Almost 30 vendors took part in the show’s trade show.
The 27th Annual Mid-Atlantic Coastal States Conference & Trade Show ended Wednesday (March 14) afternoon in Dover, Del., with a Cracker Barrel wrap-up of the event.
Selena Littman of Candy Hill Campground in Winchester, Va., commented, “this is by far one of my favorite conferences” during the final session, according to a press release.
This year’s conference featured 11 educational sessions and three keynote speakers all focusing on the future of the campground industry, according to Joann DelVescio, executive director of New Jersey Campground Owners Association, which planned the event.
Some of the educational sessions helped campground owners by highlighting branding, attracting the ‘girl camper’, refining social networking skills and predicting what customers want, according to DelVescio. While other educational sessions focused on the operational aspects of owning a campground: Insurance, propane safety and new electrical codes.
Owners also took the time to discuss bloopers, blunders and practical safety tips they have experienced at their campgrounds. The discussion allowed owners to gain insight and learn from other owners’ blunders, according to DelVescio.
Keynote speakers for the event included Katie Denis, vice president of the U.S. Travel Association; Curtis Coleman, founder of RVillage.com; Karen Redfern, the vice president of brand marketing and communications at the RV Industry Association (RVIA) and Nichole Poisson, franchise development manager at Kampgrounds of America.
Denis educated owners about the vacation planning habits of Americans and the U.S. Travel Association’s latest endeavor, Project: Time-Off. Coleman spoke about how people like to travel in clusters during his educational session. His comments tied into the research RVIA and KOA presented about the new way people are vacationing.
Redfern also gave the group a look at what is happening with RVIA in the future, while Poisson gave the group invaluable statistics and insight to the future of camping.
The trade show included almost 30 vendors. Randy Pricskett of Sleepy Hollow Campground in Egg Harbor Township, N.J., mentioned he was glad to have the opportunity to learn about a few new products and cross some items off his purchasing to-do list, according to the release.
