Mark Bowersox, IMHA-RVIC executive director
The Indiana Manufactured Housing Association-Recreation Vehicle Indiana Council’s (IMHA-RVIC) annual Fall Campground Meeting & Tour at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Camp-Resort at Barton Lake in Fremont, Ind., included a keynote address on best practices and ways to increase ancillary income by Kelly Jones, director of franchisee development for Leisure Systems Inc. (LSI).
LSI, headquartered in Milford, Ohio, a Cincinnati suburb, markets the Jellystone name to franchised park operators.
Detailed updates and discussion on IMHA-RVIC marketing, website, social media networking and RV show opportunities were given by Mike Dukehart, the trade association’s marketing coordinator, and Matt Rose, director of recreation vehicles for RVIC.
Jeff Sims, national director of state relations and program advocacy, for the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC), also participated in the meeting via video conference to give an update on member benefits, resources on the ARVC.org website, new educational opportunities and current legislative issues.
However, legislative issues were the hot topic of the day, as the open forum discussion led by IMHA-RVIC Executive Director Mark Bowersox consisted almost entirely of campground owners’ questions and concerns on that subject. Attendees asked about regulations they’ve been wrestling with at their parks and continued discussion on topics introduced by Sims, particularly rumblings of guidelines being developed for ADA-compliant campsites.
After the discussion, attendees were given a tour of the award-winning Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Camp Resort at Barton Lake.
Bowersox acknowledged the impact of changing and increasing regulations on campground owners and the resulting confusion and sense of unease, noting that the parameters of ADA-compliant pool areas are still not entirely defined — even though the compliance deadline has already come and gone.
“The federal government has a way of telling you that you have to comply by this date, but not telling you what the rules are until much later,” Bowersox said. “That’s one of these issues where they’re still clarifying and revising things, and it’s a bit unclear exactly what you’re supposed to comply with.”
Following the discussion, attendees were given lunch and a tour of the campground by its founder and Chairman, Roger Barry, and Leon Rogers, general manager.
