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PAGE 1 ISSUE 170 11/23/11
Chairman focuses on Value Niagara Falls, New York – Michael Papp, owner of West Canada Creek Campsites in Poland, New York, was elected by the membership to the chairmanship of the Campground Owners of New York (CONY) board of directors, during the association’s annual
meeting held November 5, 2011, at the Conference & Event Center, Niagara Falls, New York. The annual meeting took place during CONY’s 48th Annual Exposition for the Outdoor Hospitality Industry, held November 3 to 5, 2011.
Mr. Papp takes over the gavel from Scott Sherwood, owner of Spruce Row Campground & RV Park in Ithaca, New York, who stepped down after four years in the position. Continued
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Continued a comprehensive strategic plan for CONY that now guides the association’s many functions. As Board Chairman, he’ll lead the Executive Committee, which includes oversight of personnel, and ways and means.
Scott Sherwood (right), outgoing chairman of the board of directors for Campground Owners of New York, congratulates and hands off the gavel to Michael Papp (left), newly elected chairperson, during the association’s annual awards banquet in Niagara Falls, November 5, 2011. recently as 3rd Vice Mr. Sherwood will now His leadership brought Chairman. He led the serve on the CONY Board about many changes Governance Committee of Directors as Immediate including our new logo, our which worked on issues Past Chairman. Long Range Plan and a and projects related to renewed vibe at CONY.” membership, by-laws, In praising the outgoing nominations, and policies chairman, Mr. Papp Mr. Papp has served on and procedures. He also remarked, “I want to thank the CONY Board of chaired the Long Range Scott for being a great Directors since 2007, first Committee, which recently leader and a hard working as the Region 6 spent 18 months producing member of our industry. representative, and most
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According to Mr. Papp, “It is an honor to be entrusted by my fellow campground owners as the Chairperson of CONY. I look forward to working with everyone to continue the great things that Scott, Don and the Board of Directors have started over the past four years as well as working hard to continue growing CONY both in memberships as well as membership benefits, and to keep increasing the value of the Association our members.” Donald G. Bennett, Jr., President and CEO of CONY, said “I am looking forward to working with Mike and the entire CONY board to continue fulfilling the mission of CONY and to help realize our vision of being the leader in the outdoor hospitality industry.” Campground Owners of Continued
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Creek, in the town of Poland, Oneida County, New York.
Continued New York, founded in 1963, is an association dedicated to the promotion, growth, improvement and development of privately owned campgrounds in New York State.
Mr. Papp has over 30 years experience in the service and hospitality industry, including 17 years in the restaurant industry, which culminated in his position as a multi-unit supervisor overseeing 10 restaurants.
Its board of directors is comprised of campground owners/managers representing twelve regions across the state, as well as an executive committee. The association’s headquarters and staff are based in Pittsford, New York. Mr. Papp and his wife Sandy, parents to sons Hunter and Jarrett, just
Michael Papp completed their seventh season operating West Canada Creek Campsites, an 85-site park along the banks of the West Canada
After deciding to become part of the outdoor hospitality industry, he and Sandy spent two years as full-time RVers and served as Workampers, investigating the business. After a few more years working in the vacation rental business on Hatteras Island – where he rose to
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the position of Vice President of Marketing and General Manager of Surf or Sound Realty, they sold their home in 2004 and purchased their campground. Mr. Papp ran for chairman pledging to ensure that the value members get is increased through better membership programs, conferences, and zone meetings, and that the board of directors does a better job of communicating with the membership. He was sworn in November 5th, during the awards banquet held at the Exposition, and chaired his first board meeting on November 6th.
