Running from Jan. 23-26, the event offers something for everyone, including daily Superdogs performances, contests, destination booths and expert advice for RV enthusiasts at all levels.
“It will be the biggest and best Calgary show ever,” says Brandon Urban, operations manager of Western RV group and board member of the Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association of Alberta (RVDA).
Not only will 11 different dealers be showcasing over 400 vehicle units at the show, its debut at the new BMO Centre also means an expansive 350,000 sq. ft. of display and marketplace space — 80,000 sq. ft. larger than previous years.
Christopher Waller, an influential member of the Fed’s board of governors, said he expects inflation will move closer to the Fed’s 2% target in the coming months. And in some of the first comments by a Fed official specifically about tariffs, he said that greater import duties likely won’t push up inflation this year.
“My bottom-line message is that I believe more cuts will be appropriate,” Waller said in Paris at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
“If, as I expect, tariffs do not have a significant or persistent effect on inflation, they are unlikely to affect my view,” Waller added.
Pat Pontius and Denyse Pontius, co-owners of Century Chemical, join Rick Kessler and Chris Cieto of RVBusiness for this episode of SupplySide Showcase to talk about the latest events for the company, which is celebrating its 99th year of operations in 2025.
The Elkhart County Commissioners gave consent at the Monday (Jan. 6) meeting for the town to annex property adjacent to C.R. 29 and County Line Road, but indicated that it’s going to take time.
In mid-August the Elkhart County Commissioners approved a zone map change for the 45-acre North Trace RV Resort. Plans ultimately call for a 230-space campground at the location with the first third of capacity planned for phase one.
Steve Showalter, owner of Showalter RV in nearby Nappanee, Ind., who’s initiating the development, told the board when introducing the plan last year that the park is meant to meet the need for a high-quality campground that can accommodate larger RVs. He said there’s a potential client base of people who want a “higher-end, resort-style experience” in the northern Indiana lake resort area that Elkhart County is lacking.
Elkhart County attorney Steve Olsen said a stipulation of the annexation is that the entire area must be annexed all at once so it is contiguous, but it means that some properties nearby must also be annexed.
The annexation is in support of a new high-end RV resort in Benton Township near Lake Wawasee called North Trace RV Resort.
Located near Country Meadows Manufactured Home Community, the location of the proposed RV park is about 45 acres and is expected to include about 60% camper spaces, and 40% stormwater retention, open space, or other use.
In mid-August the Elkhart County Commissioners approved a zone map change for the 45-acre North Trace RV Resort. Plans ultimately call for a 230-space campground at the location with the first third of capacity planned for phase one.
BILLINGS, Mont. – Kampgrounds of America, Inc. (KOA), a leader in outdoor hospitality, was recently named the Best-in-Category in the recreation sector of the prestigious Franchise Business Review’s list of Top Franchises for 2025. In addition, KOA ranked 43 on the Top 200 Franchise list, according to a press release.
Franchise Business Review (FBR), a market research firm that performs independent surveys of franchisee satisfaction and employee engagement, provides the only rankings and awards for franchise companies based solely on actual franchisee satisfaction and performance. This is FBR’s 20th year of honoring the top-ranking franchise opportunities as rated by franchise business owners.
“We are incredibly honored to be recognized as the top franchise in our field and among the top 50 overall by Franchise Business Review,” says Toby O’Rourke, president and CEO of KOA. “The recognition is a credit to our ongoing commitment to our franchisees’ success by creating valuable relationships with each owner and operator.”
KOA offers a comprehensive range of services designed to set franchisees up for success and create operational efficiencies–providing campground owners and operators with the tools they need to attract campers, protect and grow their business. As the brand continues to expand its presence nationwide, KOA remains committed to upholding its core values and delivering unparalleled experiences to its franchise partners and customers.
“Franchisee satisfaction continues to be the leading indicator of franchisee performance and system health, and we are pleased to report that owner satisfaction among the 2025 Franchise Satisfaction Award winners averages 30% higher than other franchise brands,” said Michelle Rowan, president and COO of Franchise Business Review. “Each of the award winners on this year’s list received stellar ratings from their franchisees in the areas crucial to success in operating a franchise, including training and support, leadership, innovation, culture, and financial opportunity.
To learn more about joining the KOA Family of Campgrounds, visit ownakoa.com.
