Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resort operators from across North America gathered in Charleston, S.C., on Sunday (Nov. 10) to attend to attend the annual Symposium of the Yogi Bear-themed franchise network.
“We’re excited to be in Charleston this year as we celebrate our 50th anniversary,” said Kelly Jones, vice president of operations of Milford, Ohio-based Leisure Systems, Inc. (LSI), which franchises 75 Jellystone Park locations across the U.S. and Canada.
The Nov. 10-14 Symposium, which includes updates from top LSI officials, educational seminars, and a tradeshow with more than 75 vendors, is the largest annual gathering of Jellystone Park owners and operators. The event is being held at the Embassy Suites Hotel and the Charleston Area Convention Center.
The event kicked off Sunday with a Prospective Owners Workshop to provide information for park operators interested in joining the Jellystone Park network. Symposium attendees today were expected to receive the latest statistics involving the growth of the Jellystone Park franchise network, as well as recent camping and travel trends that could provide new business opportunities for Jellystone Park franchisees in the U.S. and Canada.
Paul Bambei, president and CEO of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC), was scheduled to provide the keynote address.
LSI’s annual awards program will take place this evening rather than on the final night of the Symposium so that park owners and operators can have more time to interact with the award winners and ask them questions about what things they do to make their parks successful. The awards program will be followed by a concert that features dueling piano players.
The Symposium will also include a trade show Tuesday and Wednesday with campground industry vendors such as Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Campspot, Jamestown, N.Y.-based Jamestown Advanced Products, and Kingston, Wash.-based Utility Supply Group, as well as unique vendors such as Morris Costumes, a supplier of Halloween costumes and props based in Charlotte, N.C., Nomadics Tipi Makers of Bend, Ore., State Fair Mini Donuts Inc., and Le Waf, an artisan waffle maker.
The Symposium will also feature more than a dozen educational sessions on Thursday, including sessions on park activities, marketing, how to obtain financing for campground expansions and improvements and how to improve the profitability of their camp stores. The Symposium will also feature continuing educational seminars on compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other legal topics.
For for information on the Jellystone Park franchise network, visit https://www.jellystonefranchise.com.