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PRESS RELEASE
Trailer Life RV Parks & Campgrounds Directory and Woodall's Campground Guide to Unite in 2013 to Form One Combined "Super Directory" Trailer Life Directory and Woodall Publications (of the Good Sam family), the publishers of North America's top two Campground Directories and leading campground search websites and mobile applications, have announced today that they will be uniting to form a single "Super Directory" North American print edition in 2013. The two giants in the camping and RV industry will join forces to inspire travel by bringing the highest quality, most complete and accurate information about RV and camping travel to the most engaged RVers and campers in North America. On announcing the merger Marcus Lemonis, Chairman and CEO of Good Sam Enterprises, said, "The consolidation of the two directories into one 'Super Directory' will provide our customers with a single source for their RVing and camping travel planning. The coming together of these two brands enables us to serve as more than a directory, and will represent an 'everything RV guide' for the consumer to be inspired to fully explore the RV lifestyle across North America." "This merger will also allow us to drive more business to our RV park and campground advertisers
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and to our network of Good Sam Parks," continued Lemonis. "We know that our success is predicated on the success of our customers, and combining the strength of the industry's two leading directory brands is just one way in which we can ensure we are serving the needs of our campground, RV park and resort customers. Advertisers have asked us to consider a unified directory so that they can focus their marketing spend in one powerful vehicle. Thus we made this decision with our park and campground partners very much in mind, to provide them one 'super directory' which will be the ultimate marketing showcase for them." Beginning with the 2013 edition, a new Campground Directory under the Good Sam brand will emerge from the best of both Woodall's and Trailer Life Directories, representing nearly 130 years of combined industry service and campground expertise. This new directory will offer higher circulation and even more online and mobile application marketing opportunities to campgrounds and parks. This combined directory will utilize the Trailer Life 10/10*/10 rating system, with some enhancements
borrowed from the Woodall's rating system. The ratings as always will be based on personal visits by directory representatives. Other improvements to the 2013 Combined Directory will include state and provincial points of interest, the RVers "Bucket List" for 2013, tips to improve your RV and camping lifestyle, 10Minute Tech Tips, RV maintenance advice, how to buy or sell an RV, dealers and service station locations, games, puzzles, recipes, coupons and more. The directory will also spotlight the Good Sam RV Park and Resort network, the largest affiliated park network in North America, featuring more than 1,700 RV parks and resorts where Good Sam members can save 10% on nightly camping fees. Both the Trailer Life and Woodall's brands will continue into 2013 and beyond according to the company. Woodall's regional directory editions will continue to be published in 2013, in an exclusive partnership with AAA, and Trailer Life magazine, one of the leading RV enthusiast magazines in the industry, will continue to be published on a monthly basis. Likewise websites, online directory search, and mobile applications will continue to exist for both brands.
The combined 2013 combined directory will not affect the distribution and circulation of the 2012 Trailer Life and Woodall's Directories, websites, and mobile applications, as both the Trailer Life and Woodall's 2012 Directory editions will be available to consumers in 2012 just the same as past years. "We have some great enhancements for our advertising partners planned for our 2013 'Super Directory' and are excited to share our plans with the industry at the upcoming ARVC Conference. Not only will we have more exciting marketing tools for parks to connect with avid RVers and campers, we will also expand our number of field teams to permit them to spend more time working with individual parks on their marketing programs," said Ann Emerson, Vice President and Publisher of the new combined directory. " We also want to assure our advertising customers that our 2012 Woodall's and Trailer Life Directory circulation commitments will be met through our various distribution channels, beginning in December of this year and continuing throughout 2012. And we will continue to connect campgrounds with active RVers through our three websites, www.trailerlifedirectory.com www.woodalls.com and Continued
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Continued www.goodsamclub.com , as well as through our mobile applications for both Trailer Life and Woodall's directories." The 2013 combined directory will take advantage of the previously separate circulation strategies for each brand. The Woodall's Directory has been distributed through bookstores, mass merchant chains, Camping World stores, RV dealers
and campgrounds, while the Trailer Life Directory has been primarily distributed to the Good Sam Club members and through internet sales. The combined directory in 2013 will utilize both these distribution strategies to reach all the active, affluent RVers and campers that each of these brands reached separately in the past. Campground search tools for the combined directory will also be available at www.trailerlifedirectory.com
www.woodalls.com and www.goodsamclub.com websites, as well as on campground search mobile applications for both iPhone and Android. "Having this 'super directory' under the Good Sam brand will give our advertisers greater share of mind with the market's largest RVer database, the combined 4 million plus avid RVers who are members of Good Sam and customers of Camping World," added Lemonis. "While advertisers
will benefit from the larger consumer audience, RVers will reap the rewards of a single source for all their RV travel planning needs. Publishing this combined directory under the Good Sam brand will be a powerful unifying strategy for our entire organization, and will further our mission to grow the Good Sam brand, Good Sam Club, and our Good Sam Park network."