WIXOM, Mich. – Florida’s largest family-owned RV dealer and leading motorhome dealer, General RV Center, is heading back to Tampa with hundreds of high-demand RVs, exclusive displays and more as part of the Florida RV SuperShow to be held January 15-19 at the Florida State Fairgrounds.
Nearly 400 new motorhomes, travel trailers, fifth wheels and more will be on display for attendees to explore and purchase their perfect RV.
General RV will showcase RV brands including American Coach, Brinkley, CrossRoads RV, Fleetwood RV, Forest River, Heartland, Modern Buggy, Open Range, Holiday Rambler, Keystone, REV, Thor, Travel Lite and Winnebago. Other highlights from this year’s show include:
Sneak preview the latest RV trends and layout – See the 2025 RV of the Year, the Coachmen Apex 242BARV. The travel trailer has an innovative layout, including an indoor/outdoor bar designed for dining and entertaining. Attendees will also get to see Brinkley RV’s first-ever travel trailer, the Model I. This will be one of the only times RVers can see these units before they hit dealer lots later this year.
The General RV Parts Store – As the largest store at the show, General RV will be displaying thousands of parts and accessories from industry-leading brands. General RV partners, like Camco, are offering free giveaways and a sneak peek at new products launching this spring throughout the four-day show. On Industry Day (January 14) from 3 – 5 p.m., Camco will host cocktails and preview its 2025 launches at its booth within the General RV footprint.
Shop with a YouTube Sensation – Matt Foxcroft and his team at Matt’s RV Reviews will meet with fans of his popular YouTube channels. He will offer special discounts to those attending the show via his Matt’s Cash cards.
Admission to the event is $15 for adults, and free for those 16 and younger. Discounts are available for senior citizens, first responders and the military. The SuperShow runs Wednesday through Saturday (January 15-18) from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday (January 19) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
ELKHART, Ind. – Forest River Inc. has created a media kit for its offerings that will be exhibited at next week’s Florida RV Supershow in Tampa, Fla.
According to information provided by Forest River, the Tampa Media Kit “offers a one-stop shop for writers and RV enthusiasts looking to explore our diverse lineup of RV floorplans and scope their favorites ahead of the big show.”
The 76-page media kit includes:
Inside the media kit, you’ll find:
Descriptions of each floorplan
Images to give a sneak peek of the features that set Forest River RVs apart
As 2024 drew to a close, the Go RVing campaign run in partnership by the RV Industry Association and RV Dealers Association had a lot to celebrate.
“All in all, we are really pleased with the awareness that was created by the campaign this year and the amount of traffic to the Go RVing website. In all, we had 12 million unique visitors to Go RVing.com in 2024,” said Jeremy Greene, RVIA vice president, marketing.
What’s more, Go RVing’s partnership with the DreamWorks Animation on the Wild Robot movie that debuted in 2024 paid handsome dividends, generating 100,000 visits to Go RVing’s Wild Robot micro website, 20 million completed video views and 50 million overall impressions associated with that campaign, according to Greene.
“Even though it involved a limited spend by the campaign, it (the movie) was very targeted to families,” he said, noting the movie’s appeal to families with young children is a key demographic Go RVing seeks to reach. “Recall of the Wild Robot ads was very good and it allowed to us to reach that audience in a different way.”
Greene said Go RVing also was particularly pleased with its partnership with several social media influencers to generate consumer interest in RVs and the RV lifestyle. Among those Go RVing partnered with was three-time Olympic gold medalist Shaun White, who shared highlights of a 2024 RV trip on Instagram while also fondly recalling details of RVing when he was a child.
Meanwhile, Greene said Go RVing enjoyed continued success hosting experiential marketing events across the country, which in 2024 included showcasing RVs at 12 different events ranging from air shows to musical festivals to cultural community events to the Minnesota State Fair, which draws more than 730,000 annual attendees.
“We go to these events to show up in front of consumers in unexpected ways,” he explained. “Go RVing partners with local dealers to reach a rich target audience and to generate leads that funnel back to dealers.”
In 2024, the Go RVing campaign, operating across all channels, generated 2 billion impressions, up from 1.3 billion impressions in 2023, said Monika Geraci, RVIA senior director, public relations and communications. Still, generating impressions is only part of the goal, she added, noting the campaign’s efforts to convert RV awareness to RV rentals and sales.
