Issue 96 Campground

To you, it’s the fragrance of fresh pine, and the aroma of the crackling campfire.

The solution, says Alberta Parks Minister Cindy Ady, is to open the park gates to private enterprise — allowing developers to build and operate campgrounds under licence.

To an entrepreneur, it’s the scent of pure profit.

At least that’s the hope of the Alberta government, faced with an overwhelming demand for camping and recreation areas, and a tight budget when it comes to developing new space in the wilderness.

“The policy hasn’t been completely nailed down yet, so I can’t say how it will work, but what we know is this: It could be Alberta Parks Minister: Cindy Ady

Continued page 2

Continued from Page 1 anywhere in the province,” said Ady. “If somebody can bring to us a solid plan, there are private campground opportunities.

“They would build it, they would run it.”

The private campground scheme is imminent — Ady said she plans to bring it forward in the fall, as part of her capital budget plans.

“I’m hoping within this year to have that policy work done, so we can at least tell people the rules of engagement,” she said.

Images of neon signs and Seattle-based coffee chains may have wilderness lovers horrified, but Ady assures those who head to the woods to escape the rat race, that respite won’t change.

“It will absolutely be the same standards as now — any time we let anyone in on contract, we’d be very careful because they’re still on park land or crown land,” said Ady. The main difference then, is your camping fee going into a private pocket, rather than the public purse.

Some may balk at the idea of for-profit business among the pines and babbling brooks, but it seems that any hope of extra space for tents and trailers in this province rests with the private dollar.

Near the cities, campsites are crowded from the moment the frost ends to late fall.

Yet earlier this year, Ady’s ministry was forced to cut services and campsites at 19 provincial parks and recreation areas, just to save money.

The bid to trim the fat off a $65.3-million budget has forced the province to rethink plans to expand the camping system, something it announced two years ago when the economy was still robust.

Then, there was talk of opening new campgrounds in K-Country and the Waiparous area, including possible family-only sites where a peaceful time was guaranteed.

With little cash to proceed, Ady said the province is still budgeting for extra camping loops in the

busiest parks — Kananaskis and Carson Lake near Whitecourt being two — but private developers are needed for the rest.

She says her department is looking around the province, to determine where private campgrounds might fit.

“It wouldn’t be in what I call our traditional campgrounds, if I’m going to do another loop in Kananaskis, obviously we would to build that,” said Ady. “But that’s what I’ve asked my department to look at — where are the pressure points and is there any opportunity there for additional campsites.”

Continued

Continued To entice private investment, Ady said she’s looking at lucrative camping models that have succeeded elsewhere.

One she’s especially keen on is the combination campground-RV storage site, where regular users can leave their trailer or motorhome behind.

“One of the models I’m looking at quite carefully is one where you can buy in and keep your camper there, and they pull it in and out of the spot, and they have a storage area for the camper,” said Ady. “Those models work very

well, so where are those opportunities in Alberta?”

And then there’s untapped waterfront — Ady says the province’s long-term water conservation plan, which will result in new irrigation ponds across Alberta, may be ripe for camping.

“That’s the other thing we’re looking at, if the government starts to do a lot more water storage,” said Ady. “They see it as an irrigation ditch, I see it as recreation property.”

Article: Michael Platt www.edmontonsun.com

The Jellystone Park campground in Nashville is letting guests know that many area attractions are still open despite recent flooding.

The Grand Ole Opry is continuing with its concert schedule and holding performances at the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville and other venues around town.

The CMA music festival, to be held June 10-13, is now dedicated to flood relief efforts and will include performances by

country’s biggest stars. Go to visitmusiccity.com for a current list of open attractions.

The ratings service, which has compiled over 60,000 consumer evaluations on nearly 2,000 campgrounds, RV parks and resorts, expands its distribution network to provide access to more campers.

MURRIETA, Calif., May 2010 – GuestReviews continues to expand its reach by providing consumers with the ability to rate and review campgrounds on 10 different websites with combined exposure of over 3.5 million consumer visits last year.

This expanded distribution is a result of GuestReviews’ partnership with the Leisure Interactive affiliation network as well as several campground association Internet portals.

“We are excited about the opportunity to provide campgrounds with additional Internet exposure beyond their current websites,” said Bob MacKinnon, president and CEO of GuestReviews. “Since consumers consider reviews and ratings essential when planning their campground visits, we believe this expanded distribution network is a significant competitive advantage for participating parks.”

with others,” MacKinnon said. “We are confident this expanded visibility will be a significant benefit to our participating parks.”

www.ksrvparks.com www.michcampgrounds.com www.rvparks.com www.texascampgrounds.com www.texasoutside.com

The current participating websites include: www.guestrated.com www.campgrounds.com www.camping.com www.camp-california.com www.gocampingamerica.com

For more information about GuestReviews services for campground owners and managers, please contact Bob MacKinnon at (951) 6968112 or email him at bob@guestreviews.com.