Campground Owner to appear on Food Network Channel SANTA CLAUS, IND.---Food Network Challenge has selected Philip Koch of Santa Claus, Indiana, owner of Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort, the Santa Claus Christmas Store, and PersonalizedOrnaments.co m, as a guest judge for their Christmas Classics episode. The hour long holiday segment pits four cake designers against each other in a race to make a classic Christmas cake about Christmas tales and carols. Two food experts, along with Koch, judge the designers on not only craftsmanship of the cake, but also how well they incorporate the Christmas theme. Koch was chosen as a leading Christmas
expert after a nationwide search. According to the show’s website, “The designers who have been nice get an extra gift, but the competitors who have been naughty get an unwelcome surprise. The designer who infuses their cake with a little Christmas magic will get a ten thousand dollar check in their stocking.” The episode airs this Sunday, November 27, at 7:00pm CT, 8:00pm ET. Food Network Challenge airs on Sunday nights on the Food Network Channel, which has an estimated viewership of approximately 85 million. For more information about the show visit http://www.foodnetwork.com
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Operators must go beyond providing good service DENVER, Nov. 21, 2011 – People’s expectations have changed so much in recent years that simply providing good service is no longer good enough to maintain a competitive advantage, says Larry Brownfield, a senior business development consultant for Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA). “The mindset of today’s consumer has changed,” Brownfield maintains. “We have to move beyond providing good customer service to create a ‘Wow!’ factor.” Brownfield will help park operators understand how to do this during his seminar on the experiencebased economy at the Outdoor Hospitality Conference & Expo, which takes place Nov. 30th to Dec. 2nd in Savannah, Ga. Brownfield will provide park operators with a template they can use to evaluate their current amenities and services and identify areas for improvement. Improvements can be made even in the simple things, he said, like showing a guest to their site. “Do you escort people to their campsite and simply point to it or do you do something extra? Do you make sure
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Leisure Systems revenue shows 7% Growth
everything is working properly? Do you provide them with disposable table cloths or other unexpected items that could enhance their experience?” And if you offer activities, do they start on time? Are your activities properly staffed? All of these things can make a difference between a good experience and an exceptional experience, he said. Held at the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort & Spa and the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center, ARVC’s Conference and Expo will feature 43 educational seminars, more than twice the number of any previous ARVC conference. Other seminar topics will include marketing through social and mainstream media, Google analytics, risk management and prevention, employment and cyber liability issues, as well as electric car charging and other green opportunities for campgrounds. It will also feature the campground industry’s largest tradeshow, with vendors showcasing the latest products and services for park operators across the country.
Leisure Systems Inc., franchisors of the Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts, and its 77 franchisees registered some healthy numbers in 2011. In his annual presentation to franchisees during the LSI Symposium Nov. 13-17 in Covington, Ky., Chief Operating Officer Rob Schutter Jr. reported that overall revenues grew 7% in 2011 over 2010, while same-park revenues were up 5%. That’s on top of a strong 2010 when overall revenue rose 11% and same-park income was up 6% from the year before. Occupancies were up 3% in 2011 with rental units and extended stays showing double-digit growth at 13% each. Store expenditures rose 5% and miscellaneous expenditures rose 6%, Schutter reported. The report showed solid growth in key areas, despite the overall sluggishness of the U.S. economy during the year. LSI welcomed six new franchise locations in 2011: Gloucester Point, Va., the Gedicke Family; Harrisville, Pa., the Quigley Family; Milford, Del., the Fannin Family; Pittsfield, Ill., Deb
and Ted Festa; Madison, Maine, Alan York; and Montrose, Colo., John Bender. New franchisees are John and Alyssa Harlan, Natural Bridge, Va., and Henk John and Mary Ann Kuipers, Kingston, Nova Scotia. Several prospective new members attended this year’s Symposium, which drew all but seven of the system’s 77 franchisees. Attendees attended educational seminars, purchased Yogi merchandise for the coming season and enjoyed the industry camaraderie around the theme “Jellystone Park – Always A Winning Hand.” Marketing Plans Outlined Schutter outlined marketing initiatives in 2011 and looked ahead to 2012. In the coming year, he said, LSI will: ■Redesign www.campjellystone.com. ■Increase its PR efforts. ■Use QR codes in advertising. ■Develop a new photo archive for member parks’ marketing.
