign is to entice newbies and make them long-standing customers.

The campaign will begin on June 1st, but leading up to June is where all of our marketing efforts occur.

During this lead period, we will be working with Plaid Video, a company out of Utah that specializes in YouTube viral video sensations. We will begin our campaign with several viral videos using YouTube actors/actresses, some of Continued

"Folks, we’re up against the big guys! So the challenge has been set for us, we need to find a way to reach younger Americans and interest them in the outdoors and camping" which have mass video subscriber bases of 500,000-750,000+ fans.

Viral videos can be very effective in reaching younger audiences and they definitely reach the target audience we are trying to reach. The viral videos that are created will point traffic back to GoCampingAmerica.com and from there we will have a micro-site that offers great discounts on camping products and services.

Consumers will be able to download the coupons and use them during the campaign period of June 1June 25. As the campaign name implies, it is all meant to be EASY for the consumer. A one-stop shop for all things camping related.

The second half of the campaign is the RV Camping Video Contest, where we will be encouraging those families who are camping to document their first experience for a chance to win an RV. The purpose of the video contest is to extend the interest and hype of camping throughout the summer and to encourage more families to try the discounted camping offers because they will also have a chance to win an RV. Plus, we will have a big name sponsor of the RV Camping

Video Contest and we will partner with that sponsor to heavily promote camping and the contest.

Also, occurring during the June Great Outdoors Month, ARVC’s CAMP will be working closely with the ARVC state associations to create state capitol and a National Capitol campout(s) to create awareness about camping. These events will be centered around the weekend of June 11th. In addition to the camp-outs, National Get Outdoors Day will also be held on June 11th and many of our ARVC member parks and state associations will be participating in these nationwide events to get more families outdoors. All of these events help us focus on the importance of family camping and enjoying the great outdoors – they all tiein to our ‘Get Outdoors & Go Camping America…It’s Easy!’ promotion.

ARVC members, please keep your eyes peeled for more information as it becomes available. We hope that your park will choose to participate in the June ‘Get Outdoors & Go Camping America…It’s Easy!’ promo. Choose to accept the coupon and choose to accept new business!

Florida and Alabama RV resorts that are affiliated with the Best Parks in America network are collectively investing more than $8 million in improvements this year in an effort to provide enhanced experiences and service to their guests.

“Park operators that continually re-invest in their facilities, amenities and services to keep up with the times, have greater success than those that do not, and that’s clearly the case with our affiliates in Florida and Alabama, which are upgrading, enlarging and adding sites and other amenities this year,” said David Gorin, president of Best Parks in America.

New facilities include everything from new big-rig friendly RV sites to waterfront sites with park model cottage rentals, new boat docks and clubhouse facilities. Consider these examples: Bella Terra of Gulf Shores, Ala.: This premier Class A ownership resort is adding another 23 sites this year at a cost of roughly $525,000, bringing the total number of lots at the resort to 110. The 40-acre Best Parks in America affiliated resort, roughly 25 miles west of Pensacola, Fla., includes customized outdoor kitchens and barbecues and a zero entry infinity edge swimming pool. In addition to selling its RV

sites, Bella Terra also offers RV sites for rent.

Belle Parc RV Resort in Brooksville, Fla.: This 101site property is midway through an extensive $1 million improvement and expansion effort that will more than triple its size to 325 sites over the next year, said park owner John Hurtado Jr. “We just renovated all of our buildings, installed a pool and spa pavilion and just finished a spacious dock on our waterfront,” he said.

Emerald Coast RV Beach Resort in Panama City, Fla.: This 138-site park is spending more than $1 million to install 10 more premium lakeside RV sites as well as 23 new park model cottages, eight of which will have RV pads facing a pond. The new sites will also have access to a new swimming pool, a new bathhouse with two private shower and bathroom facilities, an exercise room and a game room. The resort is also expanding its clubhouse by 625 square feet, which will add more seating capacity while also creating more space to expand the kitchen. These improvements come on the heels of another $150,000 in improvements during the past two years, which include the installation of a dog run and pet wash facility, new playground equipment and restroom upgrades. “Our

expansion efforts are being driven by rising demand,” said Jerry Broch, the resort’s general manager.

