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for more sponsorship information contact Kera Tomlin at ktomlin@arvc.org
President's Corner
Important association updates by ARVC President/CEO, Linda Profaizer.
New Credit Card Bill
Congress has approved the credit card bill and the President will sign it soon, perhaps as early as Friday, May 22. It does have in it one provision that will be of interest to any business that offers gift cards or gift certificates. To read more click here.
We'd Like to Know How You Are Doing
We know these can be tough, scary times. We'd like to know how you are coping with the economy, where you are marketing, any information on reservations compared to last year or current occupancy. You can go online to make comments at goodnews@arvc.org or newsofconcern@arvc.org or just email me directly at lprofaizer@arvc.org. Thanks!
Marketing Corner
ARVC Marketing information and latest partnerships submitted by ARVC Marketing & Communications Director, Kera Tomlin.
HELP! We Need Your Photos and Input for Recent Media Inquiries...
Do you have photos from family reunions held at your park? Or other fun events that were held at your park? If so, please share them by uploading them to our ARVC Snapfish site (an online photo sharing website).
How to Access Snapfish:
- Go to www.snapfish.com
- Click on login
- For email address, please enter: info@arvc.org
- For password, please enter: GoCamping01
- Then click on Upload Photos and follow steps from there
Also, if you are a park with the following amenities, please contact Jeff Crider at jefferycrider@cox.net or (760) 469-5905.
- Campgrounds with the best river tubing and kayaking opportunities
- Campgrounds with the best hunting and fishing opportunities nearby
- Campgrounds with the best food service on site.
THANK YOU for your help and input! We've been creating some wonderful
press about the campground industry thanks to your help and assistance!
Plan-It Green Corner
Tell Us How Your Park Is GREEN
Email us and tell us what your park is doing to be green!! info@arvc.org
Green Business Tips from Business.gov
Check Out www.business.gov/expand/green-business for more green business tips, plus an array of links to different tips, websites and ideas.
Membership Corner
ARVC Membership information submitted by ARVC Membership Director, Daniel Gurley.
Deadline Rapidly Approaching, June 30th! Submit Your 2009 Awards of Excellence Entry Today
The ARVC Awards of Excellence recognize the accomplishments of members in operations, marketing, management and the industry. Every year, ARVC profiles the winners of its awards with press releases, letters to industry and government leaders, articles in the ARVC Report, showcasing on the website and notification on the local, state and national level. This year ARVC will recognize two entrants in the brochure, direct mail promotion, and website of the year categories.
To enter, click here to download the entry form and provide the information requested. All entries must be received no later than June 30, 2009. All rules and judging criteria are listed in the entry form brochure.
Any questions, contact Daniel Gurley, Director of Membership at (303) 681-0401 or dgurley@ARVC.org
New ARVC Member Benefit
Mass Marketing Insurance Consultants, Inc. (MMIC), one of ARVC’s Member Benefit Providers, has put together a free discount pharmacy card for the members of ARVC. Members can start saving 10% to 60% on prescription drugs and there is no cost to ARVC members. You do not have to have an insurance policy with MMIC in order to take advantage of this program. To read more click here.
Education Corner
Educational information submitted by ARVC Education Director, Cheryl Smith.
Facebook/Twitter Webinar Coming Early June!!!
You’ve heard all the hype about Facebook and Twitter. Are you interested in learning what all the fuss is about? And why parks are jumping on the bandwagon to use these sites to lure guests in?
ARVC will have the answers for you in an upcoming webinar during the first week of June. (You’ll even earn CPO credits for this!) Be on the lookout for an e-mail next week with more details.
You asked for it... and now the Economic Survey is yours FREE!!!
The ARVC Foundation Board recently voted that if you are a current ARVC member you can request the 2008 National Operations and Economic Survey of the RV Park & Campground Industry conducted for the ARVC Foundation by Northern Arizona University and receive it FREE! The Economic Survey is a wonderful tool to get a pulse of our industry. How can you afford not to request it? It's as easy as sending an email to Cheryl Smith at csmith@arvc.org requesting the survey or call 303-681-0401 ex. 18.
Now is the time to sign up for the RV Park and Campground Management School for February 16-20, 2010!
See what all the buzz is about! Denise Gallo and Denne Yenchochic, Owners/Operator of River's Edge Camping and Cabins, Connellsville, PA said this of the 2009 school...
“We attended the campground management school in hopes of gaining “text-book” knowledge to assist us in running our business better. What we gained from the school was much more than book knowledge. The opportunity to share meaningful stories with and among some of the nation’s most impressive campground owners was invaluable. Much of what we learned will shape our business decisions now and in the future.”
Looking for Partners in Education! (PIE)
Do you have a number of employees that you want to send to the RV School but can't afford to send them all at the same time? ARVC, The ARVC Foundation and Oglebay, collectively have designed a new program to open doors for you! Contact Cheryl Smith, Director of Education at 303-681-0401 ext 18 to find out more about this new program that will benefit you and your employees!
In the News Corner
ARVC tracks news alerts and RSS feeds for the latest information concerning member parks, campgrounds and the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds. Here is some of the most recent press coverage.
RV Parks--New Economic Indicator
Randy Simmons, www.cbs6albany.com, May 14, 2009
A sudden spike in sales has Andy Heck the president of Alpin Haus in Amsterdam thrilled that business is booming again. "All of a sudden we had to double our workforce based on demand in two weeks. Out of the blue, one day it just started going crazy. says Heck. What's even crazier is that Travel experts and economists are watching RV sales very closely and Heck knows why. To read more click here.
Taking to the road for holiday weekend
By Carol Reiter creiter@mercedsun-star.com
Lower gas prices and travel bargains mean more people taking trips this Memorial Day holiday.
AAA projected the number of Americans traveling this weekend will increase 1.5 percent from Memorial Day 2008, with about 32.4 million travelers taking a trip of 50 or more miles from home. Last year, 31.9 million Americans traveled during the same period; a drop from the 35.3 million travelers who vacationed in 2007. To read more click here.
West Michigan RV parks, campgrounds expect good tourism season
by Shandra Martinez | The Grand Rapids Press | Sunday May 17, 2009, 5:00 AM
With just a few days to go before the Memorial Day weekend kicks off the summer season, retiree Richard Sevic still has much of the riverfront at the Double R Ranch Resort near Belding to himself.
He slid his 27-foot Coachmen Chaparral into its seasonal spot, parked his fishing boat at the water's edge and set out a refrigerator on the green turf carpeting that serves as his patio. Soon, he will hang up his hummingbird feeders and plant his small garden. To read more click here.
Recession-Proof: Private Campgrounds
By Karen E. Klein, Businessweek.com, May 12, 2009
Low-cost, family-friendly private campgrounds, most of which are small businesses, are doing well despite the travel slump.
Combine a global economic recession with fears of pandemic disease, and it looks to be another dismal summer season for the travel industry. But for one sliver of the accommodations industry—the small business-dominated private-campground business—things are looking up. To read more click here.
If you have questions or concerns please contact ARVC at 1-800-395-2267