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Ocean Lakes Campground Christmas Challenge to benefit local charity MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -Myrtle Beach's Ocean Lakes Family Campground, a division of The Jackson Companies, is kicking off its Christmas Challenge. This competition, which runs through Saturday, Nov. 26, has a three-fold focus on recycling, charity and saving money in today's economy. The Christmas Challenge will enable the campground to raise and donate proceeds to Substitutes for Santa, a local charity that provides a Christmas experience to between 50 and 85
underprivileged children from the Loris and Myrtle Beach communities. The challenge asks the campground's teammates to decorate a tree or wreath as best they can without purchasing any decorations and only using items they find in their own offices. The Ocean Lakes Family Campground judges will cast ballots during the week for winners in three categories: Most Festive, Wow! and Most Creative Use of Departmental Supplies. Ocean Lakes'
guests and teammates will vote for the "People's Choice." Winners will be announced at The Jackson Companies' Teammates Awards Breakfast and on the Ocean Lakes Facebook page on Dec. 12. Christmas Challenge entries will be sold through a silent auction during Thanksgiving week while the campground is nearly full with more than 20,000 guests. All proceeds from the event will be donated to Substitutes for Santa.
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In the past, there's been no limit to the teammate's creativity. The Ocean Lakes Storage and Transport Department previously made a wreath out of a blown camper tire, decorated with flashing tail lights, mangled camper parts and reflectors. Security staff at the 310acre campground created a wreath with old uniform shirts, handcuffs, reports, confiscated items and a flashing blue light.
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INDUSTRY NEWS NEWS INDUSTRY
Camping Down Under Surges SYDNEY, Australia -- A 2011 Consumer Report has revealed that seven million Australians have visited a caravan holiday park in the last two years and that 9.3 million are intending to holiday in the Caravanning & Holiday Parks Industry in the next two years. This Consumer Report was commissioned by the Caravan, RV & Accommodation Industry of Australia (CRVA) and was independently conducted by Alliance Strategic Research through a threephased research program. Key findings of the consumer research include: * 85 percent of Australians have visited a caravan holiday park at least once in their lifetime. * Seven percent of Australians intend to buy a caravan or other RV product in the next two years. * 85 percent of respondents said they would be happy to visit a caravan holiday park outside of school holidays. * 73 percent agree that caravanning and camping holidays are easy to organize and plan and 57 percent believe that these holidays are very good value at all times compared with other types of accommodation. * The internet is the core starting point for consumers when researching holidays with
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69 percent of respondents expecting online booking facilities. * Location, security and cost are the most important caravan holiday park features to visitors. More Australians are holidaying on the road, and according to CRVA’s Federal Chairman, Mark Lindsay, the strong consumer demand shows just how resilient the Caravanning & Holiday Parks Industry is. “The strong growth in the Caravanning & Holiday Parks Industry shows that Australians are looking to get better value out of their holidays and our Industry offers some of the most affordable holiday options in Australia,” said Mr Lindsay. The consumer research report also revealed that each accommodation type appeals to different age groups, with cabins favored by those aged over 35 years, tents to younger age groups, and caravan usage is most common to the 50+ market.
Jumping Pillows an attraction in Australia mature travelers,” Mr Recreational Vehicle Lindsay said. Manufacturers Association of Australia’s (RVMAA) “Caravan and camping 2011 statistics, which holidays promise endless shows that over 20,000 opportunities to meet new new caravans and other people, as well as recreational vehicles were enhancing communication manufactured in Australia with your family and friends. in 2010. “The priceless experiences you have on the road are what matters most.
The research also shows that there has been increased visitation to caravan holiday parks by married couples and family groups since 2008.
“Caravanning and camping is not just about the family and friends you go with, it’s also about the new people you meet along the way.”