ST. THOMAS, Pa. — The low-lying areas of the Twin Bridges Meadow Family Campground were deserted Monday, except for six campers and three vehicles that were underwater a day earlier.

law of campground owner Florence Mackey.

Bob MacKinnon GuestReviews compiles “Report Card" scores based upon more than 60,000 detailed evaluations submitted by campers and RVers from all over the U.S. Nearly 2,000 individual campgrounds, RV parks and resorts have received rating scores, which reflect the guest’s overall experience at the park as well as the quality of its service, campsites, restrooms and overall property condition.

Currently, over 900 individual parks are using the GuestReviews program to measure guest satisfaction and improve their business.

Campground and RV park operators can access password-protected detailed results by registering online at www.guestreviews.com.

“With the summer camping season rapidly approaching, many families are using our website partners to make their travel plans and share their camping experiences

Branches, stones and muck plastered themselves to those things that hadn’t been moved immediately when Back Creek and Dennis Creek rose quickly early Sunday. Firefighters from three departments helped to ensure everyone evacuated that portion of the campground, even carrying an elderly couple out of their camper when water was higher than a person’s waist.

“It happened in the wee hours of the morning when everyone was sleeping. It took everyone by surprise,” said Dennis Statler, son-in-

The campground is on Twin Bridges Road about two miles north of the road’s intersection with U.S. 30 and about three miles west of Chambersburg, Pa. St. Thomas (Pa.) Fire Chief Tom Bigler said the Edenville area northwest of Chambersburg, Pa., received seven inches of rain over the weekend. His fire department stabilized the back wall of a house at 4:30 a.m. Sunday.

“The blocks were pushed in from all the rain,” Bigler said.

Heavy rains on the mountain sent water south, where the creeks couldn’t handle the flow, Statler said.

“It was like a flash flood,” he said.

From the Publishers of Campground & RV Park E News First issue- June This is by far the best value for your promotional dollars. Campgrounds and RV Parks can offset 1/3 advertising costs with night give aways.

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The park, which will entertain RVers and local residents with food and live entertainment over Memorial Day weekend, was voted “Park of the Year” by the Texas Association of Campground Owners and earned two 5W ratings from the famed Woodall’s North American Campground Directory The park also plans to purchase adjacent property for a $3.2 million expansion, which could take place later this year or in early 2011 KERRVILLE, Texas, May 24, 2010 – When Don Temple joined other investors in purchasing Guadalupe River RV Resort five years ago, they knew they had their work cut out for them.

“The previous owner is a nice guy, but he had not

employed sufficient staff to maintain the property or bring out its natural beauty,” Temple said, adding, “The grass was five feet high all the way to the river.”

But with ongoing maintenance and more than $450,000 in improvements, which include building an amphitheatre and concert stage by the river, Temple and his investors have turned the once sleepy and neglected campground into a thriving RV park that was voted one of best parks in Texas by two different campground industry organizations.

Indeed, just this month, Guadalupe River RV Resort received the 2010 “Park of the Year” Award from the Texas Association of Campground Owners, which recognized the park’s excellence in operations, customer service reviews, park promotions, directory ratings, management skills, employee training and community service.

The park also received two 5W ratings from the famed

Woodall’s North American Campground Directory for having top quality RV and recreational facilities. The 5W rating is the highest rating given by the Woodall’s directory.

“This tells me that people are noticing that we’re actually doing our job,” said Temple, who serves as managing partner of the investor group that bought the park.

Temple said the park’s riverfront amphitheatre and concert stage are popular with its guests and Kerrville residents alike because the park brings in live entertainment. Several rock and rock and country bands will perform there over Memorial Day weekend, 4th of July weekend and Labor Day weekend.

Temple said Guadalupe River RV Resort was also the first RV park in Texas to obtain a full liquor license, and serves beer,

wine and spirits using an existing 112-year-old building, which it remodeled and renamed the River Rock Saloon. “We did that so that our guests could enjoy a drink and not have to get back on the highway,” he said.

Other park improvements include installing new plumbing and upgrading the electrical service to more than half of its campsites.

The park also now provides both site built and park model cabins, which overlook the Guadalupe River. Several of the cabins are for rent, but the park also offers park models for sale to individuals and families who want to have their private vacation cottage by the river.

