Rick Kessler

The 2015 Annual Meeting of the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) is well underway at the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota, Fla. Meetings took place Monday and Tuesday with the RVIA Executive Committee and board of directors. A full day of seminars, meetings, award presentations and other events are scheduled for today (March 11), including the Membership […]

The first-ever Harrisburg RV & Camping Show, held Feb. 26-March 1 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, attracted 8,000 attendees and was deemed a good initial showing by organizers and dealers. The show was managed by GS Media & Events, a division of Good Sam Enterprises LLC, which owns and operates 23 recreation-focused […]

Camping World Inc. and Good Sam Enterprises LLC reintroduced their consumer rally – the Good Sam Phoenix Rally, Feb. 26-March 1 at the Phoenix International Raceway – after a year’s hiatus and, by all accounts, drew a big crowd to a venue in which consumers got an enhanced view of the RV lifestyle while manufacturers […]

While final numbers weren’t expected until later this week, organizers said attendance was up more than 30% over last year at the Toronto International RV Show, held Feb. 26-March 1 at the International Centre in Mississauga, Ontario. One of the largest consumers shows in North America, the Toronto RV show was jointly sponsored by the […]

One of the nation’s corporate opinion leaders told a closed door meeting of RV industry executives on Thursday (Feb. 26) in Elkhart, Ind., that he’s pleased to see the recreational vehicle sector enjoying a resurgence amidst an “incredibly robust vibrant economy.” Jeffrey Immelt, CEO and chairman of General Electric (GE), one of the world’s largest […]

A Saturday (Feb. 21) snowfall that dumped more than seven inches of snow on central Ohio – breaking a 122-year-old record for the day – caused a noticeable drop in attendance at the Feb. 20-22 Columbus RV Show at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The storm prompted local authorities to issue a Level 2 snow […]

Michigan campground owners can get started on the 2015 camping season at the 2015 Spring Conference & Expo, March 23-25, at Saginaw Valley State University. The three-day event features speakers, seminars and exhibitors and is hosted by the Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds of Michigan (ARVC Michigan). “After the long winter, the spring conference […]

New England is experiencing one lousy, miserable winter. Boston’s snowfall in February alone is officially 58.8 inches so far, and 96 inches for the season. So you can understand why organizers of the Springfield RV, Camping & Outdoor Show said attendance was better than they expected — especially when considering they were hit with a Saturday […]

In the 10 years since an investment group headed up by former railroad executive Lyle Reed acquired Foretravel Inc., the Nacogdoches, Texas-based luxury custom motorhome manufacturer has introduced a new coach every few years. The first was the 40-, 42- or 45-foot Phenix, which hit the market just months after Reed purchased Foretravel in 2005. […]

Attendance was pegged at about 7,500 people, which is about the norm, according to organizers of the 30th annual Richmond Camping RV Expo, held Feb. 13-15 at the Richmond Raceway Complex in Richmond, Va. Unseasonably cold weather probably limited attendance, reported Dave Body, senior show manager with GS Media & Events, a division of Good […]