“These types of holidays work really well with families right through to
The popularity of caravanning and camping is reinforced by the
Major State Caravan and Camping Shows The results of this consumer report are also supported by the success of all five major caravanning and camping shows around Australia. Attendance figures for the major state shows around the country totaled over Continued
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Continued 301,000 attendees not including the thousands more who have visited smaller state regional shows. According to Mr Lindsay, Australians are discovering that the major caravanning and camping shows are a great place to find holiday ideas and sample the right caravan/RV product to suit their lifestyle, as there are hundreds of caravans and motorhomes of all models, shapes and prices on display. “The five major state shows have enjoyed strong attendance numbers as more and more Australians
discover the freedom, flexibility and fun of the caravanning lifestyle, proving the growing popularity of the Industry” he said. “Sales at these shows continue to increase every year as families, baby boomers and older retirees increasingly choose to explore the country by road.” This consumer research shows that Australians are realizing more and more that caravanning and camping is not only adventurous, cost effective, and just plain fun, it is also an experience that leads to more quality family holidays.
Important Dates: ARVC Outdoor Hospitality Conference & Expo November 28 – December 2, 2011 Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort Spa & Savannah International Trade & Convention Center, Savannah, GA Contact: (303) 681-0401
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N.C. Campground to get an upgrade A North Carolina-based company plans to transform the Tohickon Family Campground in East Rockhill into a resort for recreational vehicles. Travel Resorts of America began leasing the 64-acre campground in June, according to Robert Bouse, director of operations. The company, which wants to purchase the property if it can move forward with renovations, recently met with township supervisors to see if they would be receptive to the company’s plans. Travel Resorts would like to nearly double the number of campsites at the facility, bringing it from 168 to about 300, Bouse said. All the existing campsites would need to be upgraded to add more room and available power to accommodate today’s larger RVs, he added. The plan would also include building some cabins, adding a “splash pad” water feature for children and a pet park, he said. Bouse estimated that the proposed renovations would cost the company about $4 million, but that they would likely be done over the next 10 to 15 years.
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“It’s a process, not an event,” he said. “We don’t do it overnight. We do it over a period of time.” He pointed to the company’s other two RV resorts — one in Gettysburg and one in North Carolina — that Travel Resorts slowly renovated from older, rundown campgrounds into premiere vacation destinations. One major component of the plan would have benefits for the whole community, Bouse said: the renovation of the Sheard/Clymer Gristmill on the property. “It needs to be brought back to life,” Bouse said. “It’s not like we’re going to be crushing corn or grain, but it will be as close as we can get it to that working condition.” The gristmill was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 and is considered significant both for its architecture and how it illustrates the development of the region’s milling industry. The mill has been around since at least 1798. It was purchased in 1844 by Levi Sheard, then in 1916 transferred to brothers John and Rubin Clymer. It was a
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working mill until the 1970s. Jim Deegan, who previously operated the campground, had hoped to sell the development rights of the property to help fund renovation of the mill, but the conservation easement deal never happened.
Californian firm wins State Parks bid was attractive to Travel Resorts, Bouse said.
The mill still has all of its original equipment, which needs to be cleaned up and reassembled, said John VanLuvanee, lawyer for Travel Resorts of America.
East Rockhill supervisors gave an initial nod to the company’s plans, allowing them to begin discussions over zoning issues with township officials.
The old mill combined with the nearby Sheard’s Mill Covered Bridge give the campground a historical and aesthetic appeal that
“It looks like a great improvement what they want to do,” said Supervisor Jim Nietupski. “It looks like a very professional organization.”
ASPEN — Most of the campgrounds in the national forest surrounding Aspen will be operated by a new management company for the first time in 12 summers next year. A private firm called California Land Management (CLM) Services placed the winning bid to earn a fiveyear permit to operate the major developed campgrounds throughout the White River National Forest, said Rich Doak,
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recreation staff officer with the forest supervisor's office. The permit will be renewed for an additional five years if both parties agree. The permit applies to hundreds of campsites in the sprawling, 2.28 millionacre national forest, which stretches from south of Aspen to north of Glenwood Springs and from the Rifle area in the west to Summit County in the east.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Attendance at ARVC's Annual Outdoor Hospitality Conference to exceed last year's figures by 35% Nearly 1,300 room nights have already been booked at the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort & Spa for the Nov. 28th to Dec. 2nd convention, prompting ARVC to arrange overflow rooms at another hotel nearby DENVER, Nov. 21, 2011 – Advance bookings for the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds’ Outdoor Hospitality Conference and Expo have exceeded last year’s conference figures by 35 percent, according to ARVC officials. “There is a great deal of excitement about this conference, and we’re seeing it in advance registrations and hotel bookings,” said Paul Bambei, ARVC’s president and CEO. He said the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort & Spa is already booked solid with conference attendees, prompting ARVC to arrange overflow rooms at the Mulberry Inn, another hotel nearby. “There are still plenty of rooms left in Savannah, but people should move quickly to secure their reservations and registrations if they haven’t done so already,” he said. This year’s Outdoor Hospitality Conference and Expo will feature networking opportunities, important updates regarding various new ARVC initiatives, an awards banquet, the private park industry’s largest tradeshow as well as 43 educational seminars, more than twice the number of any previous ARVC conference.