Later this year or early next year, the park hopes to close escrow on a 15-acre option tract at the west end of the property, which it hopes to use for a $3.2 million expansion. “The expansion will be nothing but high-end park model cabins,” Temple said. “It will be a gated Continued

Continued community and will have its own clubhouse and pool.”

Guadalupe River RV Resort is also involved in the local community, having adopted the K Star Emergency Shelter.

“During the winter months, we have a toy drive for all the kids and we collect food and money for the shelter,” Temple said. “Last winter, we collected about $5,000 in donations just from our winter visitors. We also brought all of the staff and kids for a Christmas dinner at the park.”

For more information on Guadalupe River RV Resort, please contact Don Temple at (830) 367-5676

and visit his website at www.guadaluperiverrvresort.com.

Guadalupe River RV Resort is a member of the Texas Association of Campground Operators, which publishes and distributes the Texas RV Travel & Camping Guide each year in addition to organizing awards competitions for its affiliated parks using outside judges.

For more information about the 2010 directory or for statistics involving the latest camping trends in Texas and New Mexico parks, please contact Brian Schaeffer at (817) 307-0129 or visit www.texascampgrounds.com and www.texascabinrentals.net.

Wells Gray Golf Resort and RV Park sold at auction last Wednesday for $950,000, according to Kim Schulz, manager of corporate communication with Ritchie Bros.

Auctioneers.

The auction company does not normally reveal the identity of bidders, she said. However, the successful bidder was a B.C. resident who was present in person at the auction site in Chilliwack (others took part on-line or by telephone). Schulz could not say when the new owner will take possession.

The sale of the Upper Clearwater tourist facility was one of 10 real estate

properties in the auction, which saw nearly 1,200 items such as pieces of heavy equipment sold by the end of the day.

A total of 1,900 bidders from 20 countries took part, said Schulz. They represented every province in Canada but one, plus two territories. Bidders registered from 26 states in the U.S. as well.

According to Barrie Clarke, he and his wife Liz decided to sell in order to retire. The couple opened the golf course in 1997. They had previously owned Helmcken Falls Lodge from 1972 until 1977 but retained ownership of about 400 acres nearby with an eye to developing the golf resort.

In any service-based business, you’re only as good as your customer’s say you are.

That’s why Kampgrounds of America has added yet another guest feedback service for its franchise owners to help them improve service and drive camper nights through increased referrals.

KOA’s new on-line camper feedback survey offer KOA owners nearinstant feedback from their guests following their stays.

Here’s how it works.

After a stay at any KOA campground, a camper receives a “Thank you, please rate your stay” email that includes a link for the camper to rate their visit. Campers are asked the question, “How likely is it that you would recommend this KOA Kampground to a friend or family member?”

Campers answer the question on a 0-10 scale with “0” being “not at all likely,” and 10 being “extremely likely.” This question, known as the net promoter question, is used to calculate the net promoter score (NPS).

NPS is used to gauge guest loyalty and is seen by many service industry experts as a lead indicator of future business.

Campers who click either “9” or “10” on the scale are deemed to be “promoters” of that KOA. Guests who score from 0 to 6 are called “detractors,” and scores of 7 or 8 are not used to calculate the campground’s “net promoter” score.

The score is calculated by simply figuring the percentage of both promoters and detractors, then subtracting the detractor number from the promoter number. The result is the Net Promoter Score for that campground.

The camper also has the option to enter a short comment. This comment helps the KOA focus on what is working and what needs work for their operations to deliver outstanding services and facilities to their campers.

“We had 48 surveys returned from our guests in the first 30 days, so our campers definitely want to tell us about their KOA experience,” said Stacie Brooks, who manages the South Padre Island, Texas Continued

Continued

“One gives them instant feedback to make them more nimble in meeting the desires of our guests, and the other is an extensive annual checkup for their business with more market based information. Plus, like our Kamper Satsifaction Survey, this is just one more service KOA offers to its franchisees where the owner doesn’t have to send, collect or

tabulate the results. We do all of that for them. We then provide them with the results and the tools to help use the results to build guest loyalty.”

Kampgrounds of America continues to provide campground owners with annual, individualized Kamper Satisfaction Survey (KSS) results, which include a more extensive camper survey in a variety of service and facility related areas.

The publishers of Campground & RV Park E News are delighted to announce they have been appointed to produce the directory for Art Lieberman from The Virtual Outdoor Hospitality expo planned for this coming November.

"We are involved in some cutting edge projects and this technology certainly sparked our interest, that combined with our flip page online magazine format will be a winner" he said.

“The Net Promoter Score program goes hand-inhand with our Kamper Satisfaction Survey results,” Sutherland said.

The "first of it's kind" virtual expo had us excited from the word go said Publisher Dennis Macready.