“We have a lot of snowbirds in winter. And in summer people from Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee come to the beach.

Flamingo Lake RV Resort in Jacksonville, Fla.: This 288-site resort, which sits on the only certified swimming lake in northeast Florida, is in the midst of a $1 million improvement effort that will include providing new water and sewer connections to 100 RV sites, which are also being paved. Park manager Bob Little said the improvements are needed to help the park continue to expand its business base, which already includes snowbirds as well as swimming and fishing enthusiasts and medical travelers who receive specialized treatment at Shands Jacksonville, Nemours Clinic, Wolfsons Children's Hospital, University of Florida Proton Therapy, the Cyber Knife and the Mayo Clinic.

Florida Grande Motor Coach Resort in Webster, Fla.: This exclusive Class A motorcoach resort, located 45 miles west of

Orlando, has begun extensive capital improvements including landscaping, a new fitness center and various furnishing upgrades and plans to begin construction this year on 119 additional RV sites for a combined cost exceeding $500,000, said Tripp Keber, COO of Bella Terra Resort Management, LLC, which recently took over management of the property. Florida Grande Motor Coach Resort features a 20,000-square foot clubhouse that includes multiple recreation and meeting rooms, a library and exercise room, a full kitchen and a 2,500-square foot heated all season swimming pool.

Quail Run RV Resort in Wesley Chapel, Fla.: This 292-site resort, which is more than half through a $4 million expansion effort, has recently doubled in size, and further stepped up its focus on accommodating RVers with big rigs, who are often hard pressed to find big sites in Florida’s older RV parks and resorts.

“That’s why we build them the way we do. Our motto is ‘No rig is too big,’ ” said park co-owner Frank Gilmore. The park has added140 sites in the past Continued

Continued two years, all of which are 40 by 70 feet, with the exception of pull through sites, which are 85 feet long and 40 feet wide.

Even the park’s older section includes 35 by 50foot sites with 35- by 70foot pull through sites. RV sites feature 50-amp electrical service, free cable and free Wi-Fi service at each site. “We just poured 5,000 yards of concrete,” Gilmore said, adding his next improvements will include a new state-of-the-art laundry facility and a new 4,500 square foot clubhouse. “We hope to have both completed by the end of summer,” he said.

Vacation Inn Resort in West Palm Beach, Fla.: This 400site park offers sites for rent and for sale, and has spent $150,000 in improvements during the past two years and plans to spend about $80,000 in improvements this year and next year, said Del Highfield, the resort’s manager. Recent improvements include repaving the park entrance, repainting the park’s buildings and installing new landscaping. “We will be rejuvenating about four miles of roads inside the park this year,” Highland said.

Proposed restrictions on parking oversized vehicles on residential streets will be considered tonight by the Guadalupe City Council.

The proposal was made in response to complaints about parking and/or storage of oversized vehicles in residential and commercial areas in the city.

The council is being asked to consider restricting “large” vehicles — motor vehicle, house car, recreational vehicle, or non-

motorized trailer over 8 feet in height or 23 feet in length — to no more than eight hours on a public or residential street except while loading or unloading property unless more time is “reasonably necessary.”

Other conditions also would apply.

Vehicles found in violation could be cited or removed or both. The owner could be subject to a fine.

Full Article: www.santamariatimes.com

ARTWORK | LOGO DESIGN | WEBSITES | PRINTING SERVICES Contact Dennis Macready 865 387 5667 | 865 429 8344 E: dennis@voircreative.com W: www.voircreative.com

Congratulations to our long time National Sales Managers and Vice Presidents of Sales, Wayne and Carlene Morris. They have been promoted from Vice Presidents of Sales, to Vice Presidents of Southeast Publications as of January 1, 2011. Happy New Year!

Since 1990, Wayne and Carlene have provided the partnership to this company that helped it and my Father escalate its success to what it is today and what it has represented for the last 20 years. They are a very vital and significant part of this company’s success and future, and are being rewarded this promotion in recognition of their stature, dedication and accomplishments with this company.