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Seminar topics include: Business Management: Specific sessions will focus on how to make the most of your leadership style; how to handle change; and how to pinpoint ways to improve the profitability and functioning of your business, how to use 20 groups and how to rehabilitate an older park. Other sessions will cover disaster planning and recovery as well as business risk prevention, risk-based maintenance and employment and cyber liability risks. You’ll also have opportunities to learn how to manage negative guest feedback and how to deliver astonishing guest satisfaction. Business Technology: Are you using Cloud computing or T10 I-phone applications in your business? Should you be using smart phones
or I-pads? Now is the time to find out. Employee Training and Motivation: Conference attendees will learn not only how to attract and retain great employees, but how to build high performance teams. Special session will also focus on how to manage Workampers and how to motivate and manage the Millennial Generation (Those born between 1982 and 1997). The Latest Trends in Green Technology: Consumers are increasingly purchasing electric vehicles. Experts will discuss electric car charging, recycling electricity and other green opportunities.
Marketing and Public Relations: Specific sessions will address the latest trends in social media, marketing, public relations and the use of the Internet to promote your business. You’ll learn how to develop media and marketing plans, how to get started with social networking, how to use QR codes and video to promote your business and how to use Google Analytics to measure your results. For more information about this year’s Outdoor Hospitality Conference & Expo, please visit www.arvc.org.
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County revokes campground permit Hidden Valley Campground in Welch MN is no longer licensed to operate. The Goodhue County Board voted Tuesday morning to revoke owner Cory Axelson’s conditionaluse permit based upon lack of compliance with several facets of the county zoning ordinance. Commissioner Richard Samuelson was absent for the vote, but it passed unanimously 4-0. Goodhue County Land-Use Management staff documented observations at Hidden Valley Campground during the 2011 camping season and said it generally “appeared to be in a significant state of disrepair and disruption.” Included in the list on noncompliance issues staff compiled in regards to the facility were failure to obtain building permits for structures, failure to maintain 150-foot setbacks for new structures, failure to properly manage refuse and failure to maintain a register of the occupants at each campsite. County staff also discovered that the campground was complying with campground licensing standards set by the Minnesota Department of Health and the wastewater system permitting requirements set by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Dan Schleck, attorney representing Hidden Valley Campground, said campground owner Cory Axelson is willing to commit to a schedule for making necessary changes Hidden Valley. “Our intention is to try to work with the county to address the issues of concern,” Schleck said. Schleck also asked commissioners to consider tabling the issue to their January meeting, stating that if no further work was done on the campground by that time, the Minnesota Department of Health wouldn’t renew Axelson’s license and the campground wouldn’t be allowed to operate next season anyway. But Axelson’s neglect to make changes when noncompliance issues were recognized a few years ago led commissioners to doubt he’d jump right into renovations this time around. “We had a plan for 2009. And now all of a sudden we have a plan for 2012,” Commissioner Ron Allen said. “We need to (revoke the license) now.” “I guess I don’t understand the sense of urgency,” Schleck responded, reminding commissioners that the campground is already closed for the season and wouldn’t be reopening until next year. Full Article:
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www.hastingsstargazette.com
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RV Industry looks to kick start 2012 With RV ownership at record levels, and consumer interest in RVing remaining strong, RVIA’s 49th National RV Trade Show brings together 2012 products, industry officials and RV dealers at the Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC) in Louisville, Ky., Nov. 29 – Dec. 1, 2011. “We are looking forward to a strong, productive show despite the uncertain economic environment that has hampered the RV market,” said RVIA President Richard Coon. “The National RV Trade Show is the showcase for
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the best that our entire industry has to offer and provides an unequalled opportunity for all industry members to meet, conduct business, and establish solid business relationships that are so important.” More than 8,500 attendees including RV dealers, warehouse distributors, accessory store owners, campground operators, and exhibitor personnel, are expected to be on hand for the RV industry’s premiere event. The sold out show features 67 manufacturer and 250
supplier exhibitors displaying the newest product lines and latest RV products across more than 730,000 square feet of exhibit space.
products that will be in display, the show will also offer attendees many informative programs and seminars. Below is the event schedule for the show.