KOA with her husband, Tom. KOA owners can quickly review their results in “real time” thanks to KOA’s KampSight campground management system.

They will receive instant feedback on their camper’s attitudes, and be able to make quick adjustments to help raise their scores and improve their guest service.

“It’s still early in the process, but we’re already finding that the surveying tool and the Net Promoter Score are providing our KOA owners with a valuable resource to ‘take the temperature’ of their camping guests,” said Jef Sutherland, vice president of Franchise Operations for Kampgrounds of America Inc. “This is very fresh data that the owner receives right after the camper’s stay, so the changes that they are able to make based on this data can really have a positive impact on their ability to

Jef Sutherland attract and retain campers.” Sutherland said during the first 30 days of offering this service to the KOAs and campers, over 9,200 surveys have been completed by the campers.

For More Info: Mike Gast Vice President of Communications Kampgrounds of America Inc. 406-254-7409 mgast@koa.net

The planned Directory will show clearly where each exhibitor can be found during the life and far beyond the timing of the Expo.

their company to others.

The 4-Wall experience addresses business interactions that everyone can relate to, including: one-to-one meetings, team dynamics, networking environments, and making your mark – branding opportunities.

Larkspur, CO (May 14, 2010)– InSites 2010 Convention & Outdoor Hospitality Expo will take place December 1-3 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, the ‘Entertainment Capital of the World’.

Set amongst the backdrop of internationally renowned dining, abundant shopping, exciting live entertainment and the world’s largest array of gambling, InSites 2010 is ‘in the cards’ for the 3700 member parks of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC).

At InSites 2010, members will have the opportunity to sharpen their skills through educational and networking events plus the chance to see the latest in products, services and technologies at the Outdoor Hospitality Expo – every attendee will go home with more than they came with!

“At InSites 2010, we want our members to get the most out of their time spent with us in Vegas. We have designed InSites to be

three days of action packed information education, networking and tradeshow time,” says Linda Profaizer, ARVC’s CEO & President.

InSites 2010 will kick off on Wednesday, December 1st with educational seminars in the morning followed by the opening lunch and keynote address by Job Stetson.

An internationally acclaimed “intuitionist”, Stetson has been astonishing famous guests like President Bush, President Carter, Donald Trump and other Fortune 1000 organizations, associations and celebrity audiences over the past 25 years.

At InSites 2010, he will share his keynote presentation, ‘I Know What You Are thinking…Mastering the Art of the 4-Wall Experience.” This dynamic address is great for anyone who has ever wondered how to better present themselves or

Attendees will learn how to sharpen five main areas of importance in the 4-Wall mastery including: the 4Wall Fear Factor, making fear work for you; 4-Wall Silence, the perfectly orchestrated pause; 4-Wall Non-Verbal Communication, the mastery of your personal power zone; 4Wall Memory Recall, the mastery of filing information for future use; and the 4Wall Networking Strategy, plan your room, make your plan. InSites attendees will enjoy Stetson’s unique ability to share his gift of intuition and will have a better understanding of how to use their intuition to their advantage in their park businesses and personal lives.

Things heat up on Thursday with an action packed day that begins with the annual meeting and breakfast.

Following, attendees will have the choice to attend a wide array of educational seminars that range from ‘The Dynamics of Working with Your Family’ to seminars on accounting,

Linda Profaizer employee theft, emergency planning, customer service, and the model code, just to name a few.

This year the ARVC Foundation, a 501c3, that promotes the education and sustainability of the RV park and campground industry for future generations, will host it’s Foundation Auction during Thursday’s luncheon. The auction is the main fundraiser for the year and generates about $20,000 annually.

Following the luncheon, attendees will have the opportunity to scope out new products, services and technologies in the #1 Outdoor Hospitality Expo.

Continued

Continued NEW for 2010, the expo is FREE to all attendees.

attendees a three-hour preview for browsing before the expo re-opens on Friday at 9:30am.

Exhibitors and attendees are encouraged to invite any prospective buyers to the show. The expo opens at 4:30pm with drinks and light hor d’oeuvres, and will give

There will be no concurrent educational seminars going on outside the expo hall during expo hours.

However, NEW for 2010, attendees will be able to attend short 20-minute

exhibitor presentations in the expo hall to learn more about that company’s products and services.

This, along with lunch in the expo hall ensures attendees have the full use of time to buy products and services their park needs without having to worry about missing an educational seminar. The expo wraps up at 3pm on Friday.

On Friday morning, attendees will have a chance to listen to a panel discussion by ‘movers and shakers’ in the RV Park and campground industry.

The panel will give an overview of how the industry is doing and where it’s headed.

