b'Registration Opens for ARVCs Virtual OHCE, Best Selling Author to Keynote The National Association of RV Parks and Camp- can choose to fill out and submit the Hosted Buyer ap-grounds(ARVC) has opened registration for its virtual plication, which costs the same as a regular registra-Outdoor Hospitality Conference and Expo (OHCE). tion prior to reimbursement ($199). The applicationThe virtual OHCE2020 will take place Nov. 2-5the will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Oncesame dates the in-person event was scheduled. You submitted, the ARVC team will complete a qualifica-can view a full breakdown of the pricing and register tion process for each applicant to ensure they are de-for the conference at arvc.org/OHCE. cision-makers at their campground. All applicationsAs part of the shift this year to a virtual format, reg- will be reviewed and qualified and all applicants willistration rates will be significantly reduced compared be notified if they have been accepted into the pro-to the in-person event, including an option to attend gram no later than one week after an application isfor free, allowing even more individuals in the industry submitted.to experience the event, noted ARVC officials. Once accepted into the program, Hosted BuyersOur goal as always is to create the best learning will be able to pre-schedule meetings with vendorsand networking experiences for all attendees, said that offer products and services they are interested in.Paul Bambei, president and CEO of ARVC. With a vir- Each Hosted Buyer will commit to participate in atual conference, we are able to do that at a lower cost minimum of five one-on-one meetings during the vir-and pass those savings on to at- tual OHCE2020 expo. Following OHCE, and once atendees. Plus, without travel and Hosted Buyers obligations are fulfilled, ARVC will re-hotel costs, the lower cost of entry imburse them the cost of registration. Hosted Buyerswill hopefully make the event ac- will be able to begin scheduling meetings in October.cessible to even more attendees. Initially, there will be 200 Hosted Buyers acceptedGretchenRubin,oneof into this years program. If there is more demand,todaysmostinfluentialand ARVC will start a wait list. Based on vendor participa-thought-provoking observers of tion, ARVC will begin pulling from the wait list as soonhappinessandhumannature, as possible. Not all applicants will be accepted andwill be the keynote speaker, ac- the conference through interviews, videos and more there is a limit of one Hosted Buyer spot per camp-Paul Bambei cording to ARVC officials.to create a well-rounded conversation. ground.Rubins keynote will focus on resiliency and finding ARVC will be offering an introductory rate for a lim- Vendors have an opportunity to purchase meetingsthe positive attitude to overcome adversityespe- ited time of $199 for full conference registration (single a la carte, in bundles or as part of various booth/spon-cially poignant topics this year, as RV park and camp- login) for ARVC members. Additional logins will be sor packages offered. Once the vendor has purchasedground businesses across the U.S. and Canada have available for $49 at the time of purchase. Following the pre-scheduled meetings, they are considered part offaced a historic combination of unprecedented chal- introductory rate, prices will be $299 for individual lo- theHostedBuyerProgram.Costvariesbasedonlenges presented by the COVID pandemic, while at the ginsformembers,withadditionalloginsbeing whether meetings are purchased a la carte, in bundles,same time seeing record growth and interest in camp- charged $59. A portion of all full registrations to the or as part of a booth/sponsor package.ing and RVing. conference will be donated to the ARVC Foundation. If you are a business interested in participating In addition to her keynote address at OHCE, Rubin ARVC is also offering a chance to take part in a in the Hosted Buyer Program, please contact Garywill also interact with ARVC members before and after hosted buyer program. While registering, an attendee Headrickat (303) 681-0401. WCMCampCalNOW Fights Through County Orders to Get RV Parks Back OpenIt has been challenging enough having dents and couldnt just close the park. Once50 different COVID-19 strategies in 50 differ- they understood that aspect, parks were all al-ent states. lowed to remain open to serve essential work-In California,CampCalNOW RV Park and ers, full-time RVers and anyone needing toCampgroundAlliance (CampCalNOW) shelter-in-place. President and CEO Dyana Kelleyhas had to Kelley said it was around mid-May that Cal-deal with 58 counties exerting their own ifornia went into the phases of reopening.COVID-19 protocols, which have had direct Newsom initially did not want campgroundsimpacts on private park operators. opening until Phase 3 or Phase 4 of his reopen-This was the case even after June 12, ing plan. This would have prohibited camp-whenGov.Gavin groundsfromopeningtoacceptleisureNewsom finally al- travelers until sometime after Labor Day. lowedallcamp- Keeping Californians sheltering in place in-groundsinall side their homes proved to be untenable, how-counties to open. ever.Ifoundthat By early April, Kelley was already workingthere were a lot of with Kern County to see if she could persuadecountiesthatab- local officials to allow private campgrounds to California park owners had to sift through local restrictions as they worked to reopen their parks.solutelydidnot accommodate people venturing into mountainwant any tourism at towns like Kernville, which is popular with Countys permission to open campgrounds sowithlimitedcapacity.MendocinoGavin Newsom allunderanycir- camping and whitewater rafting enthusiasts. with limited occupancy and only to self-con- Countys decision to reopen was influencedcumstances, Kelley said. That was a very Despite the statewide shutdown, people tainedRVsbyearlyMay,severalmonths in part by CampCalNows outreach efforts,difficult thing to overcome. were traveling to Kernville anyway by late April ahead of Newsoms initial plan to open camp- noted Kelley.California was one of the first states in and early May. grounds after Labor Day. Inyo County, which includes the Owensthe country to shut down businesses and That first hot weekend, Kernville blew up, Public pressure to open campgrounds in- Valley, parts of Death Valley National Parkclamp down on leisure travel as a way to Kelley said. Public restrooms were closed. tensified throughout the spring. As it got and the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevadacombatthepan- Campgrounds were closed. But people were closer to Memorial Day, Kelley said, people Mountains, had also tried to keep its camp-demic.SanFran- irresponsible. They were urinating and defe- were just clamoring to get out and do their reg- grounds closed, but was forced to open mid-ciscoBayArea cating in the streets or next to the bathrooms ular Memorial Day trip. waythroughMemorialDayweekendcounties began to instead of in the bathrooms. As this civil unrest Despite growing public pressure to escape because of the large number of people whoshut down as early started, I started working with the counties to to the outdoors, some California counties, such wereillegallycampingorboondockingas March 10, with see if opening some sectors of outdoor hospi- as Mendocino County, resisted calls to open along U.S. 395 and other roadways. other counties fol- tality could help mitigate the irresponsible campgroundsandothertourism-oriented (County officials) were worried aboutlowingsuitsoon recreation. businesses. But people traveled to Mendocino fires, Kelley said. A lot of people were hav-thereafter. Securing county approval to open camp- County anyway, camped illegally, and dumped ing illegal campfires.I first had to ed- grounds earlier was a matter of public and their black water on the side of the road, left Further north, Mono County, which in-Dyana Kelley ucatethegover- health and safety, Kelley said. garbage behind and camped overnight in cludes many popular Eastern Sierra travelnors office on the overall structure of a CampCalNow worked with a coalition of residential neighborhoods. Mendocino County destinations,suchasMammothLakes,special occupancy park, Kelley said. Most Kernville area RV parks and river rafting com- finally agreed to allow private parks to operate June Lake, Crowley Lake and Mono Lake,parks have a segment of full-time RV resi- panies and was eventually able to secure Kern once the state guidelines were issued but did CampCALNOWcontinued on page 4WOODALLSCM.com September 2020-3'