Ben Quiggle

AURORA, Colo. – Glamping Show Americas – aka The Glamping Show – was marked by a noticeable increase in traffic, with many vendors reporting to Woodall’s Campground Magazine (WCM) . a sister publication of RVBusiness, that they remained busy throughout the day.

To kick off the day, Scott Bahr, president of Cairn Consulting Group, presented data from the 2024 Glamping Americas State of the Industry Report. The report reviews glamping development during the past year and provides insights into trends, as well as barriers to growth, resources needed, guest expectations, innovations and key growth sectors.

Other sessions included:

• Ruben Martinez, president of the American Glamping Association, hosted a panel on Strategies for Exceptional Food & Beverage in Glamping which offered a discussion on how to delight guests with culinary offerings.
• Ben Quiggle, editor of Woodall’s Campground Magazine, moderated a panel that tackled how adding glamping accommodations can provide opportunities for park owners to grow their businesses.
• A session on Engaging the Evolved Glamping Audience: Beyond the Tent in Communication Strategies was hosted by Mark Koep, president and CEO of CampgroundViews.com, and explored the delicate balance between providing potential guests with adequate information and overwhelming them. He’ll also spoke about the communication tools that support different stages, from pre-booking to post-stay interactions.

Throughout the day, the American Glamping Association (AGA) also hosted educational discussions outside on a special stage among the dozens of accommodation units that were displayed.

A Taco Tuesday Welcome Reception was hosted to close the evening and allow attendees to network with each other.

The AGA also held its 2024 awards ceremony near the end of the first day of the Glamping Show Americas to recognize suppliers and individuals who have made an impact in the glamping industry.

Award winners included: 

• Evergreen Excellence: The Business Finance Depot & The Towne Law Firm — This award recognizes outstanding contributions to the glamping industry.
• AGA Member of the Year: Open Sky — This award recognizes Open Sky’s exceptional dedication, leadership and innovation in elevating the glamping industry and the American Glamping Association.
• Manufacturer of the Year: FDomes — This award recognizes and highlights the FDomes team’s commitment to quality, innovation, and setting new standards in luxury outdoor experiences.
• Industry Pioneer: HoneyTrek — This is a testament to Mike Howard & Anne Collins Howard’s innovation, dedication and outstanding contributions.
• Operator of the Year: Firelight Camps — This award recognizes operators who have demonstrated exceptional growth and execution.
• Sarah Dusek Award: Irene Wood, owner of The Fields — This award recognizes the incredible contributions of women entrepreneurs in the glamping industry.

The post Glamping Show Kicks Off with Strong Attendance, Awards first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.

Kampgrounds of America Inc. held a ceremony on Monday (Aug. 19) to dedicate its new headquarters in Billings, Mont. Over 100 people attended the ceremony, including local officials, representatives of the various architectural and construction firms that had helped design and construct the new building, KOA employees and more.

The 35,000-square-foot building earned LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for its design as a green and sustainable building. LEED buildings take into consideration water and energy consumption, utilize lest waste, emit less carbon, contribute to greater employee health and more.

It was designed by the Billings architectural firm A&E Design in partnership with multiple local engineers.

“I’ve been anxiously awaiting this day because I wanted to celebrate the team that made this possible and that’s what the day’s about, celebrating our partners who are here,” noted Toby O’Rourke, CEO and president of KOA. “We have waited a long time to have a rightful home.

“KOA was founded 62 years ago with a very modest campground on a plot of land next to the Yellowstone River and we’re now the world’s largest network of privately owned campgrounds and the definitive leader in outdoor hospitality,” she added. “We felt that a company of that magnitude deserved its own home, not only as a home base for our 1,500 employees across the country but for our 500 franchisees, this is a big deal.”

O’Rourke highlighted that achieving LEED certification was no small task and she thanked a variety of people who took part in making the vision come to life.

Peter Templeton, the CEO and president of the U.S. Green Building Council, also spoke during the event and highlighted the tremendous work that went into securing the certification.

“This building shows how we can create inspiring, energizing spaces that maximize the connection to benefit the health of humans and our environment,” he said. “USGBC has worked for more than 30 years in communities across the country and around the world to make projects like this a reality.

“The project minimized construction waste and impacts, reduced water consumption, optimizes interiors for occupants and their well-being,” Templeton added. “The project’s, mechanical systems have been built to maximize energy efficiency and KOA has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by using clean energy and conducting life assessments of the products to use in construction. KOA and the project team have prioritized strategies and innovations that ensure a high-performing building that also creates a safe and productive environment for all its staff and visitors.”