InSites 2010 will wrap up Friday evening with a Las Vegas themed dinner and awards banquet. The awards banquet honors individuals and companies that were greatly involved in the RV park and campground industry that year for their hard work and dedication.

“ARVC is really looking forward to InSites 2010.

Make sure to take advantage of the Early-Bird package rate of $449, available to members who register before June 30, 2010,” says Profaizer.

For more information on InSites 2010, please visit www.arvc.org or call the ARVC office at 800-395-2267.

CARAVANS were turned into an impromptu polling stations during Britain's general election. And reflecting the country's soaring crime figures, wheel clamps were fitted to those on Seaton beach carpark in Cornwall and at Ford near Salisbury.

CARAVANNING'S a brick in Kiwiland! An eyecatching caravan, crafted from bricks by artist Peter Lange, has been bought for $24,000 by Trust Waikato and will now tour the region.

MOTORHOMERS in New Zealand recently went on a litter-gathering morning, blaming freedom campers in non self-contained RVs for a rise in complaints about human waste and rubbish at parking spots.

UK CARAVAN insurance provider Safeguard has released statistics showing a 62 percent rise in 20 to 30-year-olds wanting to take out caravan and motorhome cover.

LAOIS Co Council in Ireland is clamping down after caravans filled to overflowing with garbage were dumped or set alight.

Its new policy will see offenders named and shamed in the local media.

EFFORTS to set up a caravan park in the very centre of England have met angry opposition.

Villagers prevented a group of travellers with mechanical diggers from starting work on a parcel of green-belt land at Meriden south of Birmingham.

SUNSHINE Coast investors have rushed to be part of Queensland Australia's first recreational vehiclefocused residential development to be built at

Maryborough.

More than 60 investors, mostly Coast-based, have poured $10.215 million into the venture, oversubscribing the capital raising by some $2 million.

Work will start next month on RV Homebase Fraser Coast, a $70 million venture to build 210 homes that allow owners to park their RVs or caravans in fully serviced undercover ports.

THE Australian Federal Government says asylum seekers may be held in caravan parks in Darwin in the future.

The Immigration Department says 91 people, including 27 crew, are being held in hotels or residential housing in Darwin.

AGUILA, AZ -- Residents are being forced out of their homes at an RV park in Aguila, leaving some without a place to go.

The Fairhaven RV Park has been condemned by Maricopa County officials.

The reasons range from add-ons without proper permits to poor water drainage that could cause future flooding problems.

"It's nice and quiet and warm in the winter," says Doyle Rick, the manager who has lived at the park for three years. "I don't know where I'll go just yet."

At most, 40 families live in the park, mostly seniors and snowbirds. But many have been there for years.

"I've lived here for 23 years," says Lois Adamson, who is moving to Apache Junction to be near her daughter.

"I'm not happy about it but I know," she said sadly, realizing the time to leave

her home is fast approaching.

The county and RV park owners have been working on a solution for five years, but most residents were in the dark about problems until they got a notice from the county telling them they would have to vacate the area by August 19th.

"This is where I wanted to live the rest of my life," said another resident.

Owner Jeff Sterrenberg says that he inherited most of the code violations from previous owners and that he couldn't afford to fix them or pay the fines levied by the county.

"This hurts me too," he said by phone. "I wanted to retire there myself and now it's all lost."

When the residents leave the area will be demolished sometime this fall.

Article & Photo: www.abc15.com

One-of-a-Kind Lodge is First Off The Power Grid in North America Herkimer, NY (May 21, 2010) – The official opening of North America’s first,off-thepower-grid solar lodge at the Herkimer Diamond KOA Campground will be Saturday, June 5 at the KOA. The event will include an open house from 9 a.m. to noon, with the official ribbon cutting at 11:30 a.m. The KOA is located at 4626 State Route 28 North near Herkimer.

“We want all of those interested, including the media, to have a chance to see this unique

camping accommodation,” said Herkimer Diamond KOA owner Dr. Renee Scialdo Shevat. “It’s a huge step forward in ‘green’ technology for our industry. There are so many wonderful powersaving features, you just have to see it to believe it.”

Tours of the new, one-of-akind camping lodge will be available from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.

Included in the ceremony will be local Assemblyman Marc Butler, famous Yankee pitcher Tommy John, and officials from Kampgrounds of America Inc. and Generac, the maker of a unique propane generator used in the lodge.

local Little League teams.

He will be joined with players from the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs baseball team.

Also on Saturday, Tommy John will host a baseball clinic in the morning for

John will also attend that evening’s DiamondDawg’s game, as well as the DiamondDawgs vs.