They have led the sales force by example and with diligent professionalism for decades and that won’t change. They will be changing their tactical methods of managing, recruiting and training as they will no longer be going on the road participating in personal sales. They will be concentrating strictly on helping all the reps be more proficient and successful with their independent business practices. They will be spending more time developing better recruiting and training procedures to ensure high success rates

Wayne & Carlene Morris for all reps. They will work at building a closer and stronger relationship with establishments and help increase national advertising.

With all the adversity and tragedy Southeast Publications has faced in the previous year as a company and with so many vital losses, Wayne and Carlene have been the ones to stand strong through it all and embrace this company with solidarity, providing the support we all needed.

Without them we wouldn’t be who and what we are today, and without their leadership we wouldn’t be heading in this very exciting and prosperous direction that we are currently. We have found great leadership in them and they provide the BEST support system this company could ever have.

They are Southeast Publications, and we are all Southeast “Proud!”

Catalina Island, California – January 27, 2011 Two Harbors Enterprises, a division of the Santa Catalina Island Company has awarded a multi-year contract to Marina Reservation Services, LLC (M.R.S.). The move comes in response to evolving consumer expectations and the desire to deliver a new level of customer service for Marina visitors and mooring lessees. Hercules Marine was selected after an extensive RFP process and the review of proposals from a variety of very capable vendors. The selection was influenced by a number of factors, including flexibility, customer experience, easy customization, and most importantly, the SaaS (software as a service) solution.

Hercules Marine is a reservation and property management software solution designed specifically for Marinas and Marine trades. It is a product of M.R.S., a joint venture created by marine industry veteran software developer Exuma Technologies, maker of DockMaster software, the industry’s leading marina management solution, and Leisure Interactive, a leader in outdoor recreation and hospitality software and the developers of the Hercules technology platform that powers Hercules Marine.

“M.R.S. and Hercules Marine were selected

because they offered a flexible solution that could be tailored to our specific needs and deployed quickly.” Said Phillip Winter, Harbormaster at Two Harbors, “SaaS, means we always have the latest version of the software without the expense or hassle of maintaining servers and software, or requiring specially trained IT or support staff. Plus, we will enjoy the benefit of being able to improve the visitor experience by allowing boaters to know they have a confirmed mooring before they arrive.

Online reservations will streamline the check-in process, allowing boaters to pay in advance online and free up staff time to focus on delivering an exceptional experience.”

“When we received the RFP from Two Harbors Enterprises we knew we could deliver exactly what they were looking for in the time frame they needed it delivered”, said David McKnight, COO, Leisure interactive. “With Hercules Marine, we were able to customize a solution for Two Harbors Marina and get it up and running in about a third of the time it takes to deploy locally installed software.”

Visitors to Two Harbors Marina on Catalina Island, California will begin enjoying a new level of customer experience before the Memorial Day weekend.

Boaters will be able to

reserve a guaranteed mooring in advance of arrival, pay for it online using a credit or debit card and begin enjoying their vacation the moment they arrive. The next phase will include the ability for long term mooring lessees to easily confirm usage in advance online to insure their mooring isn’t occupied when they arrive.

About Two Harbor Enterprises, Two Harbors Enterprises, a subsidiary of the Santa Catalina Island Company, operates and maintains over 700 moorings around Catalina Island and operates the town of Two Harbors. Two Harbors is a rustic seaside village located at the isthmus of Catalina Island, just 20 miles off the coast of Southern California.

Catalina Island offers a variety of recreational opportunities including hiking, snorkeling and scuba diving in crystal clear water, ocean kayaking, mountain biking, seaside camping, pleasure boating or just plain relaxing on a sandy beach. Dining options

include the Harbor Reef Restaurant & Saloon, The West End Galley snack shop, and General Store Deli. Other services include Safari Bus and tours, and Visitors Service Center, Dive Shop with air fill station, Pump-a-Head and Fuel Dock.