In addition to the acres of the latest RVs and RV
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Front Desk Management System on show at ARVC Conference LA JOLLA, Calif., Nov. 22, 2011 — In the eight years that Pamela Wright has spent managing and marketing RV parks and resorts, she has never found a front desk management system capable of slicing and dicing guest information for customized marketing campaigns. Until now. Wright is one of a growing number of RV park operators who have discovered the new front desk management system by RMS NORTH AMERICA, which park operators can take for a test drive next week during ARVC’s Outdoor Hospitality Conference & Expo in Savannah, Ga. “What I found is that the RMS system works more like a database for a hotel,” said Wright, who works as general manager for National Resort Communities. The RMS system simultaneously manages reservations taken over the phone and online through multiple websites. It also has built in features that facilitate dynamic pricing of campsites, accommodations and boat slips, based on real time demand as well as detailed audit trail functions. “I can track which transactions were made under which employee I.D.,” Wright said. “I can also track the effectiveness of the people doing the work and
where I need to train them further.” The RMS system is also ideal for managing park models and other rental accommodations. “I can use it to track which park models need cleaning and which ones are ready to rent,” Wright said, adding that the RMS system is as helpful at managing staff as it is at managing reservations and other front desk functions. “We’re really looking forward to being able to show campground, RV park and resort operators what RMS can do for them and how it can simplify and improve their management and marketing capabilities,” said Tom Chiarello, vice president of business development for RMS NORTH AMERICA. He said RMS will have several staffers and computers on hand at next week’s Outdoor Hospitality Conference & Expo so that park operators can see for themselves what the RMS can do. Originally developed in Australia, RMS NORTH AMERICA has spent several years testing and refining its new property management system specifically for North American RV resorts, campgrounds, private motorcoach resorts, outdoor recreation facilities, marinas, motels and hotels.
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Confessions of a Trade Show Maven After just returning from the Leisure Systems Symposium in Covington, KY and preparing to depart for the annual extravaganza conducted by ARVC, this time in historic Savannah, GA, it’s time to bare my soul about trade shows. From 1984 until the early 1990s I produced several trade shows in a few different industries. My biggest success was in the video industry where suppliers of pre-recorded videos and other necessary goods and services marketed to video stores which were in abundance throughout the United States during those years. In my final “East Coast Video Show”, conducted in 1989 we drew a crowd of 8,971 video store personnel to see 322 exhibitors in the Atlantic City Convention Center. I loved producing those shows. I also produced shows in the Hobby, Pet and 900call industries during those years and, although none were nearly as financially profitable as the video shows, I enjoyed them immensely. But when I produced a convention called “Insicon” (short for the International Singles Convention), mother nature decided to participate. It rained in record amounts during the week proceeding Labor
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Day in 1990 and the Convention was a financial disaster. That ended my romance with trade shows for nearly 10 years. Nine years later, I became involved in an outdoor festival called Worldfest and a year later produced World Festival 2000 in Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn. I moved to New Berlin the following year and once again abandoned shows. When in 2004, our credit card business became centered on the campground industry, we began to participate in industry shows. From 2006 until the present days we exhibited at shows in PA, OH, FL, MI, VA, TX, WI, and the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, Rev Up In Reno, and the aforementioned Leisure Systems and ARVC shows. We’ve met thousands of campground personnel and a like amount of suppliers to the industry. But participation in all of these events became expensive and kept us out of our office for months out of the year. It was primarily those considerations that cause us to limit our attendance at physical shows and to produce, in 2010, the first Virtual Outdoor Hospitality Expo. Every trade show has vulnerabilities which they must face, particularly weather. Several years ago, the Ohio campground