Cooperstown game in Cooperstown on Sunday.

North Hollywood, CA, May 25, 2010 – RV Buddies video review of the 2011 Monaco Cayman 40 PBQ is now LIVE on RVBuddiesOnline.com.

Monaco's stated goal is to “build homes on wheels that are innovative, dependable and competitively priced while offering a lifestyle for customers that exceeds their dreams.”

With the production of the 2011 Monaco Cayman 40 PBQ they surely accomplished that goal.

The 2011 Cayman comes

AGUILA, AZ -- Residents are being forced out of their homes at an RV park in Aguila, leaving some without a place to go.

The Fairhaven RV Park has been condemned by Maricopa County officials.

The reasons range from add-ons without proper permits to poor water drainage that could cause future flooding problems.

"It's nice and quiet and warm in the winter," says Doyle Rick, the manager who has lived at the park for three years. "I don't know where I'll go just yet."

At most, 40 families live in

with a stunning all new fullbody paint and graphics package, a choice of four well-designed floor plans, the new Roadmaster RR8R chassis, the new Cummins ISC 360 horsepower engine (standard on 40-foot models) and an inspired choice of ceramic tile that is standard throughout the living area, kitchen and bath.

Plus there’s another 40' with bunk beds if you travel with children.

RV Buddies was duly impressed with the Monaco Cayman 40 PBQ that we filmed. We also liked the full-wall slide 36 PFT for its living area and 40" HDTV.

To read the complete review of the 2011 Monaco Cayman 40 PBQ with all the photos, details and specifications, along with a seven minute video review go to RVBuddiesOnline.com.

the park, mostly seniors and snowbirds. But many have been there for years.

county telling them they would have to vacate the area by August 19th.

"I've lived here for 23 years," says Lois Adamson, who is moving to Apache Junction to be near her daughter.

"I'm not happy about it but I know," she said sadly, realizing the time to leave her home is fast approaching.

The county and RV park owners have been working on a solution for five years, but most residents were in the dark about problems until they got a notice from the

"This is where I wanted to live the rest of my life," said another resident.

Owner Jeff Sterrenberg says that he inherited most of the code violations from previous owners and that he couldn't afford to fix them or pay the fines levied by the county.

"This hurts me too," he said by phone. "I wanted to retire there myself and now it's all lost."

When the residents leave the area will be demolished sometime this fall.

Videos stream easily on any internet connection and are available 24/7 – always for free.

For more information contact Mark Summers at Mark@RVBuddiesOnline.c om.

From 1999 until 2006, as investors poured money into Joyner’s ventures, he said he spent money developing the parks.

Campers approached him, Joyner said, wanting to buy into his thriving businesses.

“I told everyone: ‘Please.

Don’t invest if you can’t afford to,’” Joyner said in an interview outside a bankruptcy courtroom in Fort Myers on Thursday.

Joyner, 53, said he also lost everything and investors shouldn't blame him.

Article: www.newspress.com

without it,” Hendrickson said, adding that the data collected is “beyond imaginable.”

One of the seminars that took place during last month’s ReV up in Reno convention focused on the “20 best business practices” in marketing, finance, operations and management.

Randall Hendrickson, president and founder of Phoenix, Ariz.-based Horizon RV Resorts, a campground and RV park management firm that manages 2,300 RV and park model sites and motel units in seven states, shared several kernels of wisdom on the marketing front. Among them: •Develop a marketing calendar. Know when your advertising renewals are coming up and be prepared to make changes to your listings to make sure they are as up to date as possible. Also be sure to schedule updates to your website as well as your listings on GoCampingAmerica.com and every other website you do business with. “If you have inaccurate or out of date information (on your website or in other forms of advertising), you’re really shooting yourself in the foot.”

•If you’re cutting back your spending on print advertising, don’t pocket the money. Instead, spend

Randall Hendrickson it on increased online advertising to promote your park.

•Consider using ReachLocal.com to maximize your “pay per click” online search term advertising.

•Make sure you are utilizing and participating in all of the public relations and marketing services that are available to you through your state and national campground association memberships.

•Conduct an analysis of your website traffic to determine where your website visitors are coming from.

•Use the GuestRated survey program. “I don’t know what we would do

•Regularly monitor RVParkReviews.com, a website where campers post comments about their experiences at campgrounds and RV parks. “You have to be informed about what others are saying about you,” Hendrickson said, adding that it’s also helpful to “Google yourself,” pairing “your park’s name” and the word “review” as search terms.

•Keep in mind there’s a difference between “transactional hospitality” and “experiential hospitality.” That means having front desk staff members who are friendly, professional and helpful to your guests, both in person and on the phone.

