Two Pelland Advertising clients took top marketing awards at the 51st Annual Campground Owners of New York (CONY) Exposition for the Outdoor Hospitality Industry, held at the Turning Stone Resort in Verona, N.Y. According to an announcement from Pelland Advertising, at the annual banquet on Saturday evening, Nov. 8, Brook n Wood Campground was honored with the Best Website marketing award, and Copake Kampgrounds of America (KOA) was honored with the Best Brochure marketing award. Both campgrounds are located in New York’s Hudson River Valley, and the owners consider themselves not only friendly competitors but very good friends.
Peter Pelland, Pelland Advertising CEO; Gary and Cathy Reinard, Copake KOA Owners; Mike Papp, CONY Chairman; Don Bennett, CONY President/CEO pose at the CONY awards ceremony.
Copake KOA owners Gary & Cathy Reinard are veterans of the campground industry and have just completed their fifth season at their park. According to Cathy, “We purchased a diamond in the rough, and spent the next five years shaping and polishing every facet of the park. In 2014, we were sufficiently satisfied with the results of our labor to hire a professional photographer and to produce a full-color brochure that will showcase our park at the upcoming camping shows.”
A companion rack card was produced for distribution throughout the KOA network of parks. She continued, “We are anxious to see the impact our new marketing materials will have upon business. In the meantime, the affirmation that we have received at the CONY convention has been really encouraging and satisfying.”
Peter Pelland, Pelland Advertising CEO; Joe & Vanessa Leto, Brook n Wood Campground Owners; Mike Papp, CONY Chairman; Don Bennett, CONY President/CEO, pause for a picture at the CONY awards ceremony.
Brook n Wood Campground owners Joe and Vanessa Leto purchased their park in 2004 and soon had the opportunity to meet and welcome their new peers from a few miles down the road, since Joe was serving as a CONY regional director at that time. According to Vanessa, “We bought our park as the culmination of a dream where we could work together and build something for the future to hand down.”
With respect to the Reinards, she continued, “We are all actively involved in our communities. We have children in the same age bracket, turning into young adults with their own dreams and struggles. We share similar philosophies, and feel that the entire industry is elevated as we improve our parks.”
The parks have a practice of providing mutual referrals, though each park is unique and targets slightly different niche markets. As Vanessa Leto said, “We like each other and wish each other all the best in life.” Carrying that level of mutual commitment one step further, Gary Reinard is currently CONY’s region 12 director and Joe Leto is the alternate director. It is no surprise that they were each honored for their professional accomplishments.
According to Pelland Advertising CEO Peter Pelland, who was called up to join the winners during their award presentations, “We are pleased to be of service to the owners of these two fine parks and really appreciate the fact that Pelland Advertising is a key component that they share in common,” recalling how last year’s Best Website marketing award winner was Copake KOA – this year’s Best Brochure award winner. He continued, “We are thrilled to see Brook n Wood Campground and Copake KOA so deservedly recognized.”