A variety of KOA employees noted to Woodall’s Campground Magazine that the new facility allows for better networking and collaboration, with a variety of common areas, meeting rooms and open-air format.

The building itself blends in well with the surrounding landscape.

“I’ve felt that this building transformed our culture from the day we moved in,” noted O’Rourke to WCM after the ceremony was finished. “I saw people introducing themselves to each other who never interacted in the old building because we were on separate floors and didn’t have a lot of shared space. I see people just working so much more collaboratively here.

“I travel quite a bit for work, and when I’m gone, I miss the building,” she added. “It’s a place where you come every day and you just smile and see something new. I see wildflowers blooming, we see a lot of wildlife here. Just to see the way it has changed our culture, it’s just been great to be part of.”

O’Rourke told WCM that it was important to be LEED certified because KOA’s business is about being good stewards of the outdoors.

“We want to have a commitment to doing the best we can to preserve the lands and waters,” she highlighted. ” KOA has had a longstanding Kamp Green program. We educate our franchisees and campers on how to camp more sustainably or how to run their campground businesses more sustainably. Not only do we think it’s important for the environment, but it makes good business sense.”

Oscar Tang, KOA’s owner, was also in attendance and spoke briefly about the company’s growth and its commitment to Montana.

“The founders were entrepreneurs from Billings. It has always been headquartered here and it has grown tremendously, especially in the last 15 years,” he explained. “So, this is a way of making it clear that we are a Montana company. This building, I think, will perhaps further anchor that fact. Long after I’m gone, this company that grew out of this location from you all, from the efforts that you all have put in, will prosper on and on.”

Tang’s wife, Agnes Hsu-Tang, a world-renowned archaeologist, art historian and activist, curated a wide variety of art from the western region of the U.S. to give the building life.

Jason McGimpsey designed the building’s chandelier which is made from repurposed trees taken from the site.

To learn more about Kampgrounds of America and the company’s sustainability practices, visit koa.com.

The post KOA Dedicates New HQ, Celebrates LEED Gold Certification first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.

Millions of new people started camping in 2020. That is one of the key takeaways of Billings, Mont.-based Kampgrounds of America Inc.’s (KOA) seventh annual North American Camping Report which was released today (April 21). Administered by Scott Bahr, of Cairn Consulting Group, the report is filled with statistics and key measurements on the state of […]

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The Campground Owners Expo (COE), an all-new trade show set for Dec. 15-18 at the Branson Convention Center Hotel in Branson, Mo., could well reinvent the wheel, so to speak, in the RV park and campground sector if current preliminary plans for the novel event come to pass. Although it was recently introduced as the Campground […]

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The record cold weather that has brought snow, single-digit temperatures, and power outages to many areas of Texas has also disrupted travel and sent park operators scrambling to repair frozen water lines. Teri Blaschke, who co-owns Hidden Valley RV Park in Von Ormy, near San Antonio, with her husband, Mark, said she’d never experienced anything […]

The post Texas Campgrounds Deal with Blast of Cold, Wintry Weather appeared first on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.

With more than 330 attendees, the virtual Canadian Outdoor Hospitality Conference & Expo kicked off on Monday (Jan. 18). Hosted by the Canadian Camping and RV Council (CCRVC), this is the first-ever national conference the association has hosted. Cara Braeutigam, membership coordinator for the association, told WOODALLSCM.com, a sister site to RVBusiness.com, that despite a […]

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While 2020 has brought a variety of challenges to the RV park and campground sectors, it also has been a busy one for most park owners as interest in RVing and camping has skyrocketed amid the COVID crisis. The National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) has worked to meet all of the challenges […]

The post ARVC Navigates COVID as it Develops Member Benefits appeared first on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.

While the Canadian RV park and campground arena has taken part in national conferences in the past, none were specifically focused on the RV park and campground sectors, instead, they offered chances for RV manufacturers, RV dealers and campground owners to come together as a community. That is set to change when the Canadian Camping […]

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The Glamping Show USA — held virtually this year due to the COVID crisis — wrapped up last week with a final total of 1,540 users logging into the system over the show’s three-day run. David Korse, the organizer of the show, said it exceeded expectations. “Our biggest concern was if everything would work properly, […]

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Officials for the Glamping Show USA are staying busy as final preparations are made for the virtual event that is set to open in a matter of weeks, from Oct. 13-15. David Korse, one of the show’s organizers, told WOODALLSCM.com on Tuesday (Sept. 22) that the show now has close to 900  attendees registered to […]

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