b'INDUSTRY NEWSIN BRIEFKOA Promotes Wootteon to Dir. of OAK Marketing, Revenue ManagementARVC Hires Jeremy Carr as Local Representative in Florida and Alabama Kampgrounds of America Inc.s (KOA) Kim Wootteon has beenThe National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) promoted to Senior Director of Owned and Operated Assets of KOA has announced the hiring of Jeremy Carr as its area ARVC rep in (OAK) Marketing and Revenue Management. In this new role, Woot- Florida and Alabama, to support ARVC members and the outdoor hos-teon will lead marketing and revenue management for the .pitality industry across the two-state region. Previously serving as marketing director for OAK, Wootteons workCarr, a native Floridian based in Sarasota who grew up working on leading a talented team of marketers is expanded with this promotion.a campground, has already hit the road visiting RV parks/resorts and In addition to defining OAKs marketing strategy across more than 40campgrounds across Florida and Alabama to better understand how campground locations, she will also oversee revenue management toARVC can best support them in 2022 and beyond, according to a re-create a holistic connection between revenue and marketing resultingKim Wootteon lease.Jeremy Carrin a full-circle perspective of the customer journey.I love this industry and Ive already had so many great conversations with park owners, man-Kim has been an exemplary leader within OAK, said Whitney Scott, chief marketing officeragers and staff. I usually bring coffee and donuts or lunch for the staff and we sit for a while and of KOA. She has built critical processes, collaborating with teams and departments that havetalk about how they got started, walk around the park and so I can learn about whats working improved our work and positively impacted our bottom line. Kim will only provide greater valuefor them and learn about their struggles and how we (ARVC) can help them, Carr said. We to our work and organization in her new role. WCM walk away friends, and they know that if they ever need anything, I am local and only a phone call or an email away. Karen Redfern Promoted to CMO/Senior Vice President of Go RVingIt was important to ARVC, the outdoor hospitality industrys national association, that it main-In recognition of her outstanding leadership of the Go RVing pro- tained a presence in Florida and Alabama after the state associations in those states chose to gram,KarenRedfernhasbeenpromotedtoChiefMarketingde-affiliate in late 2021, the release stated. WCMOfficer/Senior Vice President of Go RVing, according to a News & In-sights report by the RV Industry Association (RVIA). Blue Water Acquires Tall Pines Harbor Campground in Temperance, Va. Redfern has been with Go RVing since its inception, and over theReal estate developer and outdoor hospitality specialist Blue Water has recently expanded past several years she has taken on a direct leadership role of all facetsits partnership with Sun Outdoors with the acquisition of Tall Pines Harbor Campground in of the Go RVing program, resulting in continued growth and un- Temperanceville, Va., in November. matched success for the overall campaign.This property, recognized as the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds Park In her time with Go RVing, Karen launched the program into theKaren Redfern of the Year in 2018, features nearly 300 sites with a mixture of cabins, safari tents, RV sites and digital and social media powerhouse it has become, said RVIA Exec- tent sites. utive Vice President James Ashurst in announcing the promotion. She has built an outstandingWere so excited about the addition of Tall Pines Harbor to our portfolio of campgrounds on team of talented marketers who have developed and executed award-winning promotions acrossthe Delmarva Peninsula and Virginias Eastern Shore, said Todd Burbage, Blue Waters CEO. all forms of media and platforms, delivering daily on Go RVings primary mission to engage andIts an exceptional campground with a long and rich tradition for creating family camping mem-attract new consumers to RVing. WCM ories and were excited to take it to the next level. WCMTampafrom page 3 able to come out camping and enjoy the out-doors, and all that campgrounds have to offer, Distribution, a company that distributes camp- he noted. ground brochures for parks across the country,Anna Kuzia, the manager of Coastal Acres noted to WCM that business continues to goCampgroundinProvincetown,Mass.,was well for the company.manning the Northeast Campground Associa-During the pandemic, it was tough when thetions (NCA) booth. She noted that the associ-shows were canceled, but overall, its picked upation was promoting parks in five states, New nicely, he explained. The Hershey RV ShowHampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Mary-last fall had its second-best attendance ever andland and Maine. theyre looking for a very strong showing here.We have had a lot of people walk by the So far, the shows that weve attended this year,booth and a lot of them have taken brochures, we just finished the Boston RV & Campingshe highlighted. Expo, have been outstanding. The shows haveShe explained that distributing brochures at had a lot of people, and everybody is interestedevents like the Tampa Show is important be-in camping and RVing.cause that is how you reach more people. Bennett said that he expects the outdoorIn order to get knowledge to the people, hospitality industry to do well in 2022.youve got to bring it to the people, Kuzia said. Were looking forward to continuing the mo- Not everybody goes online and its so helpful mentum in the industry as the orders for RVs ac- to network, and thats the key, networking.tually get filled and more and more people areGary Gerard & Ben Quiggle WCMSDCOAfrom page 3 nesses, stated SDCOA officials. The SDCOA letter continued: move to own the whole camping market,Therearemanyotherquestions there was an opening for entrepreneurs toabout this project that might be asked: step in. Now there are people whose liveli-Why is the cost of developing these hoods and financial resources depend onsites double what it costs the private sec-the fair competition that comes from pri- tor to do the same work? vate owners competing with each other. Do the citizens of South Dakota really This GF&P project would pull the rug fromwant more infrastructure in the park that undertheprivatesectorparksinthewill primarily benefit out-of-state guests?Custer area that are expanding to meet the(Morewaterusage,moreroads,more demand, according to SDCOA officials.sewage to deal with, more electricity.) SDCOAs letter asks, Does anybody How does it make sense to use gen-reading this letter believe that the stateeral fund dollars (coming from tax collec-doesnt have competitive advantages overtions, such as those collected at private private campgrounds?parks) to compete with and possibly un-There is no argument that in this red- dermine those very businesses? hotcampingmarket,privatecamp- ManySouthDakotansloveour grounds would barely feel the additionalCrown Jewel the way it is. They dont want sites during the peak season. When thismore public accommodation intrusion. hot market is over, or during the shoulderIs the state ready to answer this concern, seasons, these 175 sites would then be oc- especially at the expense of hard-working cupied at the expense of existing busi- private operators? WCM6 March 2022 Woodalls Campground Magazine'