show encountered blizzard conditions after many of the exhibitors had arrived, but we would not risk the drive from PA in hazardous conditions. The Northeast show met with a snowfall their first year in Springfield, MA after moving the event from Sturbridge. Attendance at the show was sparse and the following year there were fewer exhibitors there. But with beautiful weather the following year, the show was extremely successful and, for those of us who did exhibit again, we met lots of campground owners. We felt that by running a virtual show, weather would no longer be a factor, either for the attendee – viewing from anywhere – or for an exhibitor. But of course there were the problems of software, computer speeds, gateways, downloads and a myriad of other considerations to face. The 2010 version for the software was fraught with problems. Response time was slow and the software provider didn’t deliver what was promised. Exhibitors were compelled to set-up their booths with help from several people who volunteered their time to assist them such as Tracie Fisher. The biggest problem was that, for people who weren’t computer literate, the software wasn’t friendly at all. Still, the 2010 Expo set records for attendance in the industry. There were 497 unique visitors to the
Expo after the 90 days of the total exhibit time, 279 who were outdoor hospitality owners. In 2011, we were determined to have the booths set up by the software company from files furnished by sponsors and exhibitors. It worked! The Virtual Expo looked fabulous (it still can be viewed at http://live.outdoorhospitalitye xpo.com until January 9th of next year. When the final figures are in, new attendance records will surely be set. But still it amazes us that with the huge population of outdoor hospitality businesses out there, less than 2% will attend a trade show in this industry, even though they don’t have to leave home to view it! Maybe it’s the season. So the next Virtual Hospitality Expo will be held in February 2013 (bypassing 2012 altogether). This will give us more time to perfect the show’s software and to convince both exhibitors and attendees to love trade shows as much as we do. Art Lieberman is the President of MCPS for Campgrounds, a credit card processor sponsored by Woodforest Bank NA., and along with Deanne Bower is the producer of the Virtual Outdoor Hospitality Expo. Art can be contacted at 877858-9010, e-mailed at rvcreditcards@yahoo.com.a nd details of the Expo can be found at www.outdoorhospitalityexpo,com
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Vision without Action is always a Daydream
We can help create your Vision.. With over 30 years in marketing and advertising creating advertising campaigns, inspirational and effective advertising concepts with all forms of media the staff at Industry E News not only bring you Campground & RV park E News and GetawayUSA but we can also get your message across in the most cost effective manner. Put us to the test... Call 865 387 5667 or email dennis@industrye-news.com
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City Life is Tough on the Environment By Larry Drive down any main street in America’s cities and towns and you will likely notice water sprinklers throwing out water with much of it landing on roads and sidewalks, sometimes even in the middle of a drenching rainstorm. Watch tons and tons of salt being dumped on roads when it snows. Note the reports of broken water mains and overflows from sewage plants when unusually heavy rains overwhelm the almostalways-antiquated storm sewer system. There are so many steps that could be taken by local governments that would help the environment: simple things like planting shade trees, enforcing codes for proper waste disposal and streamlining traffic flow to cut down on emissions. Local governments could base the water and sewer bill on the amount of use; sponsor educational events that teach citizens how to landscape with native plants, trees and grasses that take less fertilizer and need less water; take steps to reduce government energy use; harvest rainwater, recycle stormwater, and enforce
ordinances against construction runoff. Many local governments are beginning to take seriously these and various other measures designed to protect our air, earth and water. The biggest reason not more is being down boils down to cost and a long history of citizens being spoiled. We have been accustomed to all the water we want at practically no cost. We use energy as though we had a right to all we wanted. We mostly behave as though our planetary surface air and water could stand up to anything. And so we hold our public officials to very low environmental standards, just about as high as our personal standards.
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Most citizens do not support letting water rates reflect the true cost of treatment. And so when there is demand on local governments to be more environmentally responsible we mostly expect improvements without additional revenues to pay for the improvements. We mostly get what we pay for.
prohibited. Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in Campground & RV Park E News are not necessarily the opinion of the editor, publisher or staff. We do not accept responsibility for any damages resulting from inaccuracies in editorial or advertising. The Publisher, Industry ENews LLC is therefore indemnified against all actions, suits, claims for damages resulting from content in this publication. Content cannot be reproduced without the prior consent of the publisher.
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