About Marina Reservation Services, LLC Marina Reservation Services LLC, is a joint venture founded by long time marine industry technology leader Exuma Technologies (makers of DockMaster Software), and the developer of the Hercules Software Platform Leisure Interactive, LLC – the leading provider of online reservation systems and property management software for the outdoor recreation & hospitality industry. For more information: Nick Novak, Corporate Account Manager, (561) 969-2882, nick@exumatech.com.

ELKHART -- Heartland Recreational Vehicles announced that it has withdrawn a subpoena issued to RV Daily Report Editor Greg Gerber seeking the identity of someone who posted an anonymous comment to a story published on the news website Oct. 15.

Indiana-based law firm Baker and Daniels, which represents Heartland, issued the subpoena Dec. 13 because they felt the anonymous commenter might have information which was relevant to one of four federal lawsuits pending between Heartland and Forest River.

Heartland's lawyers said that discovering the identity of the anonymous commenter -- called "The Thinker" -- who posted remarks about an ongoing lawsuit, would not be needed in its litigation.

The law firm was initially concerned that it would be unable to retrieve the electronic identity of the commenter if it did not issue the subpoena.

"I am glad to have the issue resolved," Gerber said. "It is unfortunate that my publication was dragged into the controversy in the first place. However, I felt it was important to go to bat for our readers who want to contribute their thoughts or ideas to stories we publish that involve key players within the RV industry - and to do so anonymously, if they wish."

However, Heartland's lawyers eventually concluded that obtaining the commenter's identity from RV Daily Report would not be necessary in order to protect Heartland's interests. http://rvdailyreport.com Aditors Note: Congratulations Greg, you had a win for the online publishing industry!

Starting February 22, Albertans and visitors can reserve a campsite up to 90 days in advance at 51 provincial campgrounds.

The newest addition to Reserve.AlbertaParks.ca is Little Bow Provincial Park, near Lethbridge.

“We are excited to add the popular Lethbridge area campground to our awardwinning reservation service this year,” said Tourism, Parks and Recreation Minister Cindy Ady. “We know visitors appreciate the convenience of booking online with nearly 180,000 reservations since 2009.”

Reservations at 51 provincial campgrounds are available online at Reserve.AlbertaParks.ca or by calling 1-877-537-2757 up to 90 days in advance of arrival. Visitors are encouraged to research their individual campsite ahead of time on interactive maps. Maps and photographs show the campsite size and features such as nearby trails, firepit location, and proximity to

By Larry

Cindy Ady washrooms. The website provides a 360-degree panoramic view of each campsite and campground.

More than 170 other provincial campgrounds offer first-come first-served only campsites, and some accept phone reservations through the local campground offices. More information is available at AlbertaParks.ca.

There are nearly 500 provincial parks that cover about 27,667 square kilometres, or 4.1 per cent of the province’s land base, as a legacy for future generations.

January 31 through February 3 saw what many meteorologists believe to be the largest and one of the fiercest storms ever to occur in North America. It produced new records for blizzards, snow totals and cold temperatures all the way from the Texas Panhandle to Chicago, the Great Lakes and New England.

Two primary weather elements led to this storm: cold arctic air and warm humid Gulf moisture. Arctic air has been pouring southward for months. Until that changes, expect more of same: cold air being overrun with warm Gulf moisture. The difference will be only that the snows will move more northward, on the top side of the storms, as the jet stream gradually moves northward.

Tornados and violent thunderstorms, generally on the south side of these storms, will occur in the southerly states but week by week inch their way northward as spring approaches.

A handy rule of thumb is that the seasons change one week for every one hundred miles north and south. The Great Lakes states, approximately 1500 miles north from Texas, will on average have fifteen more weeks of winter than north Texas, meaning winter will set in seven to eight weeks earlier in the fall and last seven to eight weeks longer in the spring. So, by this rule of thumb, if spring comes to Forth Worth in mid February it will break out in the northern states in mid April.

Meantime, even taking into account the uncertainty of weather predictions, assume that a very stormy spring is in store for nearly every place that got walloped by this last storm.

Take appropriate precautions and be prepared for very strong winds, hail, and high amounts of rain, sleet, or snow in those storms that do occur. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.