“If you fail to deliver at the front desk, you have failed miserably,” he said.

John Croce, managing member of Huntington Beach, Calif.-based Team RV Management LLC, whose properties include Yosemite Pines RV Resort & Family Lodging in Groveland, Calif., offered several financial management tips, based on his 40 years of experience managing real estate, including RV and mobile home parks:

•Develop an accurate financial statement using established accounting systems. You need to know exactly where you stand financially so you know what you can afford to do. You also will need to provide accurate financial data if you need to refinance or sell the property.

•Don’t hide income because it will cost you down the road. “Your net operating income is how banks and buyers look at your park,” Croce said.

“The higher the NOI, the more you can get in refinancing or to sell the property,” Croce said, adding that no one really cares how much money you put into the park or what you paid for it. It’s the park’s ability to produce revenue that counts.

•Find a good CPA and a good attorney. Croce said that financial and legal counsel can advise you on more issues than taxes and business problems.

They can also help advise with business opportunities as they come up and also provide other counsel to help you make the most of your business.

James Urquhart, CEO of Petaluma, Calif.-based Campground Management Group, offered his advice Continued

Continued on ways park owners can improve their operations.

His recommendations include the following: •Check out ChaosOver.com. It’s a training program that will help you improve your organizational skills and efficiency, and give you some breathing room.

•Use a computerized reservation system: Urquhart said a webbased systems that enable you to process real-time reservations are best so that guests can make reservations at their leisure.

•Make sure your Internet service provide (ISP) can support your Web-based reservation system.

•Develop a standard operating procedures manual for your park by department and by job function.

•Develop a calendar or timetable for the completion of all park tasks.

David Gorin, a former president and CEO of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC), longtime campground industry consultant and founder of Best Parks in America network, offered these tips on campground and RV park management: •Manage by walking around your park every

day. “Leave the desk and see first hand what’s going on,” Gorin said.

•Set measurable objectives and inspect what you expect. How many times does the phone ring before someone picks it up? How often do the restrooms get checked? How long does trash sit outside people’s rigs before it gets picked up? How long does a tear in a screen door remain as is before it gets repaired?

How often is touch up painting done? Do you have a system for reporting scratches in paint and other repairs that need to be addressed? These are just some of many issues that should be addressed.

•Provide your staff with all of the tools they need to do their jobs •Honestly evaluate your employees’ compensation.

Are you paying them enough?

•Stick to your strengths and use outside resources for projects or services, such as tree trimming and Wi-Fi, which often require specialized expertise.

•Consider direct mail for outreach. Lists can be good and very effective, he said.

•Consider some of the things you could do to be a good corporate citizen.

Written by Jeffrey Crider

CODY — Despite the lingering effects of a weak global economy, National Park Service managers are expect-ing plenty of visitors this summer, coming off a record year in 2009 for Yellowstone National Park.

“By all indications, we are expecting to see another healthy visitation year,” said Colin Campbell, deputy superin-tendent of Yellowstone.

Campbell and Bob Vogel, acting superintendent for Grand Teton National Park, spoke Monday during a luncheon as part of the 59th National Parks Day in Cody.

Advance bookings reported by Xanterra, a lodging concessionaire in Yellowstone, are up compared with the same time last year, which saw a record summer and an annual total of nearly 3.3 million visitors, Campbell said.

By Larry As a proprietor of an RV facility or campground your first emphasis should be safety: keep a close eye for any signs of danger such as loose wires, reports of blinking lights, smoke, sparks.

Prevention is always best.

Prevention includes encouraging your patrons to use shelters during electrical and wind storms, have fire extinguishers, be familiar with the manufacturer’s safety advice and make sure their smoke alarms are working properly.

The next emphasis should be on rescue, meaning speed of evacuation from any burning structure.

Keep fire extinguishers visible and within eyesight of all your structures and all the RV’s because fire extinguishers may aid in the attempt to get occupants out. First aid comes next, which might well include a capability to administer oxygen and to defibrillate. Then there also needs to be a plan for rushing victims to medical care in the event of burns, smoke inhalation or injuries.

Work closely with your emergency responders to make a fire response plan that dovetails with their capability, their response time, and their assessment of what resources are available for any victims of fire on your premises.

Encourage your patrons to report sparks, flickering lights and power surges.

Offer to check batteries in smoke detectors and arrange to supply smoke alarms to any who need them. Be especially vigilant and helpful towards your senior customers.

Finally, don’t forget about training. Most local fire and rescue units love to do inspections and offer safety and response training that helps develop closer ties with the communities they serve. Training can help you develop or improve prevention steps as well as rescue and response capabilities.