For example, targeting people searching online for “traveling with pets” and directing them to Go RVing’s website is a more intensive and expensive proposition than people searching for “RV rentals,” but it’s also potentially more beneficial in terms of audience reach, Geraci explained.
“If they (consumers) are searching ‘RV rentals’ we’ve already won,” Greene added.
Building on Go RVing’s successes in 2024, Geraci said the campaign is excited to launch a new ad campaign called “Don’t Go There” that poke fun at the frustrations of hotel stays and airline travel. She noted that the ads, which will debut soon, build upon Go RVing’s “Go on a Real Vacation” ad campaign that has been running for several years.
CHANNAHON, Ill. — Crane Composites, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) panels, announces the launch of GLASBOND, a next-generation option in FRP solutions. The innovative product redefines hygienic wall solutions with a prefabricated adhesive-backed design, enabling installation up to 60% faster than traditional FRP.
GLASBOND is a dramatic advancement in FRP technology. It offers all the benefits of Crane Composites’ trusted products with an enhanced, more efficient installation process through a revolutionary peel-and-stick design for the panels and trim profiles. The prefabricated adhesive backing of GLASBOND redefines the installation process because it is faster and cleaner to apply—a crucial advantage given market-wide labor shortages. Third-party lab testing has demonstrated considerable labor cost savings, making GLASBOND a game-changer for installers.
In addition to faster installation, GLASBOND offers the same exceptional qualities as Crane Composite’s traditional FRP products, including its protective Surfaseal® finish for superior durability, moisture resistance, and ease of cleaning. The smooth, non-porous surface helps prevent mold and bacteria growth, ensuring a more hygienic environment. It is ideal for environments with strict sanitation requirements, food processing facilities, cleanrooms, laboratories, dining, and hospitality settings.
“Traditional wet-troweled adhesive has long been the preferred method for FRP installation, but contractors told us it can be time-consuming and harder to work with for some installers,” said Matt Shields, vice president of Building Products and Transportation at Crane Composites. “With GLASBOND, we’ve developed an improved product that maintains the exceptional standards our customers expect and significantly reduces installation time and costs. We are excited to bring this next generation of FRP wall solutions to the market.”
The introduction of GLASBOND marks another milestone in Crane Composites’ 70-year history as an industry innovator whose products have advanced in response to customers’ needs. GLASBOND’s development began through the company’s extensive input sessions with FRP contractors across the U.S. The contractors’ desire to save time and reduce clean-up during installation emerged from the feedback, which led to the peel-and-stick attachment concept. After conducting prototype trials, the team further refined GLASBOND’s performance features and developed trim profiles to complement the panels.
The new product has undergone rigorous testing both in the field and at our R&D facility to ensure ultimate bond strength across various environmental conditions. Because of these unique features, the unique GLASBOND self-adhered FRP technology is currently patent-pending.
“We’ve listened to our customers and responded with an innovative FRP option that addresses their pain points,” added Shields. “GLASBOND demonstrates our commitment to advancements and our dedication to providing products that meet the evolving needs of our industry.”
Visit glasbondfrp.com for more information about GLASBOND and to use a new GLASBOND ROI calculator to determine time and labor savings over traditional FRP installation.
About Crane Composites
Crane Composites Inc. is a leading provider of fiber-reinforced composite panels. We combine our composite material science, process, and technology expertise with a deep understanding of customer needs to deliver innovative products that outperform traditional metals and woods. Our lightweight composite products deliver unsurpassed strength and durability. Since 1954, we have continued to pioneer numerous patented technologies for industrial and commercial product applications. We’ve built a proven reputation for industry leadership by partnering with customers and suppliers to deliver advanced, industry-leading solutions. Follow Crane Composites on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Enjoy nine days of RV paradise when the Original Pittsburgh RV Show returns to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center Jan. 11-19, according to a release frm the event organizers.
Check out the year’s biggest selection, lowest prices and best manufacturer incentives. Explore 350,000 square feet of RVs ranging from folding camping trailers to high-end motorhomes.
More than a dozen dealers will be on site at Pittsburgh’s only multiple-dealer RV show. Receive expert advice from the industry’s best reps and bring your checkbook – the hundreds of RVs on display throughout the Convention Center will be available for sale.
Hours are Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Monday through Friday 4 to 8 p.m. Special BOGO tickets Monday thru Thursday thanks to First National Bank.
For show details – and to purchase tickets in advance – visit www.PittRVshow.com.
and to use a new GLASBOND