Remember, an ounce of prevention…..

By Art Lieberman It has now been 7 years since we began to specialize in credit and debit card processing for RV Campgrounds. Since the very beginning we have informed owners that our goals have been simple. Our primary goal has been (and still is) to save campground owner’s money on their processing.

We imagine this is also the goal of all our competitors in the industry. We have always pointed out, however, that it isn’t simply about rates. Campground owners can utilize “methodology” on their own to save money and also to avoid security breaches in violation of the PCI rules and regulations.

Our free webinars on the subject have been attended by hundreds of campgroundowners But as the new spring season has begun, phone calls to our office from our customers together with statistics which are available to us as processors have demonstrated that mistakes are still being made which can be avoided rather easily. Here are a few: 1. Campgrounds have the option of being designated as “seasonal” and avoiding certain charges, such as monthly minimums, during the time they are closed.

All that they need to do is inform the processor that they are closing for the

season, usually a week in advance. However, we have received phone calls recently from these seasonal customers complaining that when they opened, their credit card machines are telling them that “no merchant number” is present. Of course they simply forgot to call the processor to inform them that they were ready to open again for the season.

2. Owners seem to forget, from year to year, that the Address Verification System (AVS) can not only save them money on the reservations they take over the phone, but are an intrinsic part of PCI compliance. Credit card machines should be programmed to ask for both the address and zip code of the cardholder.

Failure to enter this information can result in additional transaction costs, but also can make you less safe from security breaches.

3. Perhaps spring is also the time to evaluate whether or not you might want to begin to do LIVE debit card transactions with a pin pad. Pin Debit transactions can be a money-saver over off-line debit transactions since they are not based on percentages as credit card transactions are. Of course the cost of purchasing a pin-pad must be justified so it is

advisable to calculate what portion of your transactions are debit and which are credit and what the average ticket is.

Debit transactions under $20 are actually less expensive if done without a pin pad.

4. Finally, there are the terminals which are used for processing. We will receive, during this summer, a dozen or so calls informing us that terminals have stopped working. Many times this is caused by electrical storms which hit the telephone lines and destroy the modems in terminals. The only method we know to prevent this is to disconnect the power and the telephone lines from terminals during a storm or overnight when a storm is approaching OR there are surge protectors that you can purchase which also have a telephone input. In the event that

your machine does get ruined, insurance is probably an answer.

Either be sure your campground’s insurance actually covers your terminal or see if your processor has a program to replace your terminal at a nominal cost or for free.

As usual, if you have any questions about credit/debit card processing, we’re here to answer them at 877-8589010.

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. He can be contacted at rvcreditcards@yahoo.com

NEW YORK -- The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index increased in May, its third consecutive monthly gain.

The Index now stands at 63.3 (1985=100), up from 57.7 in April. The Present Situation Index increased to 30.2 from 28.2. The Expectations Index improved to 85.3 from 77.4 last month.

The Consumer Confidence Survey is based on a representative sample of 5,000 U.S. households. The monthly survey is conducted for

The Conference Board by TNS, a custom research company. The cutoff date for May’s preliminary results was May 1.

“Consumer confidence posted its third consecutive monthly gain, and although still weak by historical levels, appears to be gaining some traction," said Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center. "Consumers’ apprehension about current business conditions and the job market continues to slowly dissipate.

Martinsville - A controversial campground planned for Morgan County will not open after all. The property owners wanted to have a clothing optional location with dozens of campsites in a wooded area off State Road 44.

The Morgan County Board of Zoning Appeals denied the campground claim for two reasons.

One, they said there's nothing like it in Morgan County and also, they said it would lower property taxes.

"Doesn't matter where it's at. It's in this county and we don't want it," said one resident in opposition to the campground.

Church vans rolled out the opposition, loaded with signs and opinions. A line of more than 100 people ready to speak out formed out the door of the meeting hall. It was an uphill battle for the land owners before the meeting even started.

"We don't think, probably, this is the right thing to be in the community. Of course, I realize this is a so-called free country, but

I don't think we're ready for this," said one resident.

The proposed clothing optional campground in the eastern part of Morgan County is off the beaten path. Nestled inside 20 acres among the woods, it is out of sight, behind the owner's house, but marked well enough for the curious to stay out.

The owner had proposed to offer private memberships to adults only and limit the number of campsites to 40.

Basically just keep to themselves, all behind an enclosed fence.

"We have it set up to control what we can control, once we get off Peavine Road. This is not going to be a public campground, it is going to be private," said Dale Coffey, attorney for the property owner.

Regardless of the details and arguments for the camp, a packed house of unrest had other thoughts.

Full Article: www